If you are keen and have queries, please contact Coach Rameshon at 9100 4369 or you can email him at m.rameshon@gmail.com or swift.rameshon@gmail.com. Please refer to website http://flexifitness.com.sg (for more information on him and his programmes)
By M.Rameshon
Bsc (Hons) Degree in Physical Education, Loughborough University (1992-1994)
Masters in Education (University of Western Australia, 2005-2008)
Ego (win) Oriented and Process (learning) Oriented Children
It is very interesting to share with the readers of the blog post on personal training that I do with a kid. It is a known fact that some parents are hoping that their child can excel in their chosen sports. The thing that they are hoping for is the results. Some parents want quick and instant results. I have seen a coach taking a drastic move in order that the child gets results, leading to the child giving up sports later. Parents must be extremely careful about this. Strategically it is a good idea to work towards long-term results. The important component for parents to have is actually the patience that constant success will take place later on in life.
The coach is strongly encouraged to have some form of Physiological knowledge before they take up coaching, if possible. The Singapore Sports Council and Singapore Athletics are working towards this. It is a good idea for the coach to take up a course which touches on Maturation as well. The message must be driven that kids are not miniature adults, and as such a lot of care must be taken such that they are groomed well in their chosen sports. Moreover, the kids will go through numerous problems and issues while they excel in sports. During the teenage years, they will face adolescence problem as well. It is important for coaches to be armed with Physiological knowledge to assist the child to the maximum.
A carefully planned cycle or programme that will assist the child to do well in sports, from child to adult life. Whether it is for performance or health or fitness, the key point that the parent should know is that it is important for the child to know that there is a process that enables them to succeed, in the end.
Without knowing the process of hard work and learning that naturally takes place in sports, a child may have the attributes of being an ego-oriented or product-oriented individual, always yearning to win, at the expense of seeing other kids losing.
Hence, the first thing that the child needs to learn here is to accept that losing as an important part of training to excel and succeed one day. The child should be taught on success, by winning oneself rather on winning others. An ego-oriented child will do an activity as long as they win. If they lose they will give up the activity. When they are not good in a particular activity, the kid will not want to spend time doing it.
The better way to arrest the problem of a child being an ego-oriented kid is to enable the child to understand that if they learn, for instance, the change of technique, style of posture in sports etc, these changes will make them a better sportsman over time. By making the child well informed on their chosen sports, the kid will learn to like sports.
Also, we must keep reinforcing the idea that it is totally acceptable to lose in a game. I have seen children, who believe in doing well at that very moment only and are not wanting to work hard during a series of training sessions. When a parent sees this kind of problem, my advice is to suggest to them to use the significant others, like coaches, friends, peers, relations etc to influence a child to make them know the importance of constant hard work that leads to sure success. The most important thing that the child needs to know is that by improving oneself all the time, a number of successes will take place for them, over a period of time this could lead to not only in the real winning of a chosen sport but also in career and life as well.
Note:
By Narayanan
Rameshon has taught in Hwa Chong Institution, plus several schools, and Republic Polytechnic as well. He has won many accolades and he was awarded Merit Award for 1991 marathon performance in breaking the national record of Singapore, at that time. He has made 22 male athletes do a marathon in sub-3hrs. He has made 7 female runners do sub-4 hours for the marathon, as well. He was inducted to the ‘Roll of Honour’ by the then College of Physical Education, organised by Singapore Olympic Academy, in 1998, for breaking the National record repeatedly 4 times, till he did 2hr 24min 22sec).
He also has a Coaching group and he trains them on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7pm at Botanic Gardens. Those interested can call him at 91004369 for coaching assistance, to improve performance. There is also personal training that he does for many in a week. You can e-mail him at swift.rameshon@gmail.com.
