As Coordinator of BSF’s Nordic Intro Programs, I hear the (wonderful!) question all the time: “What is my kid learning from playing games at practice?”
Whether it’s ski soccer or capture the flag, it is a common sight to see one-hundred plus youth skiers out smiling, laughing, and giving their all on a Thursday afternoon at Lindley Park. Are they having fun? Absolutely! But there’s so much more going on there, and we want parents to get engaged with this process.
Our job as coaches is to provide every skier in our programs the space, support, and opportunity to build a sustainable relationship with their chosen sport. One of the best, most comprehensive resources at our disposal is the U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Long Term Athlete Development Model, or LTAD. A phenomenal tool for skiers, parents, and coaches alike, what the research and science behind the LTAD tells us is this: our kids are far more likely to both stay and find success in athletics if they are able to maintain intrinsic motivation for and personal enjoyment of their chosen sport.
How do we, as coaches and parents, support this? Drawing on a large body of interdisciplinary research, U.S. Ski & Snowboard has found that the most direct way to scaffold these two pillars is to offer ample opportunity for engagement with process-based, team-oriented, and fun-centric experiences alongside more traditional metrics of improvement (think times, race results, or technique). What does this mean? A broader base of multifaceted, fun, athletic experience wins out in the long-run as well as the short-term. And we have the tools to offer it to our kiddos day-in and day-out!
So, how do we bring these tools to bear on practice? At BSF Intro, we use a model that scaffolds our skier’s learning and skill acquisition in stages of skills, drills, and games. Here’s how it works:
1. We select a skill that we want our skiers to practice or learn. Let’s say, classic striding.
2. We select a drill (or set of drills) to explicitly practice the skill. For example, the scooter ski drill, where skiers take one ski off and push themselves along with a boot to practice finding glide and balance on one ski at a time.
3. We select a game that, unbeknownst to our skiers, implicitly reinforces the skill and drill! For example, ski soccer (or soccer played with one ski on), requires a skier to continue gliding and balancing on one ski at a time while adding elements of fun, teamwork, and process-based learning. (Not to mention agility, obstacles, and collaboration.)
This model of scaffolding from skills to drills to games is not unique to BSF. It is called gamification, and has been linked to increased enjoyment, intrinsic motivation, and skill acquisition in everything from athletics to academics to social/emotional development. To us, this indicates a tool that is important both on and off the snow–and we want to partner with parents to close the circle on learning and growing across our community! Whether you have a first-time BSF kiddo or they are entering their senior year of high school, the importance of personal enjoyment, intrinsic motivation, and gamification for long-term athlete success and wellbeing is critical.
BSF is excited to be offering a Parent Seminar Series as part of our Mental Health Initiative. First up:
Parent Night: Supporting Teens
Thursday, November 14 6:30 pm
Bozeman Health Deaconess Hospital
Bitterroot & Meadowlark Conference Rooms
Parking: Lots A & B, use Entrance 1
Click here to receive updates about mental health tools and education events.
