Questions parents ask. Source: Adapted with thanks from a Triathlon Australia resource

Transcription

1 Questions parents ask Source: Adapted with thanks from a Triathlon Australia resource

2 10 questions triathlon parents often ask 1. How many times should my child train each week? 2. When should my child specialise in triathlon? 3. Do triathlon kids need a special diet? 4. How do kids balance school and triathlon? 5. When should kids start strength training? 6. What types of exercise are best for young (i.e., pre-teen) triathletes? 7. How do I choose a good coach for my child? 8. What are the common characteristics of champion triathletes? 9. What can I do to help my child achieve their triathlon goals? 10. How can I tell if my child is doing too much?

3 How many times should a child train each week? As many as they can recover from As many as their goals determine As many as they enjoy There is no magic number. It is a very individual thing but the keys are maintaining enjoyment and not compromising the health and happiness of the child. If they are getting injured, or too tired to cope with basic daily tasks, or dragging themselves around the house, they are doing way too much!

4 When should a child specialise in triathlon? It is good for kids to play a number of sports when young, especially gymnastics, athletics, and swimming, and a team sport that involves running (e.g., football or hockey). This will build their movement vocabulary and their speed! It is important to focus on skill development first. This means developing excellent technique in swimming, cycling, and running before becoming a triathlete Junior champions of anything seldom become senior champions, so take a long-term approach Kids can start sport-specific training (the Training to Train Stage) at about years, but it depends very much on the sport and the individual. Tri NZ s recommendation is that kids shouldn t specialize in triathlon until approximately 13 years old (i.e., once at high school).

5 Do triathlon kids need a special diet? No, unless they have special needs (e.g., juvenile onset diabetes) Eating a balanced diet of carbohydrate, protein, and fat, and drinking plenty of water, will minimise the amount of processed food and takeaways being eaten Eating a balanced diet will also reduce the intake of sugar and salt By encouraging young triathletes to develop healthy eating practices early, they are more likely to develop healthy eating patterns over their lifetime.

6 How do kids balance school and triathlon? Easy! School comes first! Triathlon kids are often high achievers and good students. Why? They learn good time management skills and how to deal with challenge and stress School and triathlon do mix but it s important that school takes priority when time and energy are being stretched Kids may decide early on that they would like to be a professional triathlete. While it s good to have aspirations like this, the reality is that few kids will become full-time triathletes, and those that do will almost always still need to work once their triathlon career finishes.

7 When should my kids start strength training? It s not age that s important but what they do Bodyweight exercises (e.g., press ups, pull ups) with perfect technique are okay at most ages The trouble starts when strength training means lifting weights too early and without the correct technique The introduction of any type of strength training should be structured and progressive with the emphasis on technique and the specific needs of the athlete. Any weight training should be supervised by a qualified strength training coach.

8 What types of exercise are best for pre-teen athletes? 6-12 years is the perfect time to learn techniques and skills the foundations of sporting success in later years The focus at this age should be on the ABCs (agility, balance, coordination, and speed) Ages 6-8 for girls, and 7-9 for boys, are windows of accelerated adaptation to speed (i.e., this is the time to develop straight-line and sideways speed in kids) Building fundamental movement patterns builds the child s movement vocabulary, which they will then use later when swimming, cycling, and running Playing a variety of sports at a young age provides a great base for later performance once physical maturation occurs.

9 How do I choose a coach for my child? Qualifications and experience coaching children are important when choosing a coach It s also important that the coach is enthusiastic and has passion for developing the skills of children The key question is: can the coach deliver a safe, ethical, positive, skills-based and challenging coaching environment with a sense of humour! (That s not too much to ask, is it?) The reality is that parents will probably need to choose a coach who is accessible. Tri NZ suggests that kids receive skills-based coaching in swimming from as early as possible, in cycling from age 7, and in running from around age 9.

10 What are the common characteristics of champion athletes? Confidence/self-belief The ability to deal with tough times (resilience) A love for what they do A positive attitude A hunger to improve and learn Strong core values: courage, discipline, humility, sincerity, honesty Nice guys (& gals) do finish first! Truly champion athletes are champion people also.

11 What can I do to help my child achieve their triathlon goals? Allow them breathing space (back off!) Support them but don t push them Be patient Focus on the process not the results Praise effort Encourage independence and self-sufficiency Keep triathlon in perspective Love them and support them but remember it is their life and their sport!

12 How can I tell if my child is doing too much? They are tired all the time They are irritable, quiet, & moody They don t WANT to exercise They have minor illnesses that won t go away They don t sleep well They have social problems at school or with friends, and may withdraw from social activities In other words, kids are just like you when they are tired.