Lacrosse rich kid sport. Diversifying Lacrosse: Salt Lake City’s Innovative Program Challenges Sport’s Stereotypes

How is Salt Lake City’s East High School program changing the face of lacrosse. What challenges do players of color face in a traditionally white-dominated sport. Why is increasing diversity in lacrosse important for the sport’s future.

The Demographic Landscape of Lacrosse in America

Lacrosse has long been associated with affluent, white communities, particularly on the East Coast of the United States. This perception is not unfounded, as recent statistics reveal a stark lack of diversity in the sport. In 2021, approximately 84% of NCAA men’s and women’s lacrosse players across all divisions were white. This homogeneity has been a persistent issue in the sport, limiting its growth and accessibility to diverse communities.

The predominance of white players in lacrosse can be attributed to several factors:

• Historical association with elite prep schools and Ivy League universities
• High costs associated with equipment and travel teams
• Limited exposure and opportunities in diverse communities
• Cultural perceptions of lacrosse as a “rich kid’s sport”

Salt Lake City’s Pioneering Effort to Diversify Lacrosse

In Salt Lake City, a remarkable initiative is underway to challenge the status quo and bring lacrosse to a more diverse group of young athletes. The program, centered around East High School, is making significant strides in increasing representation and accessibility in the sport.

Key aspects of the Salt Lake City program include:

• Emphasis on recruiting players from diverse backgrounds
• Outreach to communities on the west side of Salt Lake City
• Subsidized equipment and league costs for new teams
• Dedicated coaches committed to growing the sport in underrepresented areas

The Catalyst for Change: Charlie Freedman’s Vision

Charlie Freedman, a New York native who began coaching youth boys’ lacrosse in Utah in 2006, recognized the need for change in the sport’s demographic makeup. Frustrated by the lack of diversity, Freedman took action to make lacrosse more inclusive.

In 2012, Freedman initiated a groundbreaking effort by starting a team in Glendale, a more diverse area on the west side of Salt Lake City. Utilizing grant money from U.S. Lacrosse for equipment, he successfully assembled a team of 26 players, laying the foundation for a more inclusive lacrosse community in the region.

The Impact of Freedman’s Initiative

Freedman’s efforts have had a ripple effect, inspiring others to join the cause:

• Intermountain Lacrosse, a Utah-based nonprofit, now offers subsidies for new teams in underserved areas
• Coaches like Matt Pearson have continued Freedman’s work, actively recruiting diverse players and making the sport more accessible
• The East High School program now boasts youth teams with significant representation of players of color

Breaking Barriers: Strategies for Increasing Accessibility

The success of the Salt Lake City program can be attributed to several key strategies aimed at making lacrosse more accessible to diverse communities:

1. Relocating Practices

Coach Matt Pearson made a significant impact by moving one weekly practice to the Glendale area. This simple act of meeting families “halfway” built trust and showed commitment to inclusivity.

2. Transportation Assistance

Recognizing transportation as a potential barrier, coaches like Pearson offer rides to players from the west side to practices on the east side of the city.

3. Equipment Subsidies

Programs like Intermountain Lacrosse’s area development initiative provide subsidized equipment and league costs for new teams, reducing financial barriers to entry.

4. Community Outreach

Coaches actively recruit players from diverse neighborhoods and work to build relationships with families in these communities.

Challenges and Resistance: Confronting Racism in Lacrosse

Despite the progress made, players of color in the Salt Lake City program have faced challenges, including racist comments from opposing players and parents. These incidents highlight the ongoing need for education and cultural change within the broader lacrosse community.

How are programs addressing these challenges?

• Providing support and mentorship to players who experience discrimination
• Educating coaches, players, and parents about inclusivity and respect
• Implementing zero-tolerance policies for racist behavior
• Encouraging open dialogue about experiences of racism in the sport

The Ripple Effect: Impact Beyond Salt Lake City

The success of the Salt Lake City program could serve as a model for other communities seeking to diversify their lacrosse programs. As more diverse players enter the sport, it has the potential to change perceptions and break down barriers on a national scale.

Potential long-term impacts of increased diversity in lacrosse include:

• Greater representation at collegiate and professional levels
• Expanded talent pool and improved competitiveness of U.S. teams internationally
• Increased cultural exchange and understanding through sport
• New markets and growth opportunities for the lacrosse industry

The Future of Lacrosse: Embracing Diversity and Inclusion

The efforts in Salt Lake City represent a significant step towards a more inclusive future for lacrosse. By actively working to diversify the sport, programs like this are not only changing the face of lacrosse but also providing valuable opportunities and life lessons to a broader range of young athletes.

What steps can other communities take to follow Salt Lake City’s example?

1. Identify underserved areas and communities within their region
2. Partner with local schools and community organizations to introduce lacrosse
3. Seek funding and sponsorships to subsidize equipment and league costs
4. Recruit and train diverse coaches and mentors
5. Implement inclusive policies and practices at all levels of play

As lacrosse continues to grow and evolve, the sport has the potential to become a powerful tool for bridging cultural divides and promoting inclusivity. The Salt Lake City program serves as a beacon of hope and a roadmap for communities across the country looking to make lacrosse truly accessible to all.

Measuring Success: Beyond Diversity Statistics

While increasing diversity in lacrosse is a crucial goal, it’s essential to look beyond mere statistics to gauge the true impact of these initiatives. Success should be measured not only in terms of demographic representation but also in the positive experiences and personal growth of the players involved.

Key indicators of success in diversifying lacrosse programs include:

• Player retention rates among diverse participants
• Academic performance and college admissions of program participants
• Development of leadership skills and confidence in players
• Positive impact on community relations and cultural understanding
• Creation of pathways for diverse players to advance in the sport

The Role of Mentorship in Sustainable Diversity

Mentorship plays a crucial role in creating a sustainable diverse lacrosse community. By pairing experienced players and coaches with newcomers from diverse backgrounds, programs can foster a sense of belonging and provide valuable guidance both on and off the field.

How can effective mentorship programs be implemented in lacrosse?

• Establish formal mentorship structures within teams and leagues
• Provide training for mentors on cultural sensitivity and effective communication
• Create opportunities for mentees to become mentors as they progress in the sport
• Highlight success stories of diverse players to inspire and motivate others

Lacrosse as a Vehicle for Social Change

The efforts to diversify lacrosse in Salt Lake City and beyond represent more than just a change in the sport’s demographics. They offer an opportunity to use lacrosse as a vehicle for broader social change and community building.

Potential societal benefits of a more diverse lacrosse community include:

• Increased cross-cultural understanding and friendships
• Development of transferable skills such as teamwork and leadership
• Improved physical and mental health outcomes in diverse communities
• Creation of new economic opportunities in underserved areas
• Challenging and breaking down racial stereotypes in sports

Lacrosse as a Bridge Between Communities

As lacrosse becomes more diverse, it has the potential to serve as a bridge between different communities, fostering understanding and cooperation. The sport can bring together players, families, and supporters from various backgrounds, creating a shared experience that transcends racial and socioeconomic boundaries.

How can lacrosse programs leverage this potential for community building?

• Organize cross-community tournaments and events
• Facilitate cultural exchange programs between teams from different areas
• Engage in community service projects that bring players from diverse backgrounds together
• Host educational workshops and discussions on diversity and inclusion in sports

The Global Perspective: Lacrosse’s International Growth

While efforts to diversify lacrosse in the United States are crucial, it’s also important to consider the sport’s growth on a global scale. As lacrosse expands internationally, it naturally encounters and incorporates diverse cultures and playing styles.

Key aspects of lacrosse’s international growth include:

• Increased participation in countries outside North America
• Adaptation of the sport to fit different cultural contexts
• Development of unique playing styles and strategies in various regions
• Growing representation of diverse nations in international competitions

Learning from International Diversity

The international growth of lacrosse offers valuable lessons for diversity efforts within the United States. By observing how the sport adapts and thrives in different cultural contexts, domestic programs can gain insights into creating more inclusive and culturally responsive environments.

How can U.S. lacrosse programs benefit from the sport’s international diversity?

• Study and incorporate diverse playing styles from around the world
• Facilitate international exchanges and friendships between players
• Learn from successful diversity initiatives in other countries
• Promote a global perspective on the sport to players and families

Technology and Media: Tools for Promoting Diversity in Lacrosse

In the digital age, technology and media play a crucial role in shaping perceptions and increasing accessibility. Leveraging these tools can significantly enhance efforts to diversify lacrosse and reach new audiences.

Effective ways to use technology and media for promoting diversity in lacrosse include:

• Creating online platforms for sharing diverse lacrosse stories and experiences
• Developing mobile apps for skill development and rules education
• Utilizing social media to showcase diverse players and teams
• Producing documentaries and web series highlighting diversity in lacrosse
• Implementing virtual coaching and mentoring programs to reach remote areas

The Power of Representation in Media

Increasing the visibility of diverse players in lacrosse media can have a powerful impact on inspiring young athletes from underrepresented communities. By seeing players who look like them succeeding in the sport, aspiring lacrosse players from diverse backgrounds can envision their own potential for success.

How can lacrosse organizations improve representation in media?

• Partner with diverse influencers and athletes to promote the sport
• Ensure diverse representation in marketing materials and official publications
• Collaborate with media outlets to feature stories of diverse lacrosse players and programs
• Create content that celebrates the cultural heritage of players from various backgrounds

As lacrosse continues to evolve and grow, the efforts to diversify the sport in Salt Lake City and beyond represent a crucial step towards a more inclusive and dynamic future. By breaking down barriers, challenging stereotypes, and embracing diversity, lacrosse has the potential to become a truly global sport that reflects the rich tapestry of human experience. The journey towards this vision is ongoing, but with continued dedication, innovation, and open-mindedness, the lacrosse community can create a more welcoming and equitable environment for players of all backgrounds.

Lacrosse is known as a sport played by rich white people. This Salt Lake City school program is trying to change that.

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Edward Tonga runs drills, during East youth lacrosse practice, on Wednesday, June 22, 2022.

Of the 20 players armed with sticks in any given lacrosse game, on any given field in the United States, the odds are that most of them will be white.

The sport has for decades been associated with affluent, white communities mainly on the East Coast. In 2021, about 84% of all NCAA men’s and women’s lacrosse players across all divisions were white.

That’s what Charlie Freedman saw when the New Yorker started coaching youth boys’ lacrosse in Utah back in 2006.

“The game has important lessons for everybody to learn, and it frustrated me that it was being played in one demographic,” Freedman said. “I really disliked that, to be honest with you, and felt like it needed to be played by everybody.”

That’s why, on a warm summer morning on the East High School football field, things look noticeably different than they do in many other places where lacrosse is played. On this field, in a state that is nearly 78% white, diversity is being emphasized. The boys’ youth teams have more than a dozen people of color. The girls’ high school team is mostly non-white.

And even though players say they have dealt with naysayers and racist comments from opposing players and parents, what’s happening at East could be a bellwether for the future of lacrosse in Utah and beyond.

Taking lacrosse to the west side

Many parents credit Freedman with growing lacrosse on the west side of Salt Lake City when he started a team in Glendale in 2012, using grant money from U.S. Lacrosse for equipment. Before long, Freedman had a team of 26 players.

Intermountain Lacrosse, a Utah-based nonprofit that organizes leagues all over the state, now has a new area development program that subsidizes league costs for the first few years of a new team and also gives equipment.

“In all honesty, it was designed to focus more on some of those areas — like Glendale or Kearns that [are] a little more on the west side of the valley — that historically haven’t really had any lacrosse programs,” said Collin Madsen, a director for the organization.

Matt Pearson moved to Utah in 2017 from Maryland, where his sons played lacrosse and hockey. When he arrived, he was looking for a way his sons could continue playing lacrosse. A call to Freedman ended with Pearson coaching third- and fourth-graders in the spring of 2018, and recruiting parents to coach and kids to play.

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) 11 and Edward Tonga watch the action as they wait their turn, during East youth lacrosse practice, on Wednesday, June 22, 2022.

That’s how 11-year-old Edward Tonga got introduced to the sport. He was friends and football teammates with Pearson’s son, Reilly Pearson-Ortolani.

Pearson said it was Tonga’s participation and skill that gave them the idea to recruit other children from the west side of Salt Lake. His initial intentions, he said, were to build the most talented teams possible made of reliable and committed kids. Diversifying the program has been a positive, if unintended, consequence.

“This sport is colorblind,” said Matt Pearson, one of the East youth boys’ lacrosse coaches.

Where Pearson has made a name for himself within the lacrosse community this past season, though, is with his efforts to make playing for the East youth teams more accessible for those who live on the west side of SLC. He moved one practice a week to the Glendale area, and also has been giving rides to some of those players to practices on the east side.

Fia Tonga, mother to Edward and 16-year-old Tui, said Pearson simply moving one weekly practice to her community helped her and other parents of color built trust in Pearson, Freedman and others.

“That spoke volumes to a lot of the families,” Fia Tonga said. “They’re willing to meet us halfway. If you can meet us halfway, I’ll definitely bring my kids.”

Enduring the naysayers

Eli Bowen took a hard hit during the final game of the spring youth season for the seventh- and eighth-graders. Tai Taulanga, 14, knocked the opposing player to the ground in retaliation as a way of protecting his teammate.

The opposing player offered a shocking response to Taulanga.

Taulanga recalled the opponent saying, “This isn’t even your sport” while calling him a racist slur.

(East High School) The East High School girls’ varsity lacrosse team poses for a photo.

It was a moment that reminded many coaches and parents about the obstacles that still exist when attempting to diversify lacrosse so any young boy or girl, regardless of race, can grow to love it.

Fia Tonga remembers when her children first started playing the sport and the kind of pushback they got from others. She was told, “It’s a white man’s sport,” or her kids would be told to “go back to where they came from” and “go find another sport.”

Freedman, who also coaches the junior varsity team at East High, said that about four years ago, his team took the field for a game and heard from someone in the crowd, “What are you doing to our sport? Is this what this game is becoming? You’re ruining it.” He held back tears as he recalled the incident.

The girls’ high school team has also had its share of disparaging comments. Alejandra Cruz, who will be a junior at East this fall, recalled an incident this past season where an opposing player engaged in what she described as “racial profiling.” Cruz recalled the opposing player saying, “They come from a ghetto school. They won’t win. We don’t need to try that hard.”

Sau Tafisi, whose two sons Sau Jr. and Petelo earned full scholarships to William Penn University in Iowa to play lacrosse, said his kids have been called the N-word, “gorilla” and “animals.”

“You don’t believe that it happens, but it actually gets said out loud and it’s shouted,” said Luseane Tafisi, the two boys’ mother.

Players for the most part said they try to ignore people who make racially insensitive comments. Taulanga said the racist comments he heard only pushed him to play harder. Cruz said the comment direct toward her team pushed her to play harder as well, but also frustrated and bothered her. Petelo Tafisi said he considers the comments he has heard “childish” and “dumb. ”

Freedman and others said there is absolutely no place for comments like that in the game.

“We can’t stop hate,” Freedman said. “We can’t stop small vision. It’s always going to be there. But we can repudiate it.”

Lessons learned

(East High School) East High School sophomore Atna San (10) transitions the ball from defense to offense while freshman Kaydence Davis (5) looks on during a girls’ lacrosse game in the spring season.

Pete Killilea, 13, almost quit lacrosse a few years ago. The sport had stopped being fun for him, and the atmosphere was nothing like on his football team, where teammates spent time together outside of practices and games.

But when some Polynesian kids joined his lacrosse team this past year, it started to feel more like a family, Killilea said. That feeling reignited his love for the sport.

“Family” is a word that is used among all the players and coaches around the East program. Several players aside from Killilea said everyone grew closer as a result of Polynesian players imbuing the team with parts of their culture.

“I feel like some of the west side kids learned that it’s OK to live a little,” Tui Tonga said. “We learned from the east side kids that it’s OK to be open and it’s OK to express how you’re feeling, what you’re doing.”

On the girls’ varsity team — which consists of Latin, Hispanic, Polynesian, Asian and Native American players — they’ve learned to be more respectful and mindful of each other’s cultures. Team dinners often feature food that represents their respective backgrounds.

Even Hanni Killilea, Pete’s mother, has taken away valuable life lessons from watching her son play on a diverse lacrosse team and Pearson put in extra work to make the sport more accessible.

“What Matt Pearson did for me as a 46-year-old woman was to [help me realize], ‘You know, sometimes you actually have to make an effort for things,’” Hanni Killilea said. “[Polynesian kids] could love this sport. They could be good at it. They can add to our kids. And we have to actually do something to make that happen. ”

But perhaps that most meaningful lesson is the one the players themselves want to impart on those that still think lacrosse isn’t for people of color.

“Eventually if we treat everybody the same, then they’ll get it in their heads that like, ‘Oh these brown kids are not as different as us,” Taulanga said. “’These brown kids, they know everything we know.’ … That’s how I want it to be.”

Added Cynthia Amador: “I think it’s really important to just let people know, ‘Hey, we’re playing, too. This isn’t only for white people.’”

Parents and coaches know that helping lacrosse improve its racial diversity has a long road ahead. But those involved in the East program show no signs of slowing down their efforts. If anything, they’re just getting started.

“Lacrosse is going there anyway,” Pearson said. “It takes some work to get it there.”

Harvard and the Scandal of Sports Recruitment

A new paper provides stark evidence that Harvard gives preferential treatment to affluent white applicants through legacy preferences and sports recruitment.

Todd Warshaw / Getty

October 2, 2019

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On Tuesday, a federal judge held that Harvard’s admissions policy does not violate the Civil Rights Act. In the ruling, which could be overturned on appeal, the judge rejected claims that the university broke the law by creating a higher standard for Asian American applicants.

But a new paper by several economists, including one directly involved in the trial, provides stark evidence that Harvard does give preferential treatment to affluent white applicants through legacy preferences and sports recruitment.

The researchers found that between 2009 and 2014, more than 40 percent of accepted white students were ALDC—athletes, legacies, “dean’s list” (meaning related to donors), or the children of faculty. Without such preferences, they said, three-quarters of those white students would have been rejected.

The study’s lead author, the Duke economist Peter Arcidiacono, was an expert witness against Harvard in a lawsuit accusing the university of discriminating against Asian applicants. The paper is based on data obtained during the trial.

The findings offer a grab bag for public indignation. You could get angry about the pernicious effect of legacy programs, which reproduce privilege at schools that publicly advertise themselves as crusaders for the poor. Or you could get angry about the dean’s list, which allows some of the richest people in the world to punch a ticket for their undeserving children with an eight-figure donation.

But the most important takeaway from the paper is a phenomenon that is bigger than this lawsuit, bigger than Harvard, and bigger than college education, altogether. It is the American scam of rich-kid sports.

What are rich-kid sports?

At a time when youth sport participation is stratifying by income, one could argue that even soccer fields have become the domain of the upper-middle class and above. But true rich-kid sports include water polo, squash, crew, lacrosse, and skiing. One does not simply fall into the river and come out a water-polo star, and no downhill-slalom champions casually roam the halls of low-income high schools. These sports often require formal training, expensive equipment, and upscale facilities. No wonder they are dominated by affluent young players.

While there is nothing morally wrong with enjoying a game of catch in a pool, participation in these activities has come to play a subtle, yet ludicrously powerful, role in the reproduction of elite status in the United States.

At Harvard, nearly 1,200 undergraduates—or 20 percent of the student body— participate in intercollegiate athletics. That’s more student athletes than Ohio State University, whose total undergraduate enrollment of 46,000 is nearly seven times larger.

Early in the Harvard admissions process, recruited athletes receive special treatment. Most of the school’s 42 sports have liaisons that relay the coach’s preferences for incoming athletes to the admissions department. Nearly 90 percent of recruited athletes gain admission to Harvard, versus about 6 percent of applicants overall. These athletes make up less than 1 percent of Harvard’s applicant pool but more than 10 percent of its admitted class. (The other 10 percent of Harvard’s players are walk-ons who likely have also benefited from high athletic ratings in the admissions process.)

It would be one thing if Harvard were giving a leg up to students who might not otherwise afford an education. But Harvard does not offer athletic scholarships. Its athletes tend to be neither promising low-income stalwarts, nor superstars with a chance of going pro. Sports recruitment, it would seem, is not about academics, or equality of opportunity, but about money; it functions as affirmative action for white affluence.

Across the Ivy League, many teams are whiter (and richer) than the rest of their class. Black and Hispanic students account for less than 10 percent of Ivy athletes in baseball, cross country, fencing, field hockey, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, rowing, sailing, skiing, softball, squash, tennis, volleyball, water polo, and wrestling. In the 2017-18 year, about 700 Ivy League athletes participated in rowing and lacrosse; fewer than 30 were black, according to NCAA data.

At Harvard, these athletes tend to come from high-income families. According to a Harvard Crimson survey, families of recruited athletes are twice as likely as non-recruits to come from families earning more than $500,000 than from families earning less than $80,000. Recruited athletes are also slightly whiter—and slightly less Asian American—than legacy admits or donors’ children, according to data gathered for the Arcidiacono paper. In fact, recruited athletes at Harvard are almost twice as likely to be white, and one-third as likely to be Asian, as all non-ALDC admits.

If these numbers make it sound like Harvard’s—and the Ivy League’s—fancy-sport recruitment strategy is a shell game for maximizing the population of rich students who will pay the full ticket price of admission, Paul Tough would agree. The author of an excellent new book on college, The Years That Matter Most, Tough explains that the affluent-athlete hustle is widespread in higher education, especially at smaller schools struggling to stay afloat.

Tough takes a particularly close look at Trinity College. Like Harvard, Trinity doesn’t offer athletic scholarships. But its coaches similarly have influence over the admissions process. Each fall, Trinity’s athletic department provides the admissions director with a wish list of students, who tend to receive early admission. Of the 300 students accepted early in 2017 to Trinity, about half were athletes.

Once again, which sport matters. Trinity seeks players from sports that are rare in low-income public schools, Tough writes, such as field hockey, lacrosse, rowing, and squash.

The power of fancy sports doesn’t stop at the college level. It plays a shockingly large role in determining the sort of people who get hired in America’s elite professional-services industry—law firms, investment banks, and consultancies.

In her 2015 book Pedigree, the Northwestern sociologist Lauren A. Rivera asked what elite employers were looking for from potential hires. She found the answer came down to three simple words: Ivy League sports.

Elite firms based their entry-level hiring decisions on two things, Rivera wrote. First they screened for the “best” universities, harvesting the senior crops of schools such as Harvard, Stanford, and Princeton. Second, they scrutinized candidates’ extracurricular activities, especially the sports they played in high school and college.

As you might have guessed, playing any sport wasn’t good enough. Recruiters strongly preferred candidates who played “hockey, tennis, squash, or crew”—rare and exclusive sports, whose rarity and exclusion was precisely the point. “You will never find a squash player in a public school in Detroit,“ one banker told her. “To them, squash is a vegetable.” In elite firms, filtering for fancy sports allowed high-status adults to hire their socioeconomic clones without having to ask the rude question: “So, kid, is your family rich like mine, or no?”

The fancy-sport charade coaches the upper class and those who wish to join them that all leisure should be pursued and mastered, as if it were a job. The gospel of work has expanded to fill so much of the world that even recreational downtime—mindless hours spent golfing with friends, playing tennis, throwing a baseball with your dad—is no longer an escape from careerism, but rather crucial proof of one’s careerist potential. This is a picture of a rat race so all-consuming that no moment of life is too small for the résumé.

And for what? The hoarding of economic opportunity. Affluent parents, elite colleges, and elite firms are participants in a vast machine for replicating privilege. Rich parents coach their children to become fluent in a secret language of code words—sculling, cradling, state squash tournament—whose utterances may, years later, open the very gates of privilege through which the parents themselves once passed. Elite status is thus carried on, generation to generation, through the maintenance of a particular social language: the code of fancy sports.

Child Motivation Problem – Spartak City Football News

For some parents, sitting and watching their child play sports is stressful. Especially when the child is not trying hard enough, at least you think it is. Your frustration shows up either in your yelling at your child or in your body language when you sigh loudly, shake your head, or throw your hands up in disgust. Most parents think that their child is not giving 100% and in some cases this may well be true.

So how do you solve this problem?

Step 1: Observe Yourself

It is always wise to start with some parental self-assessment:

• What are your expectations of the child and are they realistic?

• Why is it so important to me that he does his best?

If you ask yourself these questions and be completely honest with yourself, you may find that part of the problem lies with you and your expectations. Of course, it’s okay to have expectations because you want the best for your child. But sometimes those expectations are based on what YOU want, not what your child really wants.

It is very important to speak the child’s language, to show him all the attractiveness of the chosen sport, to give positive feedback. Excessive exactingness, criticism, categoricalness causes rejection and gives rise to many fears, discontent and insecurity in children. Parents should maintain a positive attitude, give positive feedback and note the desire/effort/motivation of young athletes. Minimize the use of external motivation in the form of gifts for well-played matches and punishments for “laziness, self-indulgence, frivolous attitude”, etc.

Step 2: Listen to your child

Your child’s lack of motivation may be directly related to his frustration. For some reason, he does not feel satisfied or pleased and therefore does not want to try hard. The trick is how to find out what “something” is. It’s not always as easy as asking the question, “Why aren’t you trying?” This type of question can upset your child even more, because he may perceive that you are blaming or humiliating, because he may not even realize that he is doing something wrong.

Try asking your child some open-ended questions, for example:

• Do you enjoy playing football?

• What do you like most about training and games?

• What would you like to change about them to be more interesting?

Perhaps the child is simply no longer interested in this sport. Perhaps he feels “burnout”, overwork. He may feel that he cannot please his coach, you, or his teammates. Maybe he really tries his best, and you just misunderstand him.

Step 3: Focus on strengths

Maybe your child just needs some positive support. Praise efforts, attempts and efforts, not results. If you only talk about what your child doesn’t do, he may feel that no matter what, he still isn’t good enough. Then what’s the point?

Goal setting is also very important. “It is important to help the child in setting short-term and long-term goals, to celebrate his success at each stage, after each training session. Shift your focus from the outcome (“win”, “win”, “become the best”) to the process (“control the ball”, “move fast”, “pass”).

Step 4: Let go

Honestly, that’s the last thing parents want to hear. Let your child play and enjoy sports on their own terms. For some kids, this just means having a good time without big sporting ambitions. If that’s what your child wants from sports, then so be it.

The text was written with the help of the psychologist of the Spartak Academy Margarita Drozdova.

telegram: @spartakcity_football

Sports for children – recommendations of a specialist

Sports are necessary for any child – it helps him develop harmoniously, strengthens the nervous system, immunity, and has a positive effect on the health of the body as a whole. In addition, sport teaches a child to discipline, form character, develop willpower, the ability to set goals and achieve them. But only with the right sport

Sports are necessary, perhaps, for any child, no one argues with this. Sport helps the child develop harmoniously, strengthens the nervous system, immunity, and has a positive effect on the health of the body as a whole. In addition, sports teach a child to discipline, form character, develop willpower, the ability to set goals and achieve them. But all this is possible only with the right kind of sport.

How to choose a sport for a child?

Obviously, if a child does not like sports, nothing good will come of it. But it is often difficult to understand what the child will be interested in, what kind of sport will suit him, and which one will only cause a strong aversion to physical education. It would seem that it is easier – you need to ask the child himself. But there are several nuances here. Firstly, children aged 4-5-6 – when more or less serious activities usually begin – are unlikely to make an informed choice. Secondly, children often choose sports for the company of a friend or succumbing to a beautiful picture, but the reality turns out to be completely different, as a result of which the child is disappointed in the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bactivities in general. Thirdly, there are objective indications and contraindications for various sports, for example, it makes no sense for very large girls to go to rhythmic gymnastics – sooner or later it will end in drama due to the fact that, according to the constitution, a child cannot seriously engage in.

What criteria does it make sense to pay attention to when choosing a sport? This is the character and temperament of the child, his inclinations, constitution, the presence of medical contraindications.

Is your child sociable, sociable, energetic?

He will certainly be interested in a team sport: football, volleyball, basketball, hockey, etc. Also, team sports can help teach shy children to communicate – but it is important not to go too far, it is important that the child strives for this himself.

If the child is a pronounced individualist, then team sports will become a real torment for him, it is better for him to choose tennis, gymnastics, horseback riding, etc.

The child’s temperament also plays a huge role in choosing a sport.

Cholerics simply need sports, they need somewhere to throw out their energy and emotions. Choleric children are very active, curious, reckless, ambitious. Team sports are ideal for them, where they will be leaders, as well as other activities that require a quick reaction and high activity: tennis, boxing, wrestling, athletics, fencing.

Sanguine people are distinguished by a more balanced character, but at the same time they are also very active and mobile. They have a quick response and the ability to make decisions instantly, combined with a sense of purpose, this allows them to succeed in many sports. Almost any sport is suitable for sanguine people, but most often they are attracted to tennis, badminton, figure skating, cycling, athletics, and swimming.

Phlegmatic people are calm, slow, they first think, then they act. Often the parents of such children think that they will not be able to play sports. But in fact, on the contrary, phlegmatic people can achieve heights both in intellectual sports such as chess, billiards, golf, and in weightlifting, skiing, cycling, and running. Often calm, thoughtful phlegmatic people are interested in sports with philosophical overtones – martial arts, karate, yoga.

The most difficult thing is to choose a sport for melancholic . The owners of this temperament are unhurried, emotional, quickly get tired, do not like change. In this regard, active sports are often not to their liking. But this does not mean that a melancholic child does not need sports! Needed, but not any Features of temperament will help the child in such sports as javelin or shot throwing, shooting, equestrian sports, swimming.

At what age is it recommended to start playing sports?

General physical fitness is important from an early age. There are many groups of early development at the pools – children are taken to swimming from the age of three months. And this has a good effect on the overall development of the child, allows you to train muscles from an early age, harden the baby. Swimming is an excellent prevention of colds, scoliosis, orthopedic and neurological problems, hypertension, etc.

When choosing a pool for a baby, pay attention to the careful observance of hygiene requirements by the institution, certificates of trainers, their experience with young children.

From a very early age – from about three years old – you can already do gymnastics and dancing with your child. Such exercises develop coordination, endurance, form a good posture, increase the overall tone of the body.

In other sports, the age requirements for starting classes differ quite a lot. Figure skating and skiing, for example, can be practiced from the age of 4-5, but football and basketball usually begin to be seriously practiced from the age of 7-8. In the sections of weightlifting, boxing, rowing, equestrian sports, fencing, climbing, children are usually recruited from the age of 10.

Contraindications for sports

There are a number of contraindications for each sport, and before sending a child to one or another section, you should consult with your pediatrician and undergo the examinations recommended by him. We list the main conditions that can cause restrictions when choosing a sports section:

• Myopia

• flat feet

• Scoliosis

• Instability of the cervical vertebrae

• peptic ulcer

• Asthma

• Diseases of the lungs and respiratory system

• Diseases of the cardiovascular system

• Diabetes

• Conditions after injury

It is clear that this is a very approximate list, and even with serious illnesses, you can find the kind of sport that is not only possible, but also necessary.