Just make sure you get him in the pool soon. The fish part needs to be "made" early even the triathlete "attitude" we may be born with!

That's awesome, i love when little kids get attached too more I suppose abstract sports. Makes me feel like there's a future for the sport and that it has potential to grow even bigger. Most important thing is to make training fun! It's almost impossible to convince kids that running is fun but with the right skill set you can create a well rounded athletic/intelligent/disciplined man one day.

Even though at the level of running I'm at mostly everyone complains about running the biggest thing I focus on with younger kids is what I've stated above. Kills me when the crazy soccer moms are punishing their kids for making mistakes for example.

When he finished, he was so over the moon with his medal that he spent the rest of the morning showing it off to random passersby...


Did he get that from you? :)

Is there an Ironkids tattoo?

---

29 years and counting

that...is...beautiful

I have a 4 year old and a 2 year old, both girls. They both seem to be into the water, things with wheels, and running around. The wife and I plan on getting them into a youth club as early as we can.

The wife has been asking me to sign them up for the kids triathlon races and I have been holding off...I guess shes right.

The most important thing at this stage is that stuff is fun, everything else can wait till later.

We have him in soccer as well, and there are times he doesn't feel like playing (mostly when he has to share the ball). If he wants to sit out a few mins (or once the whole practice), no big deal.

I want to say No, but I'm not sure where else he'd pick up on it :)

The most important thing at this stage is that stuff is fun, everything else can wait till later.

We have him in soccer as well, and there are times he doesn't feel like playing (mostly when he has to share the ball). If he wants to sit out a few mins (or once the whole practice), no big deal.


First sentence and REALLY making it that way is key.

There is a general tendency in North America to get too many kids, too serious on things, too early, with too much specialization and exclusivity on a sport. Unfortunately the various sports and sports systems beyond the ages of 8 - 10 almost force you into some form of one-sport year-round program!

---

---

Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

My boys were the same way when little. But I found it really has very little to do with their internal likes or dislikes at that point and much more to do with what Mom and Dad like. If he was at a 70.3 event and he sees you train and race, he will like triathlon...at least until he starts to develop a mind of his own. My kids loved everything I was into until about age 10 and then decided to figure out what they liked. He may very well still like triathlon then but for now its just a good time to indoctrinate him.

I am not actually sure this is true -- many other countries actually specialize their kids very early in particular sports and they exceed at them particularly in relation to their population size (e.g. Canada with Hockey, most of Europe with soccer and cycling). There is actually alot of evidence that specialization at an early age is beneficial. Perhaps a bit more on skill oriented sports than endurance sports though cycling is interesting.

I am not actually sure this is true -- many other countries actually specialize their kids very early in particular sports and they exceed at them particularly in relation to their population size (e.g. Canada with Hockey, most of Europe with soccer and cycling). There is actually alot of evidence that specialization at an early age is beneficial. Perhaps a bit more on skill oriented sports than endurance sports though cycling is interesting.


Yes & no.

This is a worthwhile read on the matter of kids, and development in sports - https://theconversation.com/...ts-performance-72763

It was posted on a web site called Changing The Game - http://changingthegameproject.com/

It's an organization founded by John O'Sullivan who believes that we have much of this wrong in North America.

---

---

Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Or is there just a lot less realistic (meaning - sports followed by lots of people including the kids parents) choices in other locations like Canada and Europe. Hockey dominates Canada so I would assume all kids just grow up wanting to be the next great hockey player. Same thing in Europe - isn't soccer the "far and away" spectator sport?

Also - you can teach a 1 year old to play soccer so its easy to get young kids into it.

In the U.S it seems we have a lot more "sports" adults watch (and bet on) which drives the kids interest. Baseball, Football, Basketball, NASCAR, etc.

I can relate to that for myself. My dad is and has always been very fit. When I was younger, my dad would bike to work like it was no big deal. Now that I'm older I can see a straight line between his habits and my own.

Now I think it works the other way. My dad and I got into running together (he asked me if I wanted to run a 10k) but I've since gotten him into triathlon.

I'd be thrilled if my son picked up triathlon, but I'd be happy so long as he picked up and developed a passion for something athletic (and only 'athletic' as opposed to or in additon to something creative or social for the health benefits)

Great story. When I was growing up in the 60s every kid I knew went swimming, rode bikes and ran around outside playing games. Sometimes when I take triathlon too seriously, I just think about my childhood. At its essence, triathlon to me is simply having fun in the summer like I did when I was a child.

Isn't nearly every healthy child born to be a triathlete until the adult world takes control?

As a former swim coach, I saw a lot of parents forcing their kids into sports and forcing them to excel. There is a level of making kids go to practice I understand. However, I see a lot of phenomenal swimmers who hate the sport because their parents pushed them so hard when they were younger. My favorite example I used with parents is that Michael Phelps didn't specialize in swimming until he was 12. I think that's the age, could be wrong.

Some sports benefit from early learning like hockey and swimming, others can wait until later like cycling, running, rugby etc..

My son is 10 and his primary sports are hockey, soccer and lacrosse, we also play a lot of baseball but not organized along with golf
tennis etc..

He is a dominate athlete due to his speed, agility, endurance and compete level and dominates every sport he participates in, but we make sure to mix it up and take breaks from each sport and 2 months off organized sports in the summer. Our goal is to build a complete athlete and get his input on what HE wants to do, winning is not important at this age, development and enjoyment will build a much better athlete in the long run. Eventually he will specialize in 1 sport but we will try to hold off as long as possible. I think a kid like this in the wrong hands could be burned out by well meaning parents at a young age.

My younger daughter was a swimming star from her first days in the water. She loved the pool and could not wait to swim every day. Swam with the local club as soon as she was old enough. At age eight or so, she was among the fastest kids in the county. As it got more and more serious, she began to like it less and less. At around age 11, when the practices got to be harder and harder, she stopped having fun. We tried to put the brakes on. We would tell the coaches that we wanted a more fun experience. We would only take her to practices two to three times per week (and get angry emails from the coaching staff that the expectations were a minimum of five days per week). Finally, at age 13 she told us she was done. Today (age 14), if we get in the pool together she still crushes me easily, but she is no longer interested in being a competitive swimmer. I wish she would still do it but I can't live vicariously through her.....

It is a fine line between supporting your kid and fostering their passion and crossing over that line and making them hate the sport because they were pushed too hard. We struggled with it and ultimately my daughter stopped swimming.

I guess that I can just hope that some day she will decide to do triathlon and all of the years of swimming will pay off in her being first pack to T1.

Unfortunately for me, she has switched her focus to horses (with some influence from my wife). I lament for the days when I would just pay for a suit, some goggles and club fees. Horses are crazy expensive but I am glad that she has something that she is passionate about :-).

---

----------------------------
Jason
None of the secrets of success will work unless you do.

You are assuming the goal is to produce elite athletes. If you want to produce kids who enjoy sports different story.

---

They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot

My daughter unfortunately takes after me.

Very little athletic natural aptitude, and no interest right now in group sports. She loves the water and is ok for her age at swimming just do to exposure, but it's pretty clear from looking at her why swimming is sort hard for me as an adult! I actually thought sports were fun as I grew up but since I was almost always the smallest/slowest in elementary school, it was tough.

Fortunately she at least enjoys playing so I'm trying to keep her active.

As a former swim coach, I saw a lot of parents forcing their kids into sports and forcing them to excel


I've seen this a lot. A part or a big part of this is the parents not really knowing how sports development works - and how to be a good parent to a kid who is into sports. In our house with both parents involved in high performance sport, we never forced my son into anything. He did excel at first, soccer, then basketball and track (400/800).

---

---

Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

One of the older girls on the team said her mom sat her down and gave her a choice of four or five sports, saying pick one because it's going to pay for your college. This was when she was >=10. She picked swimming. Amazing at it, may very well get a scholarship, but she hates it. So sad to see

One of the older girls on the team said her mom sat her down and gave her a choice of four or five sports, saying pick one because it's going to pay for your college. This was when she was >=10. She picked swimming. Amazing at it, may very well get a scholarship, but she hates it. So sad to see


I remember distinctly sitting on the side-line the first time my son played with this higher level club/rep soccer team in our area when he was 10 years old. He wanted to try out for the team, so he went to the try-outs and made it on the team. So at the first game, I'm seated on the sidelines next to this woman who is yelling and screaming her head-off. Telling her kid and all the other kids what to do non-stop. Chirping at the ref and at the players on the other team. She turned to me at one point, and said, "You are awfully quiet". I said, "I just like watching the kids running around having a great time". She looked at me like I was from outer space!

---

---

Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Dont let her see that....lol

On a serious note, all the athletic skill in the World doesnt mean a whole lot without the passion for the sport. Yes, you might be able to push them for a little while, but when it starts to get to the point it really starts to matter (College, pro, etc) they will more then likely not compete, making the effort worthless.

That being sad, allow your child to follow their own passion and encourage them on it and any new ventures. I agree with a lot of others about allowing/encouraging them to participate in their multiple sports if they want until they are really mature enough to decide what they enjoy. There is a certain amount of encouraging/pushing that needs to be done to get them to participate for a little while, but it shouldnt be a ton. It is a fine line.