Kids & Sports: The Birth date Advantage
Parents often think about athletics and the academic year. A 5-year-old with an August birthday could spend a year in preschool and end up being almost a year older than his classmates when he reaches kindergarten. Is older always better, brighter and more athletically inclined? Peter Arch, owner of Challenger Sports of Overland Park, recalls a book called Outliers which he says "explains how children who start school and sports participation at an older age than their classmates have an advantage simply because of when their birth date falls." Yet he disagrees personally. Some other locals weigh in.
Some believe that grouping children only by age does not eliminate the intimidation posed by playing with other children who may be more athletically inclined. “Ability definitely depends on the child and their skill level,” observes McKinley Pemberton, program director at Pinnacle Gymnastics of Shawnee. She chooses to group children by age and skill level and encourages developmentally appropriate tasks. “At six months, kids do summersaults, jumping, crawling, climbing and swinging,” shares Pemberton. This physical activity occurs in Parent Tot class with the supervision of the mother and instructor. Simple stretching and fun games are meant to promote healthy development in young children. Children may not always sense competition if all team members are supported equally by the coach and parents.
It can be beneficial for a 5-year-old to play against a 6-year-old. “Human beings have been engaged in competition since the beginning of time. Scientific evidence and common sense show that children benefit greatly from competition,” says Dr. Gary Seabaugh, child psychologist of Plaza Academy of Kansas City. He goes on to describe youth in sports in comparison to children with other interests. “Kids who play sports are robust and have meaningful lives. They are less likely to get pregnant, use drugs and cigarettes and have contact with police,” Seabaugh claims. He explains children with other interests are more likely to experience depression and social withdrawal.
Locally, the birth date issue sparks much conversation. “We have a good situation here. Whatever age you are on or before April 30 is how you are placed,” explains Dave Murphy, Olathe Youth Baseball coach. “If we have a boy that is 10 years old before April 30, he is playing in a league with all 10-ten-year-old boys born before April 30.” At first glance, this may seem fair but there are additional factors to consider. “Levels of ability could be anything. Things do not work out perfect for everyone. Some will have a negative experience and others will have a positive experience,” Murphy notes. All things considered, Murphy feels strongly that age is the best way to classify young athletes.
Roxana Hawkins, clinical psychologist of Independence Counseling Center, makes a case for the cutoff. “It would seem to me that the younger child possibly would not have the skills that the older child would have in competition and perhaps be feeling inadequate,” she says. This is a common sentiment.
“Children need to be matched according to age and size,” Helen Weiser, psychologist of Midtown Psychological Services of Kansas City, says. She is convinced that every boy should experience playing a sport he loves because of the personal gains. “It is really important for boys to get involved in sports because it burns off their excess energy and they learn how to cooperate. It helps self-esteem too,” Weiser adds. For girls, Weiser does not view sports as a necessity to healthy growth and development.
If you are considering holding your child back a grade to boost the odds of his athletic success, you might find it more effective to identify things you can actively do to foster his success. “You have the whole nature-nurture question. Is it what the child is born with or what is brought out of him? I consider it a combination of both,” Arch insists “The child needs to be born with a certain amount of physical attributes. It is a matter of putting your child in the right environment for those attributes to develop.” Making sure your athlete has a positive role model both on and off the playing field is important, too. “It really comes down to four different areas that contribute towards a child’s performance: technical, tactical, physical and psychological. It comes from having the right coaching and being given enough opportunities,” Arch adds. Fortunately, our community has plenty of options so your child can find a sport that is right for him.
Coaches have observed youth athletic superstars who do not have the will to continue into their teens. They have also seen late starters in sports who turn out to hold lead positions on the high school sports team or even go on to be professional players. One reason for the success of some late starters may be that their parents understand their role. “Their role is to be a parent first and not a coach or a critic,” says Arch. Trying not to shout instructions or criticisms regarding your child’s performance can make a huge difference. This also applies to the car ride home after the game.
More than birth date, a child’s response to a sports environment and situation may influence success. “It depends very much on how the individual child feels going into a sport. My daughter Olivia had to learn that there would be younger kids and older kids who were more advanced, but she loved the sport and she was determined and had that feeling of I can do this,” shares Caroline Gibbs, counselor at Dietchman, Leavell & Associates of Kansas City. Now a teen, her daughter is preparing to go to Meredith Manor, an equine college, to follow her dream. Gibbs attributes her daughter’s success to the family’s commitment to focusing on the positive. “I became an advocate of the strength theory. It is wonderful because it only focuses on the positive. We always said ‘wonderful job’ and ‘you are going to be a wonderful rider,’” Gibbs says. Praise can go a long way.
If you have more than one child, your older child may have more experience playing sports and be more athletically inclined. Respect both children for who they are. “Do not push and never put them down. It is important to be there for your child,” Gibbs reminds. Remember that when you play sports as a family and have a great time, there is no cutoff.
© 2009 Jamie Lober