Friday, March 10, 2006
Kids in active families benefit in more ways than physical.
The Kirkendoll kids have grown up watching their parents run, swim and cycle.
Thad and Debi Kirkendoll are triathletes and train nearly every day.
So it was a natural transition when Aron, 11, and Haley, 9, wanted to get involved, too.
The Kirkendolls live in Anthem and often head to the country club pool, where they'll share two lanes swimming laps. Other times it's off to the track for a running workout.
"Now, instead of sitting around inside, we'll say, let's go train. It's our natural thing and something we can do as a family," says Thad Kirkendoll.
Parents who get their kids involved in sports love it not only for the time spent together, but also for the life lessons offered: commitment, responsibility and sportsmanship.
"You can't get up one day and run 13 miles," says Sam Montes, who is training with his 12-year-old son, Sam Jr., for the P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon & 1/2 Marathon in January. "You have to run nearly every day to get there.
"He plays fall baseball, and some days he doesn't feel like running three miles, but I'll call him on his commitment to do this," says Montes, who lives in Phoenix.
Running and cycling are two great activities to share with your kids because you can start right from your front door. But even taking your kids out to the golf course or the hiking trails can be fun family time if you heed some suggestions from the experts.
Think about your goal
"What are you trying to do? Are you trying to develop a love for a lifelong activity or are you trying to make your kid into a jock?" says Chuck Corbin, professor emeritus in the Department of Exercise and Wellness at Arizona State University Polytechnic campus. "Think about what you're trying to do, and use your activity as a means to an end."
If your goal is to spend time together, hiking can be a fun afternoon if you don't make it into a multimile march.
Consider your child's age
Parents wonder why today's kids, who supposedly have such short attention spans, can spend hours at a video game. "It's mastery," says Corbin. "They master one skill and build on it and go on to the next level."
An athletic activity should be handled the same way, he says. If the child isn't old enough to master any of the basic skills, it won't be fun. Preschoolers or younger school-age kids are seldom able to master catching and throwing.
"If they can't catch the ball, they'll become frustrated," he says. "They'll say they'll love it to please their parents, but it won't be fun."
And kids usually don't understand rules until about age 10 or 11.
Age is also a safety consideration, says Ken Love, president of the Arizona Bike Club. He doesn't recommend allowing kids younger than 14 to go on group rides because they can be a hazard to the other riders. "They'll pull out or pull in front of other riders," he says. "You don't want sudden, unsignaled stops because the group could go down like a bunch of dominoes."
Also, kids younger than that don't have a sense of how fast cars travel and what drivers are likely to do.
Modify the gear
Cycling is great exercise and is quite the social activity here in the Valley. But for kids younger than 10 or so, tandem biking is the parent's best bet.
"It gives the child some pedaling experience but more importantly it gives them exposure to proper signaling and road recognition," says Love.
Mike Bochenek, assistant director of junior golf for Tempe, says he gives kids special clubs and softer balls, and they play around flags on the green.
"We still teach the fundamentals of the swing, and they get a feeling of accomplishment," he says of the equipment, called SNAG ("start new at golf").
Let them play
Too many parents try to force lessons too early, says John Gunby, director of golf at Shalimar Country Club in Tempe.
"Instead of lessons, just take them out to the course and let them goof around," he says.
Many courses won't allow that, and that's too bad, he says. "We allow families to come out and have fun. They can whack pine cones if they want to."
If you're uncomfortable taking kids on a golf course, take them to a driving range, says Bochenek. "Don't have any expectations, just let them experience it."
The way to let kids have fun is for the parents to have fun, Gunby says.
"Don't take yourself too seriously. The kids need to see you enjoying it, and they'll model your behavior. If they see you cursing and throwing your clubs, they'll say 'Why do I want to do this?' " More>>>
Thad and Debi Kirkendoll are triathletes and train nearly every day.
So it was a natural transition when Aron, 11, and Haley, 9, wanted to get involved, too.
The Kirkendolls live in Anthem and often head to the country club pool, where they'll share two lanes swimming laps. Other times it's off to the track for a running workout.
"Now, instead of sitting around inside, we'll say, let's go train. It's our natural thing and something we can do as a family," says Thad Kirkendoll.
Parents who get their kids involved in sports love it not only for the time spent together, but also for the life lessons offered: commitment, responsibility and sportsmanship.
"You can't get up one day and run 13 miles," says Sam Montes, who is training with his 12-year-old son, Sam Jr., for the P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon & 1/2 Marathon in January. "You have to run nearly every day to get there.
"He plays fall baseball, and some days he doesn't feel like running three miles, but I'll call him on his commitment to do this," says Montes, who lives in Phoenix.
Running and cycling are two great activities to share with your kids because you can start right from your front door. But even taking your kids out to the golf course or the hiking trails can be fun family time if you heed some suggestions from the experts.
Think about your goal
"What are you trying to do? Are you trying to develop a love for a lifelong activity or are you trying to make your kid into a jock?" says Chuck Corbin, professor emeritus in the Department of Exercise and Wellness at Arizona State University Polytechnic campus. "Think about what you're trying to do, and use your activity as a means to an end."
If your goal is to spend time together, hiking can be a fun afternoon if you don't make it into a multimile march.
Consider your child's age
Parents wonder why today's kids, who supposedly have such short attention spans, can spend hours at a video game. "It's mastery," says Corbin. "They master one skill and build on it and go on to the next level."
An athletic activity should be handled the same way, he says. If the child isn't old enough to master any of the basic skills, it won't be fun. Preschoolers or younger school-age kids are seldom able to master catching and throwing.
"If they can't catch the ball, they'll become frustrated," he says. "They'll say they'll love it to please their parents, but it won't be fun."
And kids usually don't understand rules until about age 10 or 11.
Age is also a safety consideration, says Ken Love, president of the Arizona Bike Club. He doesn't recommend allowing kids younger than 14 to go on group rides because they can be a hazard to the other riders. "They'll pull out or pull in front of other riders," he says. "You don't want sudden, unsignaled stops because the group could go down like a bunch of dominoes."
Also, kids younger than that don't have a sense of how fast cars travel and what drivers are likely to do.
Modify the gear
Cycling is great exercise and is quite the social activity here in the Valley. But for kids younger than 10 or so, tandem biking is the parent's best bet.
"It gives the child some pedaling experience but more importantly it gives them exposure to proper signaling and road recognition," says Love.
Mike Bochenek, assistant director of junior golf for Tempe, says he gives kids special clubs and softer balls, and they play around flags on the green.
"We still teach the fundamentals of the swing, and they get a feeling of accomplishment," he says of the equipment, called SNAG ("start new at golf").
Let them play
Too many parents try to force lessons too early, says John Gunby, director of golf at Shalimar Country Club in Tempe.
"Instead of lessons, just take them out to the course and let them goof around," he says.
Many courses won't allow that, and that's too bad, he says. "We allow families to come out and have fun. They can whack pine cones if they want to."
If you're uncomfortable taking kids on a golf course, take them to a driving range, says Bochenek. "Don't have any expectations, just let them experience it."
The way to let kids have fun is for the parents to have fun, Gunby says.
"Don't take yourself too seriously. The kids need to see you enjoying it, and they'll model your behavior. If they see you cursing and throwing your clubs, they'll say 'Why do I want to do this?' " More>>>
# posted by ADMIN : Friday, March 10, 2006
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