Each new season brings many new students who are trying a sport for the first time. Whether it is soccer, basketball or baseball, attempting something new for the first time can be challenging. Some kids pick it up faster than others, which can lead to some feelings of discouragement for others. It is important to reiterate, especially at such a young age, that practicing a sport consistently will lead to the biggest gains in skill improvement.
Most players who are new to a sport start in the fall because they are finally old enough to start. Some of these kids will continue to come for Viking programs during all of our seasons, and some will even take our advice and practice once a week for an extended period of time. Any extra practice makes a huge difference in terms of skill improvement. It gives the coaches great joy when a student comes into class and says they practiced the drill we did in class with a parent, friend or even alone. It shows their true passion for the sport and will build their skills quicker and maybe even to an advanced level.
Whatever the level is that your child is at we at Viking always encourage setting personal goals and improving each and every week. However, our main focus here is also just to have fun. Know your individual child’s limits and don’t push them too far out of their comfort zones. At Viking, we view setting personal and team goals as a fun and collaborative process for our students to engage them in sports. This is a skill that they can take with them for the rest of their lives, both in physical activities and in developing other life skills. It’s great for self-esteem and helps the coaches enrich players’ experience at our camps and clinics.