Physical literacy is really the capability that people have to move well. And so it involves the physical component of it. So is somebody moving their body parts in ways that are efficient and less likely to produce injury. But also, do they have the motivation to want to move? And do they have the confidence? Do they feel like they can go out and do what they want to do, whether it be playing soccer or going for a hike or mountain biking, but do they believe that their body has the ability to do that and do it in such a way that they find to be enjoyable and that they have a reasonable chance of being successful at.
In the past, we used to think about athletic development as a pyramid. And that concept actually more recently has gone out of favor, to be honest with you. Because when you talk about a pyramid, there’s this perception that some people are getting left behind, right? And that only the cream are going to come to the top. And in these days, I think we’re now thinking about this athletic development really is more of a rectangle. And so physical literacy is foundational and that’s true for everybody. And then some people are going to progress and they’ve got a lot of motivation and they’ve got a lot of intrinsic talent and they’re going to progress and they’re going to compete and they’re going to be successful. And they have the capacity to really compete at a really high level. There’s going to be a lot of us in the middle ground where we have fun and we like to play sports and we’re good enough, but we kind of progressed to a certain level.
But we’re still progressing, and we want to make sure that as many people progress as possible, and then there’s going to be others who really have no appetite for maybe even organized sport or competition. But physical literacy is still is a value for them as well, because we want everybody to be able to pursue healthy levels of physical activity throughout the lifespan. So when you look at specific activities, for instance, that are designed to really foster physical activity as well as providing that platform for athletic performance, a lot of times rather than sports specific skills, rather more general agility drills, more balance drills, more working on the fundamentals of movement. So even things like hopping and skipping and jumping, and if you’re in a sport with a ball, object control.
Can you throw a ball accurately? Can you catch the ball with good control? So it doesn’t have to be sports specific and really the younger the player is really the more general those activities should be, especially for the coaches that are looking at the young athlete. The most important thing that you can do for this is to make sure that their initial experience with the sport is fun and enjoyable. And if it is, even if they ain’t that great to start with, they’re going to want to become good and they’re going to want to work. So you’re going to develop that intrinsic motivation. If they don’t like it, no matter how good they are, they’re not going to want to do it. And it’s going to be a constant struggle to try to keep them engaged. So that emphasis really at that early, initial coach/player interaction, the key principle is to make it fun and enjoyable.
I think what’s really important to keep in mind for parents is that kids really should be compared to themselves and not to their siblings and not to their teammates. So taking this proficiency or performance component to it in terms of, okay, how have we progressed over the week, over the season, since last year? What type of progress have you made in your own individual journey of player athletic development?
The key thing to avoid is inserting a young athlete or a kid into some sports specific activity that they’re not ready for. So again, just being mindful within your specific sport, what are the fundamentals that you need in order to succeed at a given skill? Each athlete is going to come in at a different level at a different both development level, as well as a different level of experience in the sport. And you got to be willing to individualize the experiences of each kid. And that is harder work, but it’s going to pay off because you’re going to have athletes who are having more fun, who are easier to work with, are more coachable, and are more motivated to continue to move forward. So comparing an athlete to their prior level of performance is key and then individualizing and recognizing that some kids are just at a different stage than others are and incorporating that into your training program.
TrueSport Expert, Michele LaBotz, MD, FAAP, explains the concept of physical literacy, and how coaches and parents can have their young athletes train safely and at the right pace for their development.
Learn more about Michele LaBotz.
Hi. I’m Trevon, Trey, Jennifer. Team USA wheelchair basketball player, paralympian, and true sport athlete. Today, I want to talk to you about goal setting. And there are three things that I would like you to know. First, successful athletes set goals and a planned roadmap. Second, goals should be written down, assessed over time, and changed if necessary. And third, goals need to be challenging in order to be worthwhile. As a freshmen at Edinboro University, I was a part of a team that made the national championship game. And at that time I recognized I was the low man on the totem pole, but I felt in my heart that I knew my dreams were so much bigger than winning a national title. I wanted to make Team USA. I knew what achieving my lofty goal was not going to be easy and that I would need to work hard every day.
So, as a reminder, I created a pyramid of goals that I kept right above my bed. This pyramid reminded me of the accomplishments that I was working towards and visually represented my need to create a solid foundation underneath me before reaching the top. In the bottom roll of my pyramid of goals I listed goals such as obtaining my bachelor’s degree, becoming a scholar athlete award recipient, and becoming an All-American. The middle row listed winning a national title and playing for a professional team. And at the top row, the most challenging of them all, I listed becoming a gold medalist for Team USA.
By understanding that there are smaller stepping stones to achieving my ultimate goal of being on Team USA, I was able to stay motivated and to stay focused on completing the smaller stepping stones fully before moving onto the next one. Now I’ll be the first to admit that not every goal that I listed on my pyramid was accomplished, but seeing my goals every day when I went to bed, I was able to push through the days that I felt like doing nothing in hopes of achieving the bigger picture. Remember, create a clear goal roadmap, assess your goals often, and continue to challenge yourself. I hope that you never stopped dreaming big or reaching for the stars. And I look forward to seeing where your roadmap takes you.
Hi, I’m Kara Winger, Olympic javelin thrower, and true sport athlete. Today I want to talk to you about body image and I have three things I’d like you to know. First, healthy thoughts often lead to healthier bodies. Second, there are varying body types and no one’s body is exactly like another. And third, true beauty goes deeper than the skin. As a multi-time Olympian, I’ve experienced a lot of variation and progression in my training. My coaches and I adapt to my training frequently, all with the goal of supporting my long-term success and health in the sport of javelin. I’m talking to you about body image today because sometimes even with the best of intentions and a common goal in mind, the changes you make to your training habits can prove to be detrimental if made for the wrong reasons. In the lead up to the 2012 Olympic trials, I was told in order to improve my performance on the field, I should try to become a leaner, skinnier version of myself.
So I changed my diet. I went along with what I was being told to do, even though I’d had great success at a slightly heavier weight and higher body fat percentage, and became much leaner than ever before. It seemed like a successful change at first, but I didn’t have nearly the results I’d had before. And I believe becoming leaner than my body naturally wanted to be was what caused my ACL to tear. In the end, it cost me heavily going into the 2012 London games. The takeaway for me, and hopefully for you, is that it’s important to know what works for you and your body and to not compare yourself to others. You should do your research and experiment with your diet to find what makes you feel the best, rather than focusing on what you look like. Today, if I feel like having a chocolate chip cookie, I have one, just not every day.
I’ve learned what a properly balanced meal for my body looks like and I recognize food as the fuel that keeps me throwing. I hydrate and allow myself time to recover. And I listen to and communicate with my body so that I can be the best version of myself. In the end, you are in control of how you see, treat, and respond to your body. We only get one and it’s amazing to discover how many things our bodies can do. Be a true sport athlete. Love who you are in this moment and get excited for all the places your body will take you.
Hi, I’m Izy Isaksen, Team USA, Modern Pentathlon, Olympian, US Army Sergeant, and True Sport Ambassador. Today, I want to talk to you about being a good sport. There are three things I’d like you to know. First, real winners act the same toward their opponent, whether they win or lose. Second, follow the rules and be a gracious winner and respectful loser. And third, sportsmanship reveals your true character.
I started competing in Modern Pentathlon eight years after my older sister and three-time Olympian, Margaux Isaksen, began competing. I soon realized that people often compared the two of us. I would overhear spectators and teammates asking, “Who’s the better athlete,” and “Who’s going to beat the other.” Instead of letting outside pressures create a negative experience for us, I chose to practice winning and losing with grace and respect. I know that it would have been easy to let our hyper competitive mindset affect our relationship, but instead we decided to support and cheer for each other, regardless of our own performance. My experience of competing against and being compared to my older sister, taught me to focus on how to perform at my best, rather than putting wasted energy into wishing for others to fail.
I believe that sportsmanship reveals true character. So, no matter what situation I encounter during competition, I know it’s important to always treat people with respect and be a good sport. Remember, be a fierce competitor, find grace in all your victories and losses. And I hope to see you out there.
Edwin Moses: You’re a coach. Maybe what you want is very simple, for everyone to just run in the right direction, score for their own team, to try and try again and again. Maybe you want your athletes to become all stars. You want them to earn trophies, medals, win titles. You want them to reach the highest height their sport allows. And wanting all of that, of course, that’s good. But as every great coach discovers, developing a great athlete means nurturing, nurturing the even greater person within. Truth is, you have even more influence than you know.
You have the ability to affect even deeper change, to take what’s in your hands and do something even more extraordinary. You can be both the coach who provides the skills needed to win the game and the coach who helps them learn and succeed beyond the sport, to become all stars wherever they land in the future, and to enjoy their lives more now, because the confidence and courage they find working with you will stay with them when they need it the most. There are games to be won, lives to change. Coaches have the power to do both.
I’m Edwin Moses, and the lessons I’ve learned through sport have challenged me, guided me, and shaped my life forever. What kind of coach do you want to be?
At first glance, dietary supplements look the same. They seem safe and healthy, but just because the label says a product is a dietary supplement, that doesn’t mean it’s safe. Unfortunately, you can’t tell whether a product is safe or not just by looking at the label. Most vitamins, minerals, fish oil, and other supplements containing nutrients are probably just fine, but supplements are not evaluated or approved by FDA before they are sold. Although it is rare for vitamins or minerals to be contaminated with drugs, there has been at least one case of a vitamin containing an anabolic steroid.
At the other extreme are products that contain drugs, stimulants, anabolic steroids, or other hormones. Even though these are not technically dietary supplements, many of them are labeled as supplements. For example, body-building products sometimes contain anabolic steroids or Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators, known as SARMs, or other hormones. Some pre-workout or energy products contain illegal stimulants like DMAA, ephedra, or other amphetamine-like stimulants. Weight loss products might contain prescription drugs like sibutramine, or hormones, like human chorionic gonadotropin, also known as hCG. All natural or herbal sexual enhancement products might contain hormones or Viagra-like drugs. Products like these can harm your health and career, but they’re for sale online, in some nutrition stores, and they’re labeled as dietary supplements.
When you pick up a supplement, especially one that promises performance enhancement, you don’t know if it belongs in the “Mostly O.K.” pile or in the “Dangerous” pile. After all, two products might look the same, but one might contain just amino acids and other legitimate ingredients, while the other also contains anabolic steroids. Because of this, FDA has issued a warning about certain categories of supplements: body building products, weight loss products, and sexual enhancement products. Be extremely careful when considering a supplement in one of these categories. We strongly recommend that you avoid products in these categories.
Even when FDA tests supplements and finds dangerous ingredients, companies sometimes refuse to recall them. Sometimes, they simply repackage their product and continue selling it under a new name. Just because a product is on a store shelf doesn’t mean it is safe. You need to do your research and be an informed consumer. The dietary supplement industry is enormous. Supplements that appear to be safe could actually be dangerous products in disguise. If you use dietary supplements without doing your research, you may be taking serious risks with your health and your career. Please visit USADA’s Supplement 411 for more information about dietary supplements.
