One of my projects that I care about very much, is my team of BJJ kids. We started this class about four years ago, and in the beginning it was very much a "play and have fun" thing. There was no real goal with the training and we went to one tournament and lost all our fights big. Along the years, this has really changed, and the last year or so, the team has seriously taken off, both training- and ambitionwise. When we started, we had a small group of 7-10 year olds. It was pretty difficult to have them to any "serious" training. They grew older and we changed the age limit of the class to 11-15. Also, I have made set some very specific competition goals for the team and made it clear to anyone who wanted to join, that we train for competing and we expect them to be serious about it. Ofcourse, the training is still fun for the kids and the vibe of the team is most important. Also, noone is ever forced to compete if they don't feel like it.
Obviously, a team like this will naturally limit the number of kids who feel like participating, and I think that is a good thing. I would rather have 10 dedicated students than 40 non-dedicated that are going nowhere. At this moment, we have about 15 very dedicated kids, who train and compete together as a team. It is extremely satisfying to see how they do in competition now compared to how they did four years ago.
Also, I have learned a lot as a coach and teacher from the process. Teaching and coaching kids is really a very different thing than with adults, but I think I have settled on a good formula now and I am very confident that we can make it very far, as long as they feel like going on.
This weekend we went to a competition in Sweden (approx. 70 participants) and did really well. I put together a small highlight video, hope you enjoy it.
Watch out for us at the 2013 Europeans!! ;)
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3 comments:
Congratulations on the success of your kids team. I have mixed views of children doing martial arts - there are far too many Mcdojos who only in it for the money - and desperate parents who will pay lots and lots of money - but for some reason, the BJJ schools who teach kids, do it for the love of the sport and the kids love it and it is not about money.
For this I applaud any instructor who has a good kids program. Well done again let's hope BJJ escapes the BS that plague other MA kids schools.
Congratulations! Got some real talents there! Hope to see them at the europeans 2013 =)
I used to think you couldn't teach kids 'complicated, technical martial arts'. Then started to think ... golf isn't technical? Tennis isn't technical? And do any champions ever start out old? Nope.
Well done for taking the jump and investing in the future of the BJJ the art, the sport and lifechaning activity.
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