Why children stay involved in the gym program - lessons for parents/ coaches

One of the great benefits of having a run a gym program for children over many years are the observations and lessons learned about them and none is perhaps greater than what I have learned about motivation: why children get and remained involved.

Lesson#1

A majority of children don't choose gym; parents and coaches do.  Children can be very enthusiastic once the idea has been seeded but it's not something that sits in their minds waiting for an opportunity.

What's important to take from this is that, as parents and coaches, we should not reply on a child's comprehension or internal motivation to get them there and keep them going.  Other connections are needed.

Lesson#2

A small number of children connect strongly to gym - their minds or bodies feel good about it - but the majority of children need a social connection.  This is the greatest lesson about extra-curricular exercise: exercise that isn't the main sport, and it applies to many sporting experiences as well.  Social connections are external motivators and they're the single strongest driver in the lives of children.  Social connections are currency that is spent to develop experiences and grow personal meaning and internal connection.  

Deeper, personalised, meaning is the ultimate goal but it takes a lot of time to achieve the connections needed.  It's not a reasonable expectation for many children and, where we can't see the signs of a strong, personal connection to exercise, we have to seed motivation in other ways and that's the role of social connection.

Social connection is the great benefit of joining a gym program through a sports club or team.  The connections are very likely already in place and they are transported with the children.  Another strategy for parents to consider is 'bring a friend'.  At Sport Performance, we're big fans of our kids bringing their mates to class because we know that all it takes is one friend and the likelihood of the child remaining involved is significantly raised.