Here’s a conversation that I get a lot:

“Adam, my child can’t walk and chew gum at the same time, can you help?”  “I think so, but you do realize your child is only 8?  We have some time.”

I’m not trying to trivialize a reason that we get clients, but I am here to tell those parents who are anxious for their kid to do awesome things at sports (to quote Aaron Rodgers)…R-E-L-A-X.

Your kid will be able to throw, will be able to run, and yes at some point will be able to understand the sport they are playing. I can certainly help in certain areas, but kids grasp things at different speeds. It is not the end of the world if your kid grasps it a little later than others.

I know because I am living it.

I had my oldest in sports at 4 or 5. I think it was soccer. And like every dad/parent I was hoping my kid was the natural prodigy that was running roughshod over all the other 5 year old girls.

NOPE! Not by a long shot.

Each year, I put her in different sports. She learned. She tried. And each year she got a little better at them. On my end, what I worked on with her was developing her overall athleticism. Doing drills that would help improve her balance, coordination, basic motor functions, and other areas that would help that athleticism.

Now she is at a point where she is playing well at her sports.  She isn’t an all-American, but she is contributing and having fun with them.

The other thing I think that helped was that she had success at one of her sports. I think the success she had gave her confidence in herself that carried over into the other sports. At her age, confidence can definitely help make up for an athlete’s lack of skill.

Now, my younger daughter is starting sports. Once again, I was hoping she would be the child prodigy. The kid that is knocking down other kids to score the goal. After all, she has been watching her older sister play these sports since she’s been born. She’s that younger sibling who is more advanced causing of watching the older siblings? She wants to be like her sister right?

Well, she certainly is just like her sister. She is NOT the prodigy I hoped for. Not by a long shot. AND THAT’S OKAY. I know what to expect and have an idea how to progress this kid.

At some point, she will run as fast as the other kids. She will be dribbling like the other kids. She will be trying to score points just like the other kids. It will just take some time. Just like it might take some time for your kid to find his/her athletic groove.

Just be patient. Remember, not every kid is going to the pros. Our job is to help them have a fun experience with sports. They don’t have to all be studs right at age 9. Give them time. If they need some help, get them some help, but expect a gradual progression.

Trust me, my oldest wasn’t any stud at 9. But she continued to play and have fun. We sent her to some camps, got her some coaching, and developed the overall athleticism. Now, she is playing in games that aren’t for the world championships, but are competitive and show her on display doing the most important thing – HAVING FUN!

Photo courtesy of USAG – Humphreys on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/usaghumphreys/