Our Youth Development articles are meant to create awareness for all of the incredible ways kids can develop from youth sports. The goal is to help people notice the wide range of development that is happening during youth sports along with noticing performance and results. If you see development happening, even during poor performance or poor results, it can give you the power to make the most of the experience and align with your personal priorities in youth sports.
In this article we will discuss (1) What are the key skills that lead to mastery of strategy and planning and what are the ways kids develop it through youth sports (2) Why strategy and planning skills are so valuable at the different stages of life and (3) How to create and participate in youth sports experiences to best enable kids to develop strategy and planning skills. If you find this all too much, read the cliffs notes or just skim each section. If you want to deeply learn this and incorporate it into youth sports, please spend the time to review, re-read and comment. If you want us to create a program for you that does all of this, please submit a request.
Summary of Strategy and Planning Skills in Youth Sports
In the realm of performance and personal development, a clear roadmap can make all the difference. This blog post is your pragmatic guide to unlocking the secrets of effective strategy and planning, and how youth sports serve as a fertile ground for honing these crucial skills. We'll explore the tangible impact that these skills can have on a young athlete's life and provide you with practical, no-nonsense strategies to foster their growth. Welcome to a journey that's both enlightening and empowering, where every word is a step towards a more strategic and fulfilled future.
What Does it Mean to Develop Strategy and Planning Skills and What Skills Does this Include?
Strategy and planning in youth sports encompass the development of critical skills that empower children to excel not only in their chosen athletic activities but also in various facets of life. These essential skills include decision-making, teamwork, goal setting, strategic thinking, adaptability, time management, and self-analysis. Through their experiences in youth sports, children acquire these core skills, laying the groundwork for success in all aspects of their future endeavors.
Goal Setting: Kids can set and work towards achievable goals, like improving their free throw percentage in basketball or running a mile in a specific time. Example: A young swimmer may set a goal to reduce their 100-meter freestyle time by a certain number of seconds during the season.
Problem-Solving Skills: Kids learn to break down problems into addressable elements towards achieving their goals. Example: In soccer, a player might work to determine what specifically is standing in their way from scoring more. Is it their shooting strength, their accuracy, their ability to get open or other issues.
Team Collaboration: Youth sports teach children how to work as part of a team, communicate, and coordinate their actions with others to achieve a common goal. Example: At halftime, players can discuss what is not working well and learn to productively communicate to determine the strategy and plan that can lead to a better 2nd half.
Strategic Thinking: Youth sports provide the opportunity for strategic thinking as children can learn how their team's skills can best be applied to compete at their best level. Example: A soccer team planning for their next game can discuss what skills they should work on in practice. Should they work on individual ball skills or team spacing? What individual or team improvements will lead them to improve to reach their goals?
Adaptability: Through sports, kids develop the ability to adjust their strategies and tactics in response to changing conditions or opponents' strategies. Example: In tennis, a player might change their serve strategy if they notice their opponent is struggling to return a particular type of serve.
Time Management: Young athletes learn to manage their time effectively by balancing practice, games, schoolwork, and other commitments. Example: A student-athlete allocates time for homework and practice, learning to prioritize and manage their schedule.
Planning Skills: Children can learn the steps in a process towards improvement or achieving goals. Example: At the beginning of the baseball season the coach can work with the pitchers on the steps they will need to master to become strong pitchers and they can track their progress on that plan.
Why Are Strategy and Planning Skills so Valuable Throughout Life?
The skills of strategy and planning developed in childhood sports not only empower children to thrive during their formative years but also set the stage for success in their educational, professional, and personal lives, benefitting them in the near-term, medium-term, and long-term.
Today, Skills in strategy and planning play a vital role in helping a child thrive during childhood itself. These skills provide children with the tools to navigate the challenges they encounter in their formative years. Effective decision-making enables them to make wise choices, such as selecting extracurricular activities or managing their time for both play and study. Team collaboration fosters positive social interactions and friendships, contributing to a fulfilling childhood. Goal setting instills a sense of purpose, giving them direction and motivation in their pursuits. Strategic thinking and adaptability assist children in solving problems and handling unexpected situations, promoting resilience and self-confidence. Time management ensures they balance their various activities, preventing overwhelm and stress. Finally, self-analysis encourages continuous improvement, helping them learn from their experiences and become more self-aware individuals. All of these skills combined contribute to a well-rounded and thriving childhood experience.
Near-Term, The skills related to strategy and planning that children develop through youth sports provide significant benefits as they transition into college and their early professional years. Effective decision-making enables them to make informed choices about their college majors, extracurricular involvement, and career paths. Team collaboration and communication skills enhance their ability to work effectively in group projects and build strong relationships with peers. Goal setting and planning help them manage their coursework and set clear academic and career objectives. Strategic thinking and adaptability are valuable in navigating the complexities of college life and the dynamic nature of the workplace. Time management ensures they can juggle academic demands and part-time jobs efficiently. Self-analysis and a commitment to improvement enable them to identify strengths and weaknesses, facilitating continuous growth. Overall, these skills form a solid foundation that not only enhances their college experience but also empowers them to excel in their early professional years, contributing to their personal and career success.
Long-Term, The skills related to strategy and planning cultivated through youth sports continue to provide immense benefits as a child transitions into adulthood. These skills become essential tools for navigating the complexities of life. Effective decision-making guides them in making important life choices, such as career changes or investment decisions. Team collaboration and communication skills foster strong relationships, both in the workplace and within their communities. Goal setting and planning help them manage their time and resources effectively, allowing them to balance career ambitions, personal interests, and family commitments. Strategic thinking and adaptability are crucial in addressing the challenges that arise throughout their careers and personal lives. Time management ensures they can allocate time for career growth, pursuing hobbies, and nurturing their families. Self-analysis and a commitment to improvement enable them to continuously evolve, both personally and professionally, contributing to their overall well-being and success as they build a fulfilling adult life, expand their interests, connect with their community, and create a loving family.
How to Design a Process for Developing Strategy and Planning Skills.
For those of you that are very process-oriented, here is a logical progression model that illustrates how kids can best develop strategy and planning skills.
Winning Creates an Initial Frame of Reference: Whether it's winning a game, a tournament, or aiming for a winning record throughout the season, victory serves as a straightforward benchmark that children readily comprehend and aspire to attain. ''Kids, let's review the last game we played and find the things we can do differently next game to give us a better chance to win. How does that sound?'' Whether winning is the most important thing to you or not, this approach will lead to a better chance to win and will maximize the development of these skills for lifelong benefits.
Break Winning into Pieces: In order to pursue winning in most sports, kids need to be good at decision-making, teamwork, goal setting, strategic thinking, adaptability, time management, and self-analysis. Explain to the kids (in simple terms) how developing these skills will help their strategy and planning and thus their performance. Cultivate focus and emphasis to develop these skills.
Cultivate these Pieces: Concentrate with intent on developing the kids' strategy and planning and making the parents aware that this is a part of your focus. Engage the kids in strategy and planning for practices, team events, games, drills and culture. Celebrate their effort and participation in the different fundamental areas of strategy and planning. Emphasizing this brings awareness which will foster intrinsic intent and a desire to improve in their ability to lead strategy and planning.
Strategy and Planning Starts to Show Results: The kids start experiencing the reward of honing their decision-making, teamwork, goal setting, strategic thinking, adaptability, time management, and self-analysis skills. Connect these dots for them. Help them deeply appreciate that their strategy and planning is happening and it matters. It helps them play better, get more action, win more plays, and enjoy the sport better.
Strategy and Planning becomes Natural: The kids get such joy out of the rewards of their continuous strategy and planning development that they start to intrinsically drive continued improvement without the coach needing to emphasize it as much. They start becoming intentional about continuing to develop their strategy and planning... ultimately for the love of the experience of honing the skills that give them the strategy and planning to thrive.
How Can General Approaches Help Kids to Develop Strategy and Planning Skills?
Here are seven general recommendations to foster the best [ ] in children, encompassing tailored skill development, progressive challenges, interactive games, positive reinforcement, peer interaction, individualized feedback, and active parent involvement.
Involve Kids in Goal Setting: At every point possible, involve the kids in goal setting. It isn't necessary to let them set their own goals unilaterally, but if they are involved in the process they get to learn how to think about what is relevant and achievable, and learn to phrase goals as specifically as possible, in a measurable way and time-bound.
Promote Teamwork in Strategy and Planning: Give kids space to figure out their own tactics at the beginning of a drill or practice and then ask them what they came up with and then ask questions to further their understanding of how to set goals and plans.
Emphasize Time Management: Make it a point to let kids know that being early is what is meant by on time. Explain that when they are late to practice or to huddling up in practice that it prevents their teammates and themselves from learning and experiencing as much.
Explain Why: As often as possible, explain the reason behind your directions. It helps kids develop problem-solving skills when they understand what it is that the approaches are trying to achieve. It helps them learn thought processes.
Involve Kids in Evaluations: For example, at half-time of a game always ask the kids what is going right and what can be better. Ask them what they want to focus on as a team in the second half. Ask them why they think that will lead to a better outcome.
Let the Kids Establish Rules: Find opportunities where the kids can add rules to a game or drill that you setup. Push them on why that rule is going to help make for a better or more productive experience.
Parent Involvement: Engage parents in their child's skill development journey by providing regular updates on progress, offering guidance on practicing at home, and soliciting their input. This applies to all development, but particularly strategy and planning. This will help parents consider the "bigger picture" as they observe the sports experience and make their own decisions about how to get involved, what they communicate and how they support.
7 Specific Ways to Help Kids to Develop Their Strategic and Planning Skills in Youth Sports.
Empowering young athletes to take ownership of their development, the following list offers creative ways to integrate session planning, goal setting, and goal discussion into youth sports, instilling a passion for strategy and planning while enhancing their overall skill set.
Session Planning by Players: Assign each player or a group of players the responsibility of planning a practice session. They must create a detailed agenda that includes warm-ups, drills, and activities. This exercise not only promotes teamwork but also encourages players to strategize the practice session effectively.
SMART Goal Setting: Teach players the concept of SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goal setting. Have them set individual and team goals at the beginning of the season, and revisit these goals regularly to discuss progress and adjustments.
Goal-Sharing Circle: Dedicate time during practice or team meetings for players to share their goals with the group. Encourage them to discuss why these goals are important to them and how they plan to achieve them. This practice fosters open communication and reinforces the significance of goal setting.
Visual Goal Boards: Create a visual goal board in the team's practice space or locker room. Players can pin up their written goals or use visuals (such as images representing their goals) to remind themselves and their teammates of their objectives. It serves as a constant reminder of their commitment to planning and achieving their goals.
Individual Improvement Plans: Work with players to create individual improvement plans. These plans should outline specific skills or areas they want to develop and the steps they will take to achieve improvement. Review and adjust these plans periodically based on progress.
Goal-Setting Games: Incorporate goal-setting games or challenges during practice. For example, in a soccer drill, players can score points by hitting specific targets in the goal, tying their accuracy to goal-setting objectives.
Goal Reflection Sessions: Dedicate time after games or practices for players to reflect on their performance in relation to their goals. What did they do well? Where can they improve? Encourage constructive discussions to help them refine their strategies for future success.
In the world of youth sports, the pursuit of excellence extends far beyond the playing field. It's about empowering young athletes with the invaluable skills of strategy and planning, skills that shape not only their athletic journeys but also the course of their lives. As we wrap up this exploration, remember that the journey doesn't end here. Armed with a clearer understanding of how strategy and planning can be cultivated through sports, parents and coaches alike can play a pivotal role in nurturing the next generation of thoughtful, strategic thinkers. By guiding them on this path, we don't just prepare them for victory in sports – we equip them for success in life, fostering a future that is as bright as it is strategically planned.
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