Extra Mile

What a great week before an Easter vacation. I was in the gymnasium subbing four out of five days! After bouncing around classroom to classroom it's nice to finally get back to my roots!


One of the pictures below is a small sided 2v2 basketball game I got the kids into. This got them moving and a lot of touches on the ball. Small sided games make it easier for me to go around and give more students corrective feedback. The second picture shows a student going the extra mile.

 

Educators love the feeling of an individual who really wants to learn something. Throughout the period the student above focused on practicing his left handed lay-up. After the class had been dismissed, he asked me what he could do to get better. First, I gave him a couple of drills he could do at home. I then explained to him that doing a left handed lay-up is no different than a right handed one. If a student knows how to do a strong right handed lay-up, he has the tools and knowledge to do an equally strong left handed lay-up. Together we broke down the skill step by step. All he needs now, is practice!

Remember, you don't need a gym to get kids moving. While subbing in the classroom I encourage physical activity by taking a "movement break" after a long period of sitting. This helps kids stay focused and engaged. Some exercises include jumping jacks, running in place, airplane scales, and tree scales!

Motivating or Bullying?

What do you think? Is the previous video motivation? I highly doubt it. THIS LINK will take you to a CNN article on coaches and bullying players. It is safe to say that knowing the signs of a bully and someone who has been bullied, will help prevent further incidents. The CNN article does a good job of explaining some signs and the video should give you a good visual aid.
Coaching requires a vast amount of knowledge, ranging from  physiology, anatomy, psychology and even motivational techniques. When motivating an athlete you must look at the individual, how do they respond to different tactics. Are they extrinsically motivated or intrinsically? What is going on in a person's life that affects their level of competition? Coaches must find creative ways to motivate everyday. It could be with recognition of a specific skill, changing of the activity or letting the players have input. There are many easy tips to keeping students/athletes motivated. There are 21 ways in THIS article.