There are several problems with participation in kid sports. There is a massive declining trend among kids starting or staying active in sports. The news of the town is, technology offers better solutions that could greatly assist in reversing these trends. Firstly, it’s imperative to understand how severe this downward trend has become.
Statistics suggest:
The data presented by the Wall Street Journal has stated the number of kids ages 6-17 playing the most famous and popular sports- baseball, soccer, football, and basketball have faced a decline from 2008 to 2012. Astonishingly, basketball has faced the largest drop-out, losing approximately 8.3 percent of the participants. Baseball and soccer have witnessed a parallel decline of 7.2 percent whereas; football faced the lowest decrease of 5.5 percent. These numbers suggest by statistics are quite worrisome and raise a cause of concern. This is due to the child obesity epidemic and child bullying re few of the contributors.
According to the data from ESPN’s 2013 kids in sports Focus has checked upon the reasons for the drop-out in the list of participants. They concluded that kids believed that sports are not providing them enjoyment and fun. This is highly subjective to decide what fun refers to and interpretation may differ.
If we further go down in the vivid panorama we witness 22 percent boys and 18 percent girls are saying they don’t go along well with their mentors/ coaches. Additionally, communication with teammates is also minimal while 15 percent of both think they are not fit for sports. This has resulted in resentment among players, teammates, and coaches. Under such scenarios, leaving sports is inevitable. This whole situation is heartbreaking and thus, the focus is placed on fun, enjoyment, skills, and development.
Technology resolves this outstanding issue:
This is where adopting technology must step in. nevertheless, the most promising technology application in this context is online video analysis. These analyses can directly be addressed which gives young players a ray of hope in sports. This can help intact the young athlete’s confidence, skills development, enjoyment, or whatever is lagging.
A study that compares the correlation between video analysis and skill development was conducted in Italy. It was done on a group of girls’ volleyball athletes and was divided into two main groups. First, the control group who have no extraordinary treatment, and the other group used video analysis of their techniques without getting any feedback from mentors. The outcome suggested the significance of video analysis training and visual feedback. The second group improved at a faster pace than the first. If a coach is providing instructions and feedback along with the video analysis this will leads to improvement and keen interest will rise among youth players.
Therefore, this technology holds some interesting and endless opportunities for sports. Is, these can bring a radical change in addressing the problems faced by young athletes. Through one-on-one coaching and video analysis technology the players may overcome their struggles. The chances for positive reinforcement, improvements, and skill development are of utmost significance.
Read more: 5 TIPS FOR MOTIVATING YOUNG ATHLETES
Conclusion:
With the aid of video analysis technology, things can reverse from getting worst as it focuses on development which results in young athletes growing and outperform along enjoying the sports. However, it’s incorrect to say that video analysis is the only solution in engaging kids in sports but it certainly has the potential to be an imperative tool. With the assistance of these applications, children can get the attention, care, and reinforcement that are necessary. This will surely enhance the child’s confidence, fun, and athleticism in sports which was completely missing.