EP6. The Young and the Restless: Youth Sparrers

Episode 6: Let's discuss those karate kids (8-25 year olds)! This episode is speaking to competitive sport and NOT recreational sport. Youth sport and early sport specialization can be heavy topics -- and I'm using extreme examples (that do occur) to illustrate my point. Keep in mind I'm not stating "kids can't play competitive sport", but I am discussing how: 1) kids need to grow (mentally and physically) with the sport, and 2) what athletic identity is. It's good information, and a good compass for if you have youth athletes in sport karate!

I include early 20s as "kids"... because research shows that the part of the brain that creates rational processes isn't fully developed until around 25 years old; the "act first, think later" mentality.

Elyse Gorrell

PhD Candidate; MPC (CSPA-ACPS)

www.embodiedmentalperformance.com

Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/ElysesPoint

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(Karate; Sport Karate; Sport Martial Arts; Martial Arts; Point Fighting; Point Sparring)

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References

Carter, C., W., & Micheli, L., J. (2011). Training the child athlete for prevention, health promotion, and performance: How much is enough, how much is too much? Clinical Sports Medicine, 30, 679-690.

Donnelly, P., & Petherick, L. (2010). Workers’ playtime? Child labour at the extremes of the sporting spectrum. Sport in Society, 7(3), 301-321.

Horton, R. S., and Mack, D. E. (2000). Athletic identity in marathon runners: Functional focus or dysfunctional commitment? Journal of Sport Behavior, 23, 101-119.

Johnson, S., B., Blum, M., D., and Giedd, J., N. (2009). Adolescent maturity and the brain: The promise and pitfalls of neuroscience research in adolescent health policy. Journal of Adolescent Health, 45(3), 216-221. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2009.05.016

Kerr, R., Barker-Ruchti, N., Schubring, A., Cervin, G., & Nunomura, M. (2019). Coming of age: Coaches transforming the pixie-style model of coaching in women’s artistic gymnastics. Sports Coaching Review, 8(1), 7-24.

Myer, G., D., Jayanthi, N., DiFiori, J., P., Faigenbaum, A., D., Kiefer, A., W., Logerstedt, D., & Micheli, L., J. (2015). Sport specialization, part II: Alternative solutions to early sport specialization in youth athletes.  Sports Health, 8(1), 65-73.

Ottum, B. (1979, November 19). The search for Nadia: The author plunges into the mists of Transylvania in quest of the world’s favourite gymnast, Nada Comaneci. She had been perfect. Then she had faded from view. Now, it develops, there is a new Nadia. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved from https://vault.si.com/vault/1979/11/19/the-search-for-nadia-the-author-plunges-into-the-mists-of-transylvania-in-quest-of-the-worlds-favorite-gymnast-nadia-comaneci-she-had-been-perfect-then-she-had-faded-from-view-now-it-develops-there-is-a-new-nadia

Smith, E. (2014, February 21). If you want a child prodigy, crack the whip early. But for longer-term success, parents should back off. New Statesman. 40.

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Music for Podcast

Time Out - Atch https://soundcloud.com/atch-music