Many parents question why their sons or daughters appear to be lacking coordination, “…my son cannot skip! He should be able to do that by now.” I respond by saying we can usually fix that by increasing balance/coordination and suggesting that parents not fret! Fretting only exacerbates the problems! I also usually mention that children develop at different times (just like reading; it takes some children more time) but everyone usually catch up! An additional response involves a series of questions about their children’s background. I have found that just as soon as children begin to crawl or walk, their coordination and balance needs to be developed. This can be done with physical activity at home. Playgroups and activities outside of the home are also a great way to start to develop these skills. Living in New York City, I have had the opportunity to witness a variety of classes that are amazing for building these coordination skills, especially for parents who might have less experience with developing these skills themselves and for parents who might have forgotten how they first learned to skip, catch a ball or sink a basket. One class I want to spotlight is Kids in Sports. Kids in Sports is an amazing way to get kids moving and working as a TEAM, starting as early as 12 months. There are many amazing aspects of this program. Besides the dedicated and educated staff and founders, one of the best parts of this program is that parents and caregivers can participate in the early years. I like this program because it gives parents the opportunity to begin to understand how their kids work, what can make them frustrated, what they celebrate, how they concentrate, how important parental approval is to them, how they work with other children and also how to be proud of their children’s accomplishments and progress. Although the class is called, “Kids in Sports,” it’s not just for the “athletic” child. It is for all children, creating confidence, problem solving and building self-awareness at an early age. The equipment used and the colorful contraptions built are astonishing and can lure even the most timid children. From multi-sport to specific sport classes (most of these specialized classes start after the children turn four) the kids learn not only how to work as individuals, but also together. From team warm-ups and stretching to team cheers and end of the year trophies (for everyone!) there are many benefits. The kids range from Tiny Athletes, to Little Athletes all the way up to Minors and Major Athletes, and their T-shirt colors change just as quickly as their ability to move from crawling, to walking, galloping, hopping, skipping and THEN dribbling and skipping at the same time. Starting young in a setting like this is bound to not only improve your little ones’ balance, coordination and flexibility but ALSO confidence, sportsmanship and self-awareness.
