by Noel Sutton
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9 March 2020
This ones an important one in our series of posts on Health and Fitness by our friend, nutritionist, coach and general guru Noel Sutton on the physical and nutritional needs of children involved in sport. Children in Sport A few things have happened recently that have got me thinking and rethinking about this subject in detail again. I was asked to write something, evidence based on how to encourage good eating habits in children for parents. This, alongside some personal experiences of parenting recently and some extraordinary observations of what is being offered in the way of coaching to children locally encouraged me to think more widely. So, I wanted to split this into two parts, the first on kids in sport and then the second part more specifically on nutrition. The first concept that is true to both sport and nutrition is that we should understand there is a difference between children and adults. It seems an obvious thing to say but it is often overlooked, children are different to adults and shouldn’t just be treated as mini adults. As children we grow vertically, at a certain point that stops. As adults having stopped growing vertically, we are only going to grow outwards! The rules are different. Kids that seem to be excelling in sport at a young age, 11-15 are often treated as though they are not just mini adults but mini elite athletes. Let’s be clear they aren’t, they might be, and we all hope and want to prepare them to be, but until they are 17-18 yrs old we shouldn’t be getting too excited and booking accommodation for the next Olympics. We have a massive problem with participation in all sports, finding kids that will do sport at under 13 level is ok. Observing that participation through the next 10 years we see a catastrophic reduction in numbers. As a running coach I routinely watch a good volume of athletes running at under 13’s, the numbers at under 15’s drops off, by the time you get to under 17’s and then under 20’s we’re lucky to have a handful still competing. Evidence shows that this is a problem not just in running or athletics but all sports. As coaches and parents, we need to consider that even in this best possible circumstance we are fighting a losing battle, so it is key to try and do what we can stem the flow. If by the culture, we create we are adding to this problem we need to consider our motives. I overheard a disturbing conversation the other day about a young girl of 12 who was described as having the physiology of a 13-year-old. This was justifying the extra training and expectation that was being put on her. This for me sums up two massive problems. The first question I’d like you to consider is “What is the Physiology of a 13-year-old girl”? How is this different to the physiology of a 12-year-old, or a 12-and-a-half-year-old, or a 13 and half year old or even a 14-year-old? Is there a big book of Physiology with a page that tells us what a 13-year olds girls physiology will be? I’ve been involved in sports science and coaching for a very long time, I’ve got degrees in it and I’m yet to see this. I do see many, many unique individuals that share some similarities in development. I’ve seen many kids develop at differing rates at differing ages. Rarely have I seen two 13-year olds that are exactly the same in their development. So, we end up with a kid that has grown/developed early and is performing well. Maybe they’re stronger, got longer limbs, had more practice. At some point this will balance out, the other kids will catch up. My second point/problem is how do we manage expectation so that we don’t put so much pressure on them at 13/14 years old that they’ve just had enough by 17? We all want our kids to go to the Olympics and win gold, very few amazing 13-year olds go on to. The odd 18-year-old might though. A swim coach apparently has said quite openly that because he knows most of his swimmers will have given up by the age of 15 he will hammer them in the pool and create the best 11 year olds he can because it doesn’t matter if he breaks them, they’ll give up anyway! As coaches it should be taken for granted that we are teaching life skills through our sport. I use running as a tool to help mould kids into the best teenagers and young adults I can. Skills that help them negotiate school and exams, job interviews and University. At the same we develop their fitness and skills to prepare them to be the best runners they can be. There must be a happy compromise where we are developing our young athletes, to be the best they can be. Without overloading their young developing bodies, without putting some much expectation and pressure on them at too young an age that they have had enough by 17. Most importantly they are not mini adults, don’t train them as such. Secondly they are not elite athletes..yet ,so don’t train them as such..yet. It is amazing to see great performances as 13 or 14 years old, but we shouldn’t be getting excited until they are still doing it at 17 or 18 years old.