Wow! They Learn Fast

Family Update:

My girls, Jae and Bailee, are moving right along in school. They are doing well with all their tests and projects. It is making Jenn and me study up on our basic history, math, and other subjects. I actually really like study History and Social Studies with my daughters. Jae is going over the government organization now. In the evening, I help her with assignments and it is really testing me to recall the basics-fun stuff. Bailee is starting to do some bigger projects on reading and spelling. Thank God it is only 3rd grade stuff. It makes me feel smart because I can answer her question now... Brennen is crawling like he has somewhere important to be in 5 minutes. He is like a buzz-saw. He is at the stage where he gets himself in positions he can't get out of, so he cries to let us know he is stuck. He is loving grabbing after our food during lunch and dinner. The other day I was holding him and eating a salad while at my computer (don't normally do this) and he grabbed my salad and nearly dumped it on my computer-whew! Jenn and I are having fun running around doing everything we can to keep everyone's schedule organized- and doing a pretty good job.

They Learn So Fast!

As you propbly already know by now. I coach my daughters at the YMCA and I will be coaching intramurals at their school starting this week. This is great for me because I able to be with my girls but I am also helping other young kids develop.

Last week at myYMCA practice, I pulled out a quick foot ladder to use as part of the warm up. I wanted the kids to experience the coordination it takes to negotiate the ladder using different footwork patterns. Other than my daughters, none of the other girls had ever used one before.

I had them do the simple patterns of one step or two steps in each and a simple hop scotch pattern of jumping and hopping through the ladder. Let me tell ya, they struggled big time the first week. All of them stepped all over the ladder and could not get their feet int he box. They loved it though. I only had them do it for about 5-6 minutes, then we moved on in the practice.

Yesterday, I had practice and brought the ladder out again. It was like night and day. I gave them the same patterns I did last week. They were like pros. It is amazing how the body adapts and learns after the fact.

The first time I used the ladder the girls had trouble with controlling their speed and staying balanced so they could accurately hit the center of the box with their feet. I just kept giving them cues to slow down, relax, and stay on the balls of the feet. So, yesterday they did all of that. They were under control (for the most part), they stayed off the ladder and where in the boxes.

This proved to me once again that pre-adolescent kids nervous systems are like sponges. They processed the information they received the first time we did the ladder and was able to correctly apply it the second time. Granted I gave them simple exercises for them to improve on- but even if I gave them more difficult exercises they would have learned them quickly as well.

My younger daughter could barely get 1 serve over the net the entire game last year(she was 7 years old). This year she hardly misses a serve and in one game served 5 in a row during the same possession. She likes for me to practice with her in our yard and it has paid off. The cool thing is she is reproducing the correct patterns I have been showing her. I make games out of it or tell her how far or high to hit it, but we keep reproducing the same mechanics each time.

It is so fun to watch kids learn and develop. Hey, don't blink- you might miss one of your children or young athletes develop before your eyes.

Yours in Speed,

Lee

PS: If you want to stay connected to the world of athletic development and all the fascinating strategies, skills, and techniques you want to become a Speed Insiders Member go to http://www.speedinsiders.com/ to sign up for 2 FREE months right now. Join the movement.