30/03/2021
LET KIDS PLAY!
Having been involved in waterpolo all my life, starting as a young kid watching my father play at the highest level through the apartheid era in South Africa and being thrown into the deepend to literally tread water for myself and learn from the old dudes in our local club.
Nothing more special than getting the skills of waterpolo handed down from the previous generations.
Yes I had great coaches and I'm forever grateful to all who gave of their time to help me in my endeavours to reach great heights in waterpolo.
Some shouters, some methodical thinkers and some quiet believers were the mix of coaching styles I was exposed to.
It was the quiet believes and methodical thinkers who had the most influence in my younger years.
Now seeing waterpolo from a completely different perspective and hoping that someday my kids get the same passion and enthusiasm I had as youngster growing up, handed across to their development.....quietly wishing its a person who allows freedom of decision making for themselves.
The great Italian educator Maria Montessori hit the nail on the head when she said “adults should never help a child with a task the child could succeed at on their own”. Sometimes we need to bring the child’s perspective (of letting go) into our thinking instead of wanting to keep a firm grasp on the apron strings.
Kids need to be kids and in waterpolo, the best way to fast track their development is by instilling great teaching skills at training but when it comes to game day, allow them to 'Just Play!'
Way too often are kids screamed at by an enthusiastic coach and puppeteered across the pool for the entire game.
When do kids learn to make decisions for themselves if coaches are doing it for them from the sidelines.
I get that coaches are passionate and enthusiastic but there is common trend at all waterpolo games/tournaments - the shouting coach!
Don't get me wrong, I too have been that coach barking instruction from the side but the conclusion I feel is that kids actually play better implementing instruction themselves and you as a coach enjoy the game with little less stress, by just letting kids play.
This encourages confidence in kids, leadership skills are evolved naturally and guarantee kids will enjoy the games allott more !!!
Not to mention that officials will be free to referee the games without any added pressure from coaches questioning every call.
Win win for all really!
By S Daley Academywaterpolo