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Runners World Articles: Archives Mold the Next Generation Today’s kids are less physically fit than ever before. Why? Perhaps adults are to blame. Have you ever encouraged a child to exercise? As a young parent or babysitter, did you encourage long hours of TV and video games in order to have some peace and quiet? Though we may be partly at fault, we can do something abut it. Children naturally enjoy running games. And if they gradually increase the amount they run, with rest days in between, their bones, muscles and cardiovascular systems will improve quickly. With your help, children will see that running brings positive rewards-if they pace themselves and have fun. To inspire this younger generation, try some of the following suggestions from coaches and parents who have the best qualifications of all: they have raised children who, as adults, love to run. Say "you’re a runner." When you’re around children who are playing tag or other running games, compliment their natural ability. Remind them how good they feel during and after running. Mention that running is one of the few activities where everyone can win. Communicating this to youngsters may instill in them the belief that they were meant to run. Have fun. Ensure success by staging short runs on fun courses. Offer positive remarks and rewards. Have a fun run around the block, for example. When your child starts to huff and puff, walk for a while, then pick up the pace again when he or she is ready. Celebrate with a frozen treat such as a fruit smoothie. This postrun reward tells the youngsters they’ve earned it. Consider team sports. Kids who play team running sports from an early age will develop strength, endurance, confidence and coordination, which will provide an athletic advantage by junior high school. Also, team activities take the pressure of competition off while teaching cooperation. You may have to sample several different teams before your child feels at home. Don’t emphasize winning until age 13 or older. Very few children who set age-group records in youth track stay with running into adulthood. Often the talented ones who could potentially challenge the Kenyans in years to come are tired of running by high school, and they seldom run in college. Even when a coach or parent isn’t pushing, competitive rewards can drive kids to burn themselves out. Plus running is a particularly introspective activity, which very few children have the maturity to appreciate. So until they hit their teenage years, it’s best to focus on the accomplishment of participating rather than winning. Try high school running teams. High school track and cross-country teams provide a positive outlet for the competitive and social instincts of teenagers just when they are beginning to appreciate performance, time goals and pacing. Of course, the social benefits of a team are usually more rewarding than the competitions. The distance and middle-distance runners usually run and stretch as a group, which inevitably involves joking around and having a lot of fun. In the process, girls and boys get to know and respect one another while becoming better runners. Run with your kids. In addition to encouraging running, planning family running events will help you bond with your children. As our two teenagers move into more independent activities, my wife, Barbara, and I appreciate the two or three times each year that all four of us can enter the same event. Every January, for example, we visit the Disney World Marathon, where we catch Brennan and Westin finish farther and farther ahead of us in the family 5-K. Make a difference. Even if you don’t have children or young relatives, you can still do your part. Most schools, YMCAs and recreation programs welcome volunteer coaches or phys ed, track and cross-country. By giving some of your time, you can help mold the next generation.
From Runner's World, May 1998, p. 38
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