We all develop at different rates, so we need to keep the less confident kids involved at a young age. If we can keep the smaller kids involved and confident, they will end up overtaking many of the bigger kids in the long run and be the smart and tough decision makers of the future.
Getting any sport system right isn't easy. Finding ways to allow participation for all, and providing the challenges to push the better ones to higher levels at the same time is all part of the challenge for the coaches, and the administrators that set up the competition structures.
We certainly want to avoid having all the top kids pooled together too early, definitely don't want to label them all as 'talented' – we need to make sure they all keep having fun, and learn to work hard, no matter what level they are at. If someone is constantly told they are 'gifted' they might not develop the work ethic, which is exactly what they will need in the future if they do want to kick on to higher performance levels.
Teaching the kids the values of sport, a selfless approach to being in a team, enjoying their teammates and competing hard for each other will all bring enjoyment that will keep them involved for longer. In this modern techno world, sport can be a powerful tool for connecting kids to those old school values.
It doesn't matter what team you are in, the beauty of team sport is the challenge of banding together, making new friends, and doing the best together.
Naturally some kids and parents become worried if they aren't in the top teams, that they might be 'missing the boat', but don't worry, all that development can come later – even Olivia Shannon, a new young women's Black Stick out of Iona College didn't even take up hockey until she was 12 years old.
Saturday morning sport is one of the great traditions of our New Zealand lifestyle, so the more kids who get to have a taste of it the better. It can create some of the best memories of our youth – so the job for us adults is to make sure it is just that, a great fun experience for the kids.
Some sports are already going away from junior rep teams, because apparently we as a society can't cope with all the drama around it. So let's make sure we keep the stress levels down, including going easy on the social media coverage, keep the kids grounded and all on a level playing field.
Have a great winter season for the kids, keep it fun, keep in real.
*Marcus Agnew is the health and sport development manager at Hawke's Bay Community Fitness Centre Trust and is also a lecturer in sports science at EIT.
