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Young sports persons should be trained in all disciplines
Collin Higgs tells participants at CGC workshop
While children pass through the same stages of development, they do so at different ages. Some youth mature early, and at 14 years of age have the body of an adult man, while other 14 years old are just starting to leave childhood. This presents a problem for sports. Too often coaches see players who reach adolescence early- youth who are bigger, stronger, and more physically advanced; as being the ‘better’ players.
Participants listening attentively to Programme facilitator Colin Higgs during the work shop yesterday.
Because coaches focus attention on early developers, and the late developers are smaller and less strong, they often drop out of sports as they often cannot compete with those who have developed earlier. There is evidence that some of those late developers have the potential to become the very best cricketers, footballers and basketball players if they can be kept in the game until they too have passed through their adolescent growth spurt and have reached their full adult height and strength.
For this reason it is critical that coaches understand what stage of development each player is in, and to work with them on what is more appropriate for their stage of development, not for their chronological age. Children need to learn all the foundations sports skills, and in cricket this means batting, bowling, and fielding, it is too early to tell who will be a good batsman or bowler-so children should all play all roles.
Those were the words of Colin Higgs, the facilitator of the Commonwealth Games Canada bowling out HIV\AIDS work shop which started yesterday at the Georgetown Cricket Club, Bourda. The seminar was attended by cricket coaches from across the country, teachers and youth group leaders.
Christian Del Valle, manager of the international programmes said the pilot project is designed to assist in the development of cricket and to provide knowledge about HIV\AIDS through the sport so that youths can tolerate people affected with HIV. He stated that the programme will last for 3-4 months and that they are hoping to start in schools from January. He disclosed that they will be requesting for more funds for the programme to continue.
In an invited comment, local coach Vibert Johnson said that this programme is very important since apart from cricketing skills, youths can develop healthy lifestyles. He informed that coaches were better able to understand how to deal with youths at different age groups, as to what to teach them in relation to healthy lifestyles with respect to genders. He said that it was a fruitful programme and calls for more coaches to get involved.
The programme continues tomorrow at Bourda after which the participants will continue same at their clubs, schools and youth groups.
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