How to get kids/youngsters to listen?

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Hello! I have been a coach parttime for over 10 years now to kids and younger players. Nowdays, i am a coach two Days a week for Three Groups. The first two, which are the youngest are listening good, but the last one, which is the best/oldest Group are not as good as the first two.

I proably did not listen very good me neither in that age but i say alot of good stuff so if they just listen they would become better players for sure.
I find having meetings Before exercises where i can explain stuff helps, it is harder to get them to listem if i just scream it out. I also Think that they like me so it is not that.

So coaches and players out there! how to get kids to listen more? :)

Thanks!
 
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Keep it short and simple. No lectures. Show don't just say.
Okay, maybe talk to much but i only want them to learn as much as possible and really understand what is happening. Will try to keep it shorter. We already show a lot, they do a lot of shadow play and try to copy us coaches.

Btw, something other. Have trouble using my keyboard typing here. is it just me?

Thanks for the tips. Really appreciate it :)
 
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I recently attended a three day coaching session, and one thing that struck me was how difficult it was to keep in mind the moves for two drills at a time. The coaches would spend several minutes going over the first drill, and then go over the second. Memory is fickle thing. By the time we came to do the drill, most people had forgotten the first one.

Short term memory works in blocks of seven. (1 semester of psychology, so take with pinch of salt). So most people struggle to remember more than 7 things for a short period, as new things come in and push the older ones back. So, short and sweet is the key to getting people to remember stuff initially. Medium and long term memory comes with repetition and more repetition. If you want them to concentrate on placing a sequence of ball, a little diagram as a supplement is useful.

But, by and large, kids think they know everything, so that's also a problem.
 
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I recently attended a three day coaching session, and one thing that struck me was how difficult it was to keep in mind the moves for two drills at a time. The coaches would spend several minutes going over the first drill, and then go over the second. Memory is fickle thing. By the time we came to do the drill, most people had forgotten the first one.

Short term memory works in blocks of seven. (1 semester of psychology, so take with pinch of salt). So most people struggle to remember more than 7 things for a short period, as new things come in and push the older ones back. So, short and sweet is the key to getting people to remember stuff initially. Medium and long term memory comes with repetition and more repetition. If you want them to concentrate on placing a sequence of ball, a little diagram as a supplement is useful.

But, by and large, kids think they know everything, so that's also a problem.

Okay, we Always explain one execise at a time. I also like to name the exercices so they know them and then we can just say the name. Okay, seven things! Will try to keep it shorter.

how many kids is in a group?
It is different from time to time. Maybe 8-14 tables.
 
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Keep it short and simple. No lectures. Show don't just say.

I second that! Kids tend to get bored really fast if you keep on explaining, let them figure it out by themselves and stop the exercise after some time to give pointers and let the exchange about their experiences.
 
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Okay, keep it simple and short! I dont know If they have the knowledge to figure it out. But Maybe it is smart to let them share there experiences after
 
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"Keep it short and simple" is an excellent tip someone mentioned already.
Furthermore, you have to be predictable and strong-willed. If you say "everybody meet at the corner" you want EVERYBODY to go there. No exceptions. If you say "everybody be quiet please" you wait until the last kid is quiet and don't start to talk until then. Usually this works pretty fast and the kids get used to it.

Another thing is that you should only use the kids' playing time for theory lessons if you have something really valuable to say. If it is not important, let them play instead. If it is important, point out how the kids will improve by listening to you right now. The best thing is to practise that tip immediately after you have told them about it.
 
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How bout let them all feed multiball at once to each other.

Then we need to by more balls and i do not Think they will do it any good and seriously.But we really need to do more multiballs to make the techniqe better. I will look up the option to buy more balls.


Disconnect the internet signal. :D

The children I have seen mostly are motivated themselves and do not really require external motivation. These are young warriors.

I see some who goof off and don't get much done, these are kids who do not listen at home.

Haha :) Good kids!! Some have motivation but i feel i eed to work hard to get them to listen and fight.

"Keep it short and simple" is an excellent tip someone mentioned already.
Furthermore, you have to be predictable and strong-willed. If you say "everybody meet at the corner" you want EVERYBODY to go there. No exceptions. If you say "everybody be quiet please" you wait until the last kid is quiet and don't start to talk until then. Usually this works pretty fast and the kids get used to it.

Another thing is that you should only use the kids' playing time for theory lessons if you have something really valuable to say. If it is not important, let them play instead. If it is important, point out how the kids will improve by listening to you right now. The best thing is to practise that tip immediately after you have told them about it.

Yes! Maybe i am to nice sometimes. Will try to be more strongwilled. I agree, the playing time is important. Everything i say i wanted someone to tell me in their age so i Think it is good stuff :) Yes, we Always practice it immediately afterwards.

Thanks for all the help!
 
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sounds like you have way too many kids at 1 time (8 to 14 tables is 16 to 28 kids?)

in Asia, they line the kids up in two rows and they must stand "military style" and listen
In west, you will get lawyers letter very quickly.

you can try sit the kids down in a circle
an example is a training camp I ran with the Namibian junior team: https://scontent.fcpt7-1.fna.fbcdn....=8ebfcad6984f505569e4ed4ba07ed125&oe=5C7862D9

https://scontent.fcpt7-1.fna.fbcdn....=84f8788e37cca590f2d0c9e228e8ed51&oe=5C7B1A44
 
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In west, you will get lawyers letter very quickly.

I think that this depends on the culture of the sport & club. My daughter has been active in athletics and gymnastics for about 6 years (she's 12 now). Anyone not listening or goofing around are simply sent out of the sports hall. Some parents argue initially but either settle in or leave. She got a real shock when she tried out basketball and the other girls were doing all sorts of things while the coach was trying to explain the drill.

I do however quite often watch the juniors practice before us veterans in my club and the discipline is fantastic but that is kids in their mid to upper teens (quite a few Swedish youth champs) so I guess that you can build such an environment within TT as well in "the west".
 
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sounds like you have way too many kids at 1 time (8 to 14 tables is 16 to 28 kids?)

in Asia, they line the kids up in two rows and they must stand "military style" and listen
In west, you will get lawyers letter very quickly.

you can try sit the kids down in a circle
an example is a training camp I ran with the Namibian junior team: https://scontent.fcpt7-1.fna.fbcdn....=8ebfcad6984f505569e4ed4ba07ed125&oe=5C7862D9

https://scontent.fcpt7-1.fna.fbcdn....=84f8788e37cca590f2d0c9e228e8ed51&oe=5C7B1A44

Triple Haha.

You would likely get a call to police to bring a SWAT squad, a lot of handcuff, and maybe bullets. Of course the ACLU and sister orgs would get involved, as well as county social services to remove the kids from sport and parents. The Migrant Caravan Lawyers would jump on the Bandwagon, CNN would pounce on the news, and Mueller would jump off the Brooklyn Bridge with half the Lawyers of New York.

Well, it is worth hoping for the last one.
 
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A LOT of kids' problems is from WAY TOO MUCH added sugar. Those levels of sugar drive kids insane quirky cant keep still. Our store bought foods are totally lacking many basic nutrients as well, as if any kids eat home cooked meals in the first place. many are fed fast food poison out of convenience, mostly because parent is too lazy to cook real food, or working three jobs to afford the fast food poison.

Poor nutrition and too much sugar have huge effects, it is a mis-understood and under-discussed topic.
 
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There isn't a lot of added sugar or nutritional imbalances in traditional EASTERN fare, mostly whole veggies and whole ingredients - fermented veggies, whole veggies and not much over of anything. Modern WESTERN style times are creeping in and the instant era with the added oils, sugars and other baddies are increasing.

Still, it isn't even 1/2 of what it is in established west.

We could go over the parenting values, style, and culture too. Those have an impact.

We could go over what is acceptable correction actions, they have changed over time. (for the worse mostly, some for better) (Decades ago, parents corrected out of love with even head stern with no argument against them, todays' parents correct out of anger and rage - kids can tell)
 
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True on the sugar
but it is also what the parent supports more.
I still remember a scene (and even a fellow South African national player who went on a separate trip saw something similar)

A coach scolded a young kid and send the kid to the corner.
The parent saw it and went to scolded a 2nd round to the same kid for making the coach scold at him/her.

In the east, there are still some grounds where coach/teachers is always right, but slowly the influence of the west is making more lawyers letters and these coaches/teachers are slowly and surely taking a step back and "don't get into" unnecessary trouble

I think tutors of todays are so much more difficult than when I actively started coaching near 10 years back
 
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