Sports Lessons For Life

Lacking Motivation

March 8th, 2010

Sorry, no try this at home section this week. I couldn’t think of anything good. If I come up with something, I’ll add it to next week’s post.

This week’s post is a request from a friend whose daughter is tired after school and unmotivated to go to practice. Although she doesn’t feel like going, she loves it once she gets there.

My friends daughter may be “just a kid,” but we can all totally relate to how she’s feeling. I can’t even count the number of days that I think I’m going to work out after I put the kids to bed, but instead end up dragging myself to the couch exhausted and way to unmotivated to go into the cold garage and run on the treadmill. There were days like that during my cycling career as well. On the days when I was sore and tired, I could come up with 1,000 different reasons to procrastinate doing my workout. (It always amazed me how urgent cleaning the refrigerator or alphabetizing my DVD’s became, when I was dreading hill repeats.) I always ended up eventually doing my workout, but that doesn’t mean that I always felt like doing it.

My point is that my friend’s daughter is perfectly normal. However, as a parent there are a few things to consider.

Does Your Child Still Like The Activity?

If the answer is yes, then I offer some tips later in the post that may help motivate her. If the answer is no, then it may be time to look into a new activity, or at least take a break for awhile. I’m a firm believer in finishing what you start, so it’s alright to insist she finish out the season, or session. Once she’s completed her obligation let her pick a new activity to try.

Does She Have Too Many Activities?

Kids have long, busy days, and it’s easy for them to feel overloaded and overwhelmed with activities. Just like adults, kids need down time. If your child has an activity every day after school, is feeling overwhelmed and starting to dread the stuff she loves, it may be time to lighten her load.

Or,

Maybe she isn’t too busy, but instead she just needs a few minutes to recharge before her activities. Having a chance to eat a snack and relax for a few minutes might help her feel rejuvenated and ready to practice.

On the flip side, sometimes once I sit down and relax, I find it’s a lot harder to get going again, especially if I’m being pulled away from my favorite television show. If that seems to be the case, it might help to leave the television off. You can always tape her favorite show for her and let her watch it later.

Remind them of their obligation.

In very few situations do our actions just affect us. Remind your child that she signed on for the entire season or session, and that her team and coach are counting on her. Ask her what would happen if all of the kids on the team were tired and decided to skip practice? Ask her, worse yet, what would happen if all the kids showed up, but the coach decided he didn’t feel like it. This is a great opportunity to help your child see the big picture and talk with her about fulfilling her obligations.

The Reward

Your child may say that she loves the games, but doesn’t want to practice. Unfortunately, that’s just not how it works. Explain that the game is the reward, but in order to earn the reward, she has to do the work. Also, she probably wouldn’t like the games as much, or do as well, if she didn’t practice for them. Whether she’s at school, playing sports, or at home doing chores, there is always going to be something that she likes doing the least, but it still has to get done. No one wants to pick up the dog poop, but if you want to experience the joy and companionship of a dog, you’ve got to do it. Likewise, everyone likes sledding down the hill, but you can’t enjoy the fun if you don’t walk up the hill first.

Throughout my ten year cycling career my ultimate goal was the Olympic Games. Ten years is a long time to stay motivated, and there were times that I struggled. However, I knew that I’d have to put in the work if I wanted to make the Olympic team. That is why, no matter how much I procrastinated, I always did my workout. I knew that for every workout I skipped, one of my competitors was doing hers. For me, the reward was so important, that I was willing to do the work no matter how I felt.

Remind your child that she isn’t alone. It’s normal to feel unmotivated sometimes. The real test is whether she’s going to give in to it. If she likes what she’s doing, it’s worth doing all the way.

For more information about me, or my children’s books, please visit www.erinmirabella.com.

Tags: Children's books, commitment, Erin's bio, goals, learning, motivation, obligations, practice, team
Posted in motivation, values and morals | 2 Comments »

Someone Is Always Watching

March 1st, 2010

This At Home……….

Without asking for specifics, as your child to think about a time when they did something that they regretted doing in public. Have them imagine how much worse it would have been, if it were broadcast for the whole world to see. If he wants to share the details that’s fine, but respect his privacy. Ask him how his actions affected him and how he thinks they may have affected others. (Family, friends, coach, etc.)

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Even if you’re not famous, someone is always watching. You never know how your actions, good or bad, will affect those around you. It could be as simple as your child watching how you react to a driver who cuts you off in traffic, or a stranger watching you help another stranger. Help your child understand that their actions have consequences and that one moment of carelessness, in some cases, can have huge repercussions.

With today’s technology, even for the “unknown,’ there really aren’t any private moments in public places. Help your child understand the these days everyone has a camera, because everyone has a cell phone. His behavior, good or bad, is literally just a keystroke away from being in cyber space for everyone to see. If you are famous, or at least temporarily in the spotlight, it is even more crucial for you to think before you act.

I was planning to write about seizing the moment, but I just saw a story on Geraldo At Large, on Fox, about all of the athletes gone wild at the Olympic Village, and felt compelled to blog about it.

Every Olympics there is a news story about all of the condoms shipped to the Olympic Village and a story about some athlete who gets a little too out of control.

This Olympics the spot light is on the American snowboarder, Scotty Lago. After winning the bronze medal, he went out to celebrate in Vancouver. Someone shot a picture of him behaving questionably, and after its release on the internet, he volunteered to leave the Olympic Village, presumably with some pressure from the United States Olympic Committee.

The hot topic seems to be whether or not the Olympic Committee overreacted, but I prefer to focus on the lesson. However, I do feel compelled to say this, when at the Olympics, athletes are representing more than themselves. It’s natural for athletes to want to blow off steam after four years of preparation, and the huge let down that comes when all the pressure is off after competition. However, athletes need to remember that while they are at competitions, they represent more than just themselves. They represent their families, sponsors and their country. So, regardless of whether or not you think what Scotty did is worthy of getting booted from the Olympic Village, you have to take into account how it reflects on the other parties involved. We know how the Olympic Committee reacted, but I can only imagine how his sponsors and family felt. For some celebrities, even bad press is a good thing. For others, like Olympians and Tiger Woods, whose image is built on being wholesome and squeaky clean, it has the potential to be damaging. (I say potential, because sometimes the public is surprisingly forgiving.)

Remind your child that besides having to deal with the consequences of his actions, he also potentially affects others around him, including family, friends, team and school. There is nothing wrong with having some fun, but there is also nothing wrong with keeping it under control and acting responsibly.

For younger children, my book, Shawn Sheep The Soccer Star, is a great way to start a discussion about how a person’s, “or sheep’s” behavior can affect those around him. Please visit www.erinmirabella.com for more information about my children’s books.

Tags: Barnsville Sports Squad, bronze medal, Children's books, fame, integrity, learning, Olympics, photos, Scotty Lago, Shawn Sheep The Soccer Star, Snowboarding, Sports, try this at home
Posted in Role Models, Sportsmanship, values and morals | 3 Comments »

Support Systems

February 22nd, 2010

Try This At Home………………..

Have your child stack blocks on top of each other in a single column tower, until it tumbles over. Help her make a mental note of how high the tower got before it fell down. Use small blocks so they tumble pretty easily. Next, have her build a single column tower, but this time use some blocks to reinforce and support the tower on all sides. Have her note how much taller she can build it before it tumbles. Explain that she is like the single column tower. By herself she can accomplish a lot, but she can accomplish even more when she has a good support system in place to build her up and steady her. Just like with the blocks, she will be able to go even higher and achieve more if she surrounds herself with people who give her honest, unconditional love, support and encouragement.

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Everyone, even introverts, needs a core group of people who they can rely on. Having a support system is a key component to being successful. We can all benefit from surrounding ourselves with people who help us to be our best, whether it is someone to bounce ideas off of, to give an encouraging word, or to be brutally honest with you about a situation. While going it alone may bring some success, often times it limits our potential or can cause us to become stagnant, or worse, out of touch with reality.

Another important reason to surround yourself with a good group of friends and family is because they are the ones who pick you up and hold you when you fall. When things are going well there are always plenty of people who want to rub shoulders with you and be your friend, but as soon as the tower comes tumbling down they disappear into thin air. I always say that it takes a crisis to really figure out who your friends are. It is your family and true friends that are there, win or lose.

In 2004 I placed fourth in the point’s race at the Olympics. Several days later I was awarded the bronze medal after the third place finisher tested positive for a banned substance. Fourteen months later, I found out from a news article that the decision was being overturned. The situation was awkward, confusing and due to the International Olympic Committee’s handling of the situation, it was one of the lowest points in my life. It is at times like those when you find out who has your back. Obviously my friends and family rallied around me, and many members of the United States Olympic Committee were there to support me, but noticeably absent was any support, help, condolences, or even a phone call from USA Cycling. I’m the first to admit that I, and certain key officials at USA Cycling, were not on good terms, but I still expected that my National Governing Body would be there for me. Nope, and there was no point in my career that more clearly defined my theory, that it takes a crisis to find out who’ll be there for you. As a bronze medalist, USA Cycling at least feigned support for me, but as soon as my tower crumbled they were no where to be found.

Besides the friends and family who rallied around me in my time of need, I had one other huge thing in my life to rely on, my faith. And, quite frankly, without my faith I know I couldn’t have handled the situation with nearly as much grace.

Be there for your child unconditionally in what ever sport or activity she chooses. Show her how to be a good family member and friend by setting a good example; be loving, supportive, and honest when you need to be. Without being too pushy, help her see which of her friends are good friends and which are just acquaintances. Encourage her to be there for her family and friends as well.

For more information about my cycling career, the Olympic medal situation, and my children’s books, please visit www.erinmirabella.com.

Posted in Support Systems, values and morals | 3 Comments »

Genetic Testing

February 15th, 2010

This week I’m breaking from my normal routine and focusing on a news story I saw about Atlas Sports Genetics. The Boulder based company does DNA testing on kids to determine their genetic predisposition as an endurance or sprint athlete.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with having your child tested, I just think in 99.9% of the cases the money is best spent elsewhere. The company claims that the information derived from the test will help kids select their ideal sport, and may increase their chances of a college scholarship. While this may be a true, it is also a fantastic marketing scheme that plays on the emotions of loving, well intentioned parents, who want to give their child every advantage. The truth is, you don’t need a fancy test to tell you what your child is predisposed to, all you have to do is watch him.

The Atlas First basic test, priced at $169, tests both copies of the ACTN3 gene for the presence of the R577X variant. It’s been a long time since I’ve studied genetics, but according to their website, if both genes have the R577X variant, then your child is predisposed to endurance events. If only one gene has the variant, your child may do well at both endurance and sprint events, and if neither gene contains the variant your child is predisposed to sprint and power events. In addition to the basic test, they offer the Atlas Pro test for a measly $999, which in addition to the DNA test, includes a vertical and broad jump assessment chart, electronic timer and EPIC Talent Identification Ratings based on your results.

The Atlas Sports Genetics tests don’t tell you exactly what sport your child should play, only the type of sport he may excel at. While I don’t doubt that the results would be accurate and informative, I find them unnecessary. There is a much simpler and free way to determine what your child is predisposed to. All you have to do is enroll your child in a variety of activities, or just watch him play. If he’s a swimmer and excels at the long events, but is not as good at the short events, then he’s probably predisposed to do well at endurance events. If he plays basketball and has a great vertical and can sprint faster than most of his teammates, but lags behind on your family’s 10 mile bike ride, then he is probably predisposed to do well at sprint and power events. If he seems pretty good at both, then he probably can go either way and should try to find a sport that requires both endurance and speed and power.

Encourage your child to try a wide variety of sports and activities that utilize whichever area he is predisposed to. He will find the sport he loves and wants to pursue. If it happens to be a sport that doesn’t fit into the category he’s predisposed to, I wouldn’t worry too much. You can always introduce him to new sports you feel he’d be better at, while he is playing the one he chose. The important thing is that he loves it. Even the most talented kid on the field won’t have any success if he doesn’t want to be there. The reality is that kids, like adults, like to do what they are good at and will naturally gravitate towards sports that suit them. There is certainly nothing wrong with encouraging your child to try something new, just make sure not to take away what he already loves.

I found my strength simply by trying a wide variety of events within cycling. When I was fourteen I set a national record in a 200 meter time trial, a sprint power event. For years I thought I was destined to be a track sprinter. A few years later, I remember doing very well on a long, hilly road ride while at a training camp at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. At the end of the camp they encouraged me to road race and I insisted that I wanted to be a track sprinter. Thankfully, I continued to compete in the endurance events as well, and in 1996 I was invited to move to the Olympic Training Center as part of the endurance track program. I am a combination athlete, I can go either way. What I found was that I excelled at events that combined both endurance and speed and power. While I was a good sprinter, I was not as strong and fast as an elite sprinter. Similarly, while I had good endurance and loved to climb, I did not have the endurance and stamina of an elite endurance rider. I was perfectly suited for events, like the points race, that combined the two.

There is great value in determining what your child’s strengths and weaknesses are, but there is so much more that goes into it. Drive, determination and work ethic often out weigh raw talent.

Atlas Sports Genetics offers additional testing in its Atlas Pro package, the vertical jump, 10 meter dash and Pro agility run. There is no doubt that these are good tests to gauge improvement. However, you and your child can do them, or something similar, at home for much less than $999. While their testing equipment may be fancier and their rating system may give you some insight, I’m not convinced they’re necessary. I don’t think having a rating would really help you or your child. A high rating doesn’t guarantee success, and a low one doesn’t guarantee failure. As your child moves through the levels of his sport: local, state, regional, national, and international, you’ll see each step of the way how he rates.

One of my hesitations about the test is the potential for the information to be used carelessly, either inflating egos unnecessarily, or discouraging kids prematurely and damaging their self confidence. As much as we all want our kids to be great athletes, every child has their own special and unique talents, and not all of them are going to be Elite athletes. I’d hate to see your child hang his worth and potential on a rating, when so much more is involved in being a successful athlete. Throughout my career I was told by a handful of people that I was no good. After finishing fourth at the Olympics I certainly felt vindicated, but some of their wounds left scars.

I think, in this case, the best bet is to skip the fancy expensive testing, and instead, offer your child a lot of different experiences and opportunities. I don’t think Atlas Sports Genetics’ tests are going to make or break your child’s chances of getting a college scholarship; if your child is talented and has work ethic and discipline, his accomplishments will speak for themselves.

Tags: Children's books, Cycling, Erin's bio, Selecting a sport, Sports, strengths, try this at home, weaknesses
Posted in Peak Performance, Selecting a sport, Strengths and Weaknesses | 1 Comment »

Taper- Resting Before A Competition For Peak Performance.

February 8th, 2010

Try This At Home………………………

Have your child hold her hands straight out to the side at shoulder height, like an airplane, for 30 seconds. Depending on her age and ability you may need to make some adjustments by either decreasing or increasing the time or having her hold a water bottle in each hand for extra weight. You want her to feel a little fatigue at the end of the 30 seconds, but most importantly, be successful in completing the task. Afterward, tell her that this exercise is meant to show her what she can accomplish when she has allowed her body to rest before a performance.

Next, have her hold her arms out first for 15 seconds, then 20 seconds and finally 25 seconds with a minute rest in-between. After another minute or two of rest, have her hold her arms out for 30 seconds again, like she did in the first exercise. Have her compare how she felt during the first 30 second exercise to the second time she did it. Explain to her that not allowing her body to rest and recover before a big competition can cause a less than optimal performance, just as it did in the second exercise.

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Resting before a big competition or game is generally called a taper. It is an extremely important part of achieving peak performance. A complete taper is only done before the most important competitions. A mini taper can be done before other competitions, but for some competitions your child may choose not to taper at all. Your child needs to know what her ultimate goal is and understand that in order to be as prepared as possible, she may need to sacrifice by training through less important competitions. In order to improve, she needs to increase her work load and intensity; if she is always tapering for relatively unimportant events, she won’t maximize her gains.

I found that racing unimportant races in a tired state was a great way to raise my game. I am extremely competitive, so I always pushed myself harder in a race than I ever could train by myself, even when I was exhausted.

A mini taper generally ranges from a few days to a week. During my career, my main goal each year was either the World Championships or the Olympics. Therefore, before World Cups and important National selection races I only did a mini taper. All of the coaches I worked with during my cycling career worked backward from my competition when they developed my taper.

The day before my competition I did what we called,”openers”. Openers were about half of a normal workout and focused on the heart rate zones and intensity I’d be using most in my race. The purpose was to wake my body up and make sure it was ready to work hard again after several days of rest.
Two days before my race I would go for an easy hour ride.
Three days before my competition I would generally do an easy hour ride as well, but sometimes I would take completely off.
Four and five days out I’d do a normal workout, but I would control myself and wouldn’t over do it. If I did a second workout either day, it consisted of an easy half hour to hour ride.
Six days out I’d generally ride for an easy hour or two.

A big taper can begin anywhere from a week to two weeks out from the competition. It follows the same structure as a mini taper, but is less dramatic further from the competition. In my regular training I generally trained three to four days in a row before taking an easy day. Often I did two workouts a day. For a big taper, two weeks out I’d decrease to one intense workout a day, and if there was a second workout it would just be an easy ride. I’d also decrease the number of intense days between rest days, so instead of going three days before a rest day, I’d do two days or sometimes even one.

It is easy to think that more is better and that last minute cramming will pay off, but in general you child is better off going into her competition rested. That is a true statement for sports as well as other activities and academics.

Every athlete and every sport is different, but the principle is the same; peak performances come from rested athletes. Decreasing her work load is the most import part of a taper, but making sure she is getting proper sleep and nutrition is also important. She should know, that just because she has a rest day doesn’t mean she can go play Ultimate Frisbee with her friends, or spend hours on her feet shopping. She truly needs to rest if she wants to perform at her best.

For more information on myself or my children’s books please visit www.erinmirabella.com

Tags: Children's books, Erin's bio, goals, Health, learning, motivation, Olympics, pre-competition, Prioritization, rest, routine, Sports, taper, try this at home
Posted in Peak Performance, Pre-competition routine | 1 Comment »

Goal accomplished! What’s next?

February 1st, 2010

Try This At Home…………………….

If you haven’t already, have your child do the exercises at the beginning of the first and second goal setting posts. Next have child write out a plan for after he’s accomplished his goal. How does he want to celebrate? How long of a break does he want to take? What is his next step or goal to focus on?

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After spending time, energy, resources and pinning hopes and dreams on achieving a goal, there is often a void and let down after the goal has been accomplished and the attention and accolades have stopped. The honest truth is that success and the attention that goes with it are addicting. Just like any addiction, you can only ride the high for so long.

There are a few things you can do to ease the feelings your child may feel after he has accomplished his goal.

1. Explain that what he is feeling is normal. You may even choose to prepare him ahead of time that it may be coming. Just knowing why he feels the way he does might help.

2. Keep him busy. It’s okay to allow for a day or two of down time, but then get him back into his routine.

3. Don’t forget to celebrate his accomplishment. Let him enjoy the attention, but don’t let it go to his head. If you stay humble, he’s more likely too.

4. Teach him to achieve for himself, not for attention from other people.

5. Most importantly, have him set another goal. Knowing what is next will give him a purpose again and something new to focus on.

Make sure he takes care of himself. Despite the potential lack of sleep and poor diet that may go along with the celebration, it’s important he stays healthy. I got sick every year after the World Championships. After a whole year of planning and preparing for it, my body just seemed to let go once it was over. As soon as I had relaxed and my guard was down, bam, I’d get sick. Help your child safe guard against this.

The downer isn’t any fun, but it is just a fact of life. The harsh reality is, to many people you are only as good as your last accomplishment and, sooner than later, the accomplishment is old news. It’s not a fun reality, but learning to cope with it now will make it easier on your child later in life.

For more information on myself and my children’s books, please visit www.erinmirabella.com

Tags: Children's books, depression, doing their best, Goal Setting, goals, self confidence
Posted in Goal Setting | 1 Comment »

Goal Setting, Part 2

January 25th, 2010

Try This At Home……………..

Next time your child fails at achieving her goal, have her make a list of everything that she did well and a list of all the things that did not go well. Then have her analyze the second list and come up with ways to fix or improve upon them. Once those things are fixed, have her try again.

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We’ve all failed to accomplish a goal at one time or another. It’s normal to feel lousy when it happens, but the more productive response would be to figure out why it happened. Cavett Robert said, “Life is a grindstone, and whether it grinds you down or polishes you up, is for you and you alone to decide.” You can let your failures control and define you, or you can learn from them and use them to your advantage. The choice is yours.

Fear of failure was the thing that I struggled most with during my cycling career. I was so afraid of not being perfect that I would agonize over the possibility of failure. Like everything in life, the thing that you dwell on is what comes to be, and left unchecked my fear became a self fulfilling prophesy. Fear of failure is a separate post all to itself, but I mention it because in learning to deal with my fear, I learned an important lesson about failure…….While failure is unpleasant, it doesn’t make you a failure and it isn’t the end of the world. It’s simply a step toward becoming successful. You won’t find a successful person out there who hasn’t failed a few times in the process.

We all want to protect our kids and hate to see them fail, but as I’ve said over and over again in my blog posts, your child will learn far more from failing than they will from success. Sure, failure isn’t any fun, but it can teach a valuable lesson.

Reasons Why We Fail

We Went About It Wrong

Most likely the reason your child failed is because she went about it the wrong way. This is the most valuable lesson in failing. If she can realize where she went wrong and fix it, then the next time she’ll be successful. Help her analyze the situation and figure how she can improve.

Lack of Motivation/ Follow Through

If your child seems unmotivated to do what is necessary to accomplish her goal, then it might be time for her to access if the goal is still important to her. Sometimes priorities change. My husband quit his wrestling career in the middle of a tournament. In the middle of a match, he decided it just wasn’t fun anymore.

The other option may be that she just doesn’t want to put in the work. She wants the reward that comes with accomplishing her goal, but she isn’t willing to do what it takes to get there. In the end if she fails at her goal because of her work ethic then she’ll learn an important life lesson. Letting her learn this lesson the hard way, while she is young, is the best gift you can give her.

Lack of focus

Your child may fail to accomplish her goals, because she isn’t focused enough at the task at hand. She needs to choose which goal is most important and give that the most attention. She may not know how to focus. Focusing is a learned thing and is something that is crucial to success in all aspects of life. Check out my previous prioritization blog for tips on teaching your child to prioritize and stay tuned in a few weeks for my post on the art of focusing.

Unrealistic Expectations

Your child’s goals may be unrealistic. If she fails to meet her goal it’s a great opportunity for her to be completely honest about why it happened. She may have inadvertently set herself up for failure by setting an unrealistic goal. Help her learn to set realistic goals. This doesn’t mean that she can’t dream big, it just means she has to be realistic about things like her timetable, talents, abilities, etc. Some goals take a long time to reach, and some people are better suited at achieving some goals than others.

If she has failed to reach her goal the first thing she should look at is her timetable. Maybe her goal would be more achievable if she gave herself more time. She may also need to add in some additional sub-goals. Maybe her plan is missing a few steps.

The harder thing for her to do will be to access her abilities. She may find her talents lend themselves better to a new and different goal. She may find she has more to lose by continuing her pursuit than she does by throwing in the towel. The choice is never an easy one, but this too is an important lesson to learn.

Part of learning to set goals, is learning what to do when it doesn’t work out. It is an important skill set for your child to develop. Learning from their failure will make them successful.

For more information on myself or my children’s books please visit www.erinmirabella.com My book, Gracie Goat’s Big Bike Race, is an excellent way to talk about overcoming fears with your child.

Tags: Children's books, Confidence, doing their best, Erin's bio, honesty, learning, motivation, Overcoming fears, practice, Prioritization, strengths, try this at home, weaknesses, winning
Posted in Goal Setting, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Setting Goals

January 18th, 2010

Try This At Home……………………..

Using the steps below, have your child set a goal that he can accomplish in the next month or two. (or less)

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Did you set a new years resolution this year? Did your kids?

This post may have been more appropriate as the first one of the New Year, but hopefully it’s still relevant because you are sticking to your resolution. If you didn’t make a resolution, or you’ve already given up on your resolution, don’t lose heart, this is the perfect time to get back on track.

A New Years resolution is just a fancy way to say you’re setting a goal for yourself. Occasionally you’ll hear someone say they aren’t a goal oriented person, or they don’t really know how to set goals, but most likely these people are setting goals everyday. Every time they make a to-do list, a honey do list, or leave the house expecting to arrive at a destination at a particular time, they’ve set a goal. They just may not realize it.

Your kids do the same thing. They may not know the word goal, but they set goals for themselves all the time. They may want to ride a bike like their big brother, own a certain toy or score a goal in their next soccer game. When my son Micah was about a year and a half old, he wanted to jump so badly. He would bend his knees, crouch way down and throw himself upward, but his cute, little, flat feet never left the ground. Finally, with enough practice, he got some air. I tell you this, because if a one year old can set a goal and find a way to accomplish it, anyone can.

It’s never too early to teach your child about setting goals. Having goals will help him to be successful, give him a purpose, help him learn to manage his time and resources, and give him a sense of accomplishment.

I’ve found that often people are good at setting goals; they just have no idea what to do after that. Here are some basic things you can teach your child about achieving his goals.

Make a Goal

If your child doesn’t already have a goal, have him come up with one. Like I said, he probably already has a goal; he just may not have defined it as such. Have him write his goal down. Explain the importance sharing his goal with another person, because they can help with accountability and problem solving.

Break It Down

Next, ask him how he thinks he can go about reaching his goal. Let him come up with some ideas. Some goals are simple, like I need to get a load of laundry done today. The only thing you have to decide in order to accomplish that, is when specifically you’re going to do it. Other goals are more complex, like making an Olympic Team. Goals like that are so lofty, that they need to be broken down into mini sub-goals. The sub-goals work like stair steps. Each time you accomplish a sub-goal you move one step closer to the big one. I think most people fall short of their goals, because they fail at this step.

Here is an example.

Set a goal.

Running a mile in ten minutes.

2. Break it up into mini-goals.

Buy running shoes
Find a place to run and measure off a mile using the car odometer. (Find land marks at the quarter mile markers as well.)
Run a quarter mile
Run a half mile
Run three quarters of a mile
Run 1 mile
Time yourself while you run 1 mile.
Run a mile is less than twelve minutes.
Run a mile is less than eleven minutes.
Run a mile in less than ten minutes.

Set A Deadline

On a calendar, have him write his final goal on a specific date and highlight it. That is his deadline. Then, have him work backward and figure out when each sub goal needs to be accomplished in order to accomplish his final goal by the deadline. Have him identify the deadline for each sub goal on the calendar as well.

Developing a Plan

Now that he has a goal, and sub goals, he will need to decide what needs to happen in order to accomplish his first sub goal. Maybe he needs to put some other activities on hold so he has more time to devote to his goal. He may need to do some research, get more sleep, or set a specific time each day he will practice. Have him write his plan down.

What You Can Do

Be interested. Ask him how his plan is going and help him trouble shoot.

Celebrate

Don’t forget to celebrate the milestones. It is easy to be so focused on the final goal that the accomplishment of each mini goal is over looked. Make sure to give him a hug, tell him he’s doing a great job and how impressed you are with his persistence and discipline. There doesn’t have to be a reward for each mini goal. The sense of accomplishment should be reward enough, especially if the end goal is one he really wants to reach.

Stay tuned next week for part two of goal setting. For more information on myself or my children’s books, Gracie Goat’s Big Bike Race and Shawn Sheep The Soccer Star, please visit www.erinmirabella.com

Tags: accountability, Confidence, doing their best, goals, learning, motivation, practice, self confidence, setting goals, try this at home
Posted in Goal Setting | 1 Comment »

Warming Up

January 11th, 2010

I apologize again for not having a post for you last week. Thanks for checking back.

Try This At Home…………………..

Take a frozen French toast stick and snap it in half. Tell your child that when she hasn’t warmed up before exercise, her muscles are cold, inflexible and less capable of working hard. Explain that exercising without warming up first, can cause injuries to muscles and tendons. Next, heat up a French toast stick in the microwave and show her that afterward it is supple and bends easily. Explain that just like the French toast stick, her muscles aren’t ready until they are warmed up. After a warm up, her muscles are lose, warm and ready to work hard. Note that a warm and bendy French toast stick doesn’t break, just like her muscles are less likely to be injured when they are warm.

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Warming up is key to an optimum performance. If I jumped into a race or intense workout without warming up, my body revolted. I was miserable; I felt stiff, sluggish, extra sore and unresponsive. Plus, I was putting myself at a much higher risk of an injury. If you skip a workout you run the risk of being unprepared for an opportunity early on in your competition.

Everyone’s ideal warm up is a little different, but the concept is the same. A warm up is an easy exercise, like walking, jogging or jumping jacks, which increases blood flow to your muscles and slowly elevates your heart rate.

I personally found that I needed less of a warm up than some of my teammates. If I warmed up too much, then I was tired for my race. When I first moved to the Olympic Training Center they helped me develop a warm up program. I had always warmed up, but with their guidance I started using heart rate, and eventually wattage output, as a guide. Fundamentally there wasn’t anything wrong with the warm up I had been doing, it actually wasn’t much different from my new and improved one, but my new one was more specific and routine.

At first, the warm up they prescribed was too much for me. The first time I tried it in its entirety was at my first World Cup in Italy. I followed my warm up as prescribed and I got to the start line feeling shaky. I still had a great ride, but I couldn’t help but wonder if I left some of it in warm up. Maybe it would have been an even better ride. My husband Chris helped me tone it down to a warm up that worked best for me. He pointed out that before my workouts; my warm up was much more concise. Generally my first effort of each workout was my best, so obviously a shorter warm up was enough.

Below is the warm up I did before races. I would ride easy for ten to fifteen minutes, depending on how I was feeling. Then I would ramp up from about 50-60% of my max heart rate to 70%. I’d hold it there for about three to five minutes and then I would increase it to 75-80% for another three or four minutes. Lastly, I ramp it up to about 90% for about thirty seconds to a minute. After that I would back off and ride easy for another five minutes or so until my heart rate had come back down. I’d get off the bike and stretch for a few minutes. Then I’d put my race gear on my bike and depending on my event that day, I’d do either several ten second sprints or one and a half kilometers at race pace. The first sprint usually felt pretty lousy but the second one was always much better. Afterward I would stay warm by riding easy for several minutes, off and on, until it was time to race. I liked to end my warm up about ten to fifteen minutes before my race. That allowed me time to get race gear on, use the bathroom, etc. More time wasn’t a bad thing as long as I could keep myself warm by riding easy.

Here are some additional things to consider.

In cold weather it is much harder to get warmed up and to stay warm.

In very hot weather you may have to warm up less and need to make sure you stay hydrated.

You need to be somewhat flexible. Murphy ’s Law says that if something can go wrong it will, so you have to expect that at least occasionally something is going to happen to throw a wrench in your plans. Your goal should be to get the perfect warm up before a competition, but prepare yourself to have to improvise.

Help your child develop good warm up habits at a young age. Set a good example, and help her develop a routine that works for her.

For more information about myself or my children’s books, please visit www.erinmirabella.com

Tags: Children's books, Cycling, Erin's bio, injuries, practice, pre-competition, try this at home, warming up
Posted in Pre-competition routine | 1 Comment »

One more week delay

January 6th, 2010

I apologize for the inconvenience, but due to a family illness the new blog has to be postponed for one more week. I will have a new post up on January 11th.

Thanks for stopping by the sight.

Erin

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »