Sport for Kids

Here's a very interesting article I found on the NY Times blog.

Phys Ed: Are Sports Drinks Actually Good for Kids?
By GRETCHEN REYNOLDS

A few summers ago, researchers from the University of Connecticut's Department of Kinesiology showed up at youth soccer and football camps on the East Coast to study the kids' drinking habits. What they found was that the young athletes, aged 9-16, didn't drink enough. Most of them, in fact, had arrived at the camps dehydrated to one degree or another, and proceeded to dry themselves out far more over the course of the four-day camps. Practicing on average three times a day, the kids became progressively more dehydrated day by day, as measured by the concentration of their urine and by declines in their body weight, despite the fact that water was available during every practice session. By the end of the camps, between 50 and 75 percent of the 128 kids were at least "significantly" dehydrated, and in 25 to 30 percent of these, the condition was "serious."

"Most of the campers thought they were doing a pretty good job of staying hydrated during the day," the researchers said when they released their findings. "Obviously there's a gap between their knowledge and their actual behavior." Although research shows that prepubescent athletes sweat quite a bit less, on average, than adults, they also weigh less, so small water losses are magnified. According to a 2005 American College of Sports Medicine report on hydration, "even a 1 percent to 2 percent reduction in body mass" through perspiration "reduces aerobic performance in 10- to 12-year-old boys." Several other studies show that kids, by and large, simply don't drink water, even if it's readily available. In a seminal group of studies in the 1990s, young athletes were brought in to a human performance laboratory in Canada and asked to complete intermittent, easy sessions of bicycling, while drinking as much water as they liked. During the 90 to 180 minute sessions, the "children dehydrated progressively and their core temperatures increased faster than in adults," the researchers found.

Change the beverage, though, and children's drinking behavior alters - dramatically. In the Canadian laboratory cycling study, when the kids were offered grape-flavored water, they voluntarily drank 44.5 percent more than when the water was unflavored. And when the drink included 6 percent carbohydrates and electrolytes - when, in other words, it was a sports drink - they eagerly downed 91 percent more than when offered water alone. Does this mean that the parents of young soccer, football, baseball, basketball, and tennis players should be stocking their refrigerators with Gatorade, Powerade or the new Crayons sports drinks for kids (available, unsurprisingly, in multiple colors)? The answer is a qualified 'yes.' "When kids do intense exercise in the heat for numerous hours, I would encourage the use of sports drinks," says Douglas Casa, an associate professor of kinesiology at the University of Connecticut and the lead researcher for most of the sports camp studies. "They will likely drink more of a flavor they like as compared to water, and will benefit from the carbs and electrolytes."

But that 'yes' has clear and definable limits. "Sports drinks are only appropriate in the context of sports, and I mean serious sports," emphasizes Nancy Clark, a registered dietician and sports nutritionist in Boston, who often works with young athletes. "Most kids younger than 10 or 12 don't work out hard enough to require" carbohydrate and electrolyte replenishment, she says. "They should be playing and having fun, even during games." If, however, your 12-year-old or older athlete has begun competing at a more intense level, especially if he or she participates in multiple practices or competitions in a single day during the summer, "sports drinks are appropriate," Clark says. The salt in the drinks increases the body's ability to hold on to the fluid, she points out, and few kids object to the taste, although in at least one study, some young athletes reported that sports drinks upset their stomachs.

No one suggests that, outside of fields or courts, sports drinks are wise. "These are not health foods," Clark says. "They're fancy sugar water. You see kids having them with their pizza at lunch. That's not a good idea." Sports drinks have been linked with obesity and tooth decay. They're also expensive (although you can make your own for much less money, Clark says. See below for a DIY sports drink recipe from her book, "Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook," 4th Edition.) Finally, consider nagging, an underutilized means of improving young athletes' hydration status. When the kids at the sports camps were asked why they didn't drink more often, one of their most commonresponses was, "I forgot."

"Remind them," Clark says. Talk to their coaches. Request more fluid breaks. Ask those in charge to see to that all the children drink, both Clark and Casa suggest. The kids may be athletes out on the field, "but they're still just kids, your kids," Clark says. "Watchout for them."

Sports drink recipe from "Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook"
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup hot water2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 1/2 cups cold water
In a quart pitcher, dissolve the sugar and salt in the hot water. Add the remaining ingredients and the cold water. The drink contains about 50 calories and 110 mg of sodium per 8 ounces, approximately the same as for most sports drinks.

Copyright © 2008 Nancy Rishworth

Why is it important to be flexible? Many people think of flexibility as something that results from a sport or exercise routine, such as yoga, pilates, ballet, gymnastics, etc. But flexibility is an important part of everyday life.

Flexibility improves strength and overall good health. When you get more flexible, you will find that you have a greater range of motion, that you are able to perform tasks with greater ease, and you'll suffer fewer injuries.

Best of all, flexibility can add a great deal to your success in sports. If you are an avid golfer, swimmer, love to play basketball, baseball, or volleyball, you'll be amazed at how your performance changes when you focus your efforts to get more flexible.

You can improve your flexibility by adding static and dynamic flexibility exercises to your daily routine. Static flexibility exercises are slow, constant stretching of muscles, held for at least 30 seconds. Some examples of static flexibility exercises include calf stretches and ham string stretches. Static stretches can also incorporate isometric and PNF stretching techniques to considerably increase their effectiveness.

Dynamic flexibility exercises use muscle movement to increase your range of motion. Typically these exercises - examples include leg and arm swings, side bends, toe touches - are initially performed at low to moderate speeds, with a controlled motion. Gradually, over time you will be able to increase your range of movement, extend further, and increase speed.

Both static and dynamic flexibility exercises work at lengthening the connective tissues that surround your muscles. This lengthening of the tissues provides an increase in your ability to extend your arms or legs in a natural movement. This movement is termed your range of motion. As you improve your flexibility, you'll find that it becomes easier to move your joints - knees, shoulders, elbows, etc. You'll also be able to move these joints to a greater length or extend them further.

When you make an effort to get more flexible, you'll notice improvements in your everyday life and in your sports. You'll be able to swim faster, throw balls further, have a greater controlled and stronger golf swing, and jump higher. Increased flexibility will pay off even if you aren't active in sports. As you work to get more flexible, you'll notice common household tasks, such as vacuuming, yard work, and lifting, all become easier to do. You'll notice that your overall strength and endurance has increased.

As you work to get more flexible, you'll suffer fewer injuries, your posture will improve and your muscles won't be as sore when you exert yourself or exercise. Flexibility pays off big - it's not just for gymnasts.
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Nancy Rishworth, grew up dancing and became a qualified Aerobics and Fitness & Personal Trainer. She is also a qualified Naturopath having studied various healing modalities through healthy eating, herbal remedies, vitamins, massage & exercise. Her Flexibilty Plus Workout Program improves flexibility, strength and overall health. For nutritional info and other core strength and cardio exercise tips and guidelines go to www.FlexibilityPlus.com

Energy drinks such as Red Bull, Hype, or Guru are increasingly popular among young athletes. Children perceive these drinks as natural and good for health. Unfortunately, parents do also. Very often, I see parents buying these drinks to their kids. This is why this multi-billion dollars industry is targeting more and more young athletes. But what are those energy drinks exactly?

These drinks contain a lot of caffeine as well as guarana whose active ingredient is also caffeine. An acceptable daily dose for children is:
age 4-6: 45 mg
age 7-9: 62.5 mg
age 10-12: 85 mg
while doses of these energy drinks produce an average of 160 mg per serving (473 ml can) and a cup of coffee produces 179 mg per serving. Would you give a cup of coffee to your child before, during, or after a physical activity? Yet many parents encourage their child to take a can of Red Bull before a game to give them energy!

These drinks also have a high level of sugar which accelerates dehydration thus increasing the risk of fatigue... and a decline of performance. Which is exactly the opposite of the expected effect! Did you know that a loss of 2% of body weight in water (which triggers the feeling of thirst) leads to a decrease of 10% of the physical capacity?

During a physical activity, it is very important to hydrate before, during and after. If the activity lasts less than an hour, water remains the best choice for hydration. If the activity is more intense and lasts more than an hour, sports drinks such as Gatorade and Powerade are ideal for their dose of sugar (that serves as fuel) and salt (that compensates for losses due to perspiration) . The energy drinks contain too much sugar (it contains 15 grams per 100 ml unlike 4 to 8 g for a sports drink) so that the drink remains longer in the stomach which can cause bloating and nausea. According to a study by researchers at Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School, children have 60% more chances to become obese for each sugar drink consumed.

If you don't want to spend to much money on bottles of Gatorade, you can use a mixture of juice and water in equal portions with a pinch of salt added.

At first, let me make it clear: you should never force children to practice a sport or an activity that they don't like neither to force them to go beyond where they are willing to go.

Sounds obvious like that but it is scary how many parents I saw in my career that where seeing their son or daughter as the winner they never were or as the champion that they always wished to be. Do not forget: YOU ARE NOT DOING THE SPORT, YOUR KID IS!

Oh, we all know some success stories about a young gymnast who made it to the Olympics or a tennis player who turned pro early despite their tyrannical parents. But for one kid who made it, how many childhoods were broken? Thousands? Tens of thousands? Let kids be kids. If your kid is good and has the talent and the mind to go far, he will, with or without you. When I am talking to parents, I always say: "It is tough for a parent to help their kids to achieve success while it is so easy to make them fail!"

Now, you will ask me: "Ok, that is nice, do not push your children. Yeah, yeah! But I don't want my son or daughter to be a quitter, to always look for the easy way out when things are tough." Yep, you're right! You know the old saying: "When the going get tough, the tough get going!" As parents we all want our kids to be among the toughs. This is absolutely normal. But who said it is easy to be a parent? ;-)

First, it depends on the age of the children. Between 3 and 5 years old, we usually decide where we sign them up. Sometimes, if they have older brothers and sisters they might tell you: "I wanna play soccer" or "I wanna do cartwheels like my sister" but usually it is the parent's decision. We are usually influenced by neighbors, family, and local publicity. And of course, since it is our decision and not theirs, the chances to get it wrong are larger. You have to watch carefully your kid's attitude. Do not get too worried when they complain when you interrupt their playing time to go the swimming lesson or the soccer game. It is normal and usually has more to do with the fact that they have to stop their actual playing. As soon as they realize that they will be playing somewhere else they will be happy again. But if they are still complaining even when they are practicing their sport then you should start asking yourself questions. If it is a fight every time, do not hesitate and try something else. Do not wait too long. They will not become quitters at this time. They just want to have fun at this age. Most organizations have a refund policy, ask for it at the sign-up.

Older kids usually choose their activities. They are usually influenced by friends or by something that caught their attention on TV like in big events or professional sports finals. Olympics have a big influence in sports recruiting. Most sports represented in the Olympics know an increase in their recruiting in an Olympic year. Even more when a local athlete wins. For older kids that choose their own sport, make it clear right at the beginning: "If you sign up, you stay until the end of the season". This is called "keeping your engagements". It is important that they learn to make the proper choices and assume the responsibilities that go with it. Let's take a basketball team for example. The kid signs up in a team with a limited number of players. Maybe the organization even refused some inscriptions because the team was full. If a player decides to quit after 2 or 3 weeks because "he doesn't like it anymore" or because "they lost the first 3 games", it is the whole team that is affected by his decision. So think about your choice and keep your word. If you think you didn't make the right choice then do not reenter yourself at the next session.

Also, at the beginning, validate your child's ambition. Does he want just to have fun, spend time with his friend and practice the sport just for the fun of it? Does he want to be good at it and perform at the highest level he can go? Or maybe he really wants to make it to the Olympics?

Whatever the ambition is will guide you in the perseverance matter. If he is serious about being good and competing at the highest level then he has to be willing to make some sacrifices and you will have to be a little more "pushy" and insist a little more because sometimes it will be tougher than other times and sometimes he will loose and get discouraged. These are not good reasons to quit. "Au contraire", these should be times to increase the athlete's efforts. This is where the line between teaching perseverance and pushing too much is getting thinner and thinner. But good communication is always the best way to know where is this line. You know, there ARE good reasons to call it quit and you should always aim for your children's happiness first. Do not forget, your son is not a basketball player, he's your son. Your daughter is not a gymnast, she's your daughter. And do not forget that you might have other kids in your family, that are not doing sports and who also need your love. You might laugh but I saw it quite often. All the family focus is around the youngest daughter who wins tennis tournaments and the brothers and sisters do not exist. Sad.

Finally, to make it short (because I can talk about it for hours), always verify where you sign up your children. Is it a serious organization with a clean history? Who are the coaches, the volunteers? What are there background? Do they have criminal records? Yes, I'm serious, criminal records! As a parent, you are allowed, and you HAVE to verify this because you are going to entrust the most precious thing in your life to this person and sometimes for more than 20 hours a week for high level athletes. Be twice as careful with male coaches and volunteers. This might sounds like a prejudice but it's a fact; when we hear about horror stories, 80% of the time it is a man.

Well, on this bright note ;-)) I say that's it for now. And don't let the last paragraph scares you. 99.9% of the organizations and volunteers are great with kids and you should encourage your kids to do some activities. With all those bad news about overweight kids in North America, we owe it to them to make sure to will live long and healthy.

Good bye and take care of your kids!

Here's a fun article I read a couple of years ago in Sports Illustrated for Kids. I found it very amusing and yet so true. So here goes:

TEN THINGS PARENTS DON'T GET ABOUT KIDS AND SPORTS
You may not want to hear this but...most kids have a lot to say about their parents ' involvement in their sports lives, especially what they don't like about it. Here is our Top 10 list of kids' advice for parents , gleaned from comments by S.I. FOR KIDS readers.

1- During car rides to games or practice, kids don't want you to tell them how to do this or that. "I am not stupid," said one 12-year-old. "I know how to play the sport I play."

2- Kids can get psyched for a game without your help. "I hate when parents say, 'Are you ready? We're going to win,' like they're playing," said one kid.

3- It's your duty as a parent to sit quietly and watch your kids do wonderful things. Kids get bummed out when you miss games or yak it up too much with friends in the stands. "We're sweating and playing the game, and they're busy socializing," complained one girl.

4- If you don't know what you're talking about, kids don't want you to talk. Typical comments: " Parents think they know the rules, but they don't." "My mom asks annoying questions." And "I hate when my mom tells me to do things even when she doesn't know the first thing about sports ."

5- Even if you do know what you're talking about, kids don't want you to talk (unless you're the coach). "I hate when parents tell us to do the exact opposite of what the coaches say," said one child. Added another: "If your parent isn't the coach, he or she shouldn't try to be one."

6- Kids wish you would practice what you preach about sportsmanship. "My mom always wants me to be a 'good sport,' but a lot of the time she blames the loss on the ref," claimed one kid.
"Arguing with the refs is not only embarrassing, but it takes up time," said another.

7- Kids often can't hear you yelling when they're concentrating on the game. Sometimes, they can. Either way, they don't like it. " Parents yell advice you don't hear because you're so into playing the game. Afterward they say, 'Why didn't you listen to me?' " complained one child.
Said others: "I feel embarrassed when my parents yell so loud that the whole town can hear," and "They yell and scream and look like dorks."

8- After they lose, kids don't want to be told it doesn't matter. Typical reactions: "I hate when we get knocked out of the playoffs and my parents say, 'You'll get them next time!' " and "When parents try to cheer you up after a loss, all they do is remind you of the score."

9- After they lose, kids don't want to be told that it does matter. " Parents take losses harder than we do," wrote one boy. Advised one girl: "You win some, you lose some, no big deal! Get over it!"

10- Kids just want to have fun. Parents just don't get this, kids say. Many kids say they would rather play on a losing team than sit on the bench on a winning one. Some would like to skip practice once in a while. "The thing that bugs me the most is that my parents take it too seriously," summed up one child. "They act like it's school."