It’s all about Grassroots Coaching / Level 2 – Play,The Beginning

This week we will continue making a concise review of each of the levels in The Taxonomy of Competition. This week will unpack Level 2.

Status of Individual Child: The Person – Participating and Playing

Structure of Games/Sports Activities:  Games of Low Organization - Introduction to Basic Skills

People Involved: Family, Friends, Teachers. Relationship with others:  Playing alongside and with others - The Pack - The Team

Competition Status: Minor – “Winners” - No “Losers”

Parental Roles: Encourager - Opportunity to serve as Assistant Coach. 

School and Neighborhood Roles:

Child competes at playing games at higher levels of Game of Low Organization such as Hopscotch, Jump Rope, Musical Chairs, Sharks and Minnows, 500, Marbles, and Jacks. As in Musical Chairs, sometimes there is a winner but little or no mention of losers. Winning and Losing aren’t a big issue. Usually there’s laughter and then “Let’s do it again!” No one gets laughed at or ridiculed. It was fun and let’s move on and have more fun. Competition that specifies both “winners” and “losers” is still  in the future.

Basic Skills:  

This level is a garden of learning and development. Participants are developing physically. They are learning to jump, run, fall, throw, dodge, dart, etc.  Specific skills are being learned in specific sports: dribbling in basketball, teed-up batting in baseball, footwork and no hand touching in soccer, etc.

Social Environment: 

Rules and strategies of the game are now being developed. The Pack (Team) is beginning to appear - social/emotional skills are being learned. Players are learning how to get along with other players on the team. The importance of playing fairly and cooperating with others is beginning to appear. Simple forms of coaching are appearing now, usually beginning in the form of “kiddy PE” at school and with parents at home.

Team sports may now be introduced outside of school in organisations such as Little League. Basic skills are being taught to children by trained coaches.Trophies or rewards are not required or recommended. The reward is skinned knees, a few bruises and smiling faces. 

Being able to joyfully play a fun game or activity with and alongside your buddy or best friend is the best reward in the world. -- Peter J. McGahey