On Wednesday, May 5th, I had the pleasure of attending the school’s pep rally in preparation for the big event. With over 400 students, I led the staff and children through twenty minutes of fun activities and exercise. It was an awesome morning and one that I was very proud to take part in.

The Stride For Life 2010 event was held on Saturday, May 15th at Island Lake Conservation Area in Orangeville. Below is a video highlighting the day’s events. Many thanks to Alex Brackett and the Parent Council for organizing such an awesome event. On behalf of the students and parents of Island Lake Public School, I thank you for all your efforts and long hours in putting on such a fine event.

It only takes a 1 to 2 % decrease in bodyweight from exercise induced sweating to negatively affect performance. I’m not just speaking about physical performance, but mental performance as well; both of which are needed for a young athlete to be at their best the from the time the game starts to the time the game ends. Performance aside, safety should always be the number one priority, as it doesn’t take much for children to suffer cramping and other heat induced illnesses. 

Water is recommended as the primary source of fluid for young athletes. Fluids such as sports drinks, soda, and other sweetened drinks like fruit juices, contain a lot of energy, but very little in the way of nutrients. Low fat milk is also a good option second to water.  

Water is the Best Choice for Keeping Young Athletes Hydrated

Although there are guidelines as to how much water a young athlete should drink on a daily basis (2.4 litres  a day for children age 9-13, which is the equivalent of 5 small bottles of water) asking a young athlete to measure out how much water he’s drinking on a daily basis is not the most practical. Sure, he may be able to do it for a few days, but it soon becomes a chore and the practice stops. 

One of the easiest and simplest ways to measure hydration levels in a young athlete is by looking at urine colour. It’s a fairly simple yet accurate way for a young athlete to check his hydration levels. Urine that is clear or very pale yellow (think pale lemonade) indicates good hydration levels. Darker coloured urine (think apple juice) is a sure sign that more fluids are required. 

Pale Lemonade and Apple Juice

In addition to checking urine colour, a young athlete should never allow themselves to become thirsty. The body’s thirst mechanism isn’t the greatest and by the time they realize they’re thirsty, the dehydration process has already started. When this occurs during a game, they will not be able to increase their hydration level and the idea of “catching up” is nearly impossible. Their performance, both physical and mental will suffer, not to mention the chance of suffering a heat induced illness. 

Since it’s not always possible to check urine colour, especially during a game, it’s important to be aware of some other warning signs of dehydration: 

• Flushed skin
• Fatigue
• Light-headedness
• Loss of appetite
• Headache 

By adopting the following daily habits, your young athlete will have no problem maintaining healthy hydration levels: 

1. Drink water regularly throughout the day

2. Avoid or eliminate sugary drinks

3. Check urine colour each time they go to the bathroom

4. Never let themselves become thirsty. 

Once young athletes establish these daily practices as habits, they will give themselves every opportunity to perform at their best, both on and off the field.

If you have any questions, please let me know. I’m here to help your child become the best they can be at school, in sport and in life. 

Thank you 

David

Local youth fitness professional David Kittner, of Athletic Foundations,  recently announced the launch of True Youth Sports Brampton Fit Camp, Brampton’s first fitness camp designed exclusively to meet the needs of kids and to help them foster a lifelong love of physical activity and healthy living.

David Kittner said “Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions with factors such as fast food, computers, TV, video games, etc. all contributing to the problem. Over 50% of our children are overweight and almost 20% are obese.

We’re elated to begin offering the True Youth Sports Brampton Fit Camp program to help combat this problem and to introduce kids, ages 8-13, to a healthy fitness lifestyle in a safe, fun, and non-intimidating format.”

Kittner says that providing youth fitness programming is a natural extension of their commitment to the community. “We’ve always been committed to offering quality programs and services to our community, so offering this much needed program was a no-brainer. It’s sad to see how many unhealthy kids there are out there. The vast majority of kids today have sedentary lifestyles even if they’re participating in organized sports activities. Our programs are designed with safety and fun in mind; if it’s not fun, kids are not going to stick with it.”

The True Youth Sports Brampton Fit Camp training system has been developed by the world’s leading youth fitness organization, the International Youth Conditioning Association, and will be delivered by IYCA certified fitness professionals who will help motivate and inspire the kids.

The True Youth Sports Brampton Fit Camp will be hosting free introductory programs for kids ages 8-13 on Saturday, June 12th, and Sunday June 13th, 2010 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Goldcrest Public School, 24 Goldcrest Road in Brampton.

For more information and to register your child for our introductory youth fit camp classes, please contact David Kittner by phone at 905-799-6693 or by e-mail.

David Kittner is Founder and Director of Athletic Foundations and True Youth Sports Brampton. He’s a passionate and dedicated teacher/coach with over fifteen years experience working with children. In addition to being a Certified Fitness Professional, David is Peel Region’s only Certified Youth Fitness Specialist and Certified Speed and Agility Specialist with the International Youth Conditioning Association.

Aside from working with children, giving presentations at schools etc, the highlight this past winter occurred when I attended the International Youth Conditioning Association’s 2nd Annual Youth Fitness Summit in Louisville, Kentucky. Spending a weekend with over 300 Youth Fitness Specialists from all over the world was amazing to the say the least. I met youth fitness professionals from Australia, the U.K., Canada, and the United States including Hawaii. Not only do I consider these great people my colleagues, but my friends as well.

In addition to hanging out with all these wonderful people, I was honoured to have also spent the weekend with many of my mentors: Brian Grasso, Pat Rigsby, Kwame Brown, Kim McCullough, Lee Taft, Carlo Alverez, Mike Robertson, Chris Mohr, Dave Gleason to name but a few. It’s because of these great people that I’m inspired to do what  I do in my quest to help children become the best they can be, both as a person and as an athlete.

As great a weekend as it was, it’s always sad to pack up and go our separate ways, but thankfully with todays communication being what it is, my extended family at the IYCA is just a click away. Needless to say I’m looking forward to next years IYCA Summit where we’ll all meet again to learn and share in the wonders of working with children.

David with Lee Taft – “The Speed Guy”

Two players partner up and square off against each other in an athletic stance. Each player is attempting to tag the other person on either calf. One point is scored for each calf touch. Each partner stands up and resets themselves prior to continuing. Game goes until one partner scores three points.

The game can be made harder, but havng athletes only tag on the left calf or the right calf. Or perhaps they can only tag with the left hand or the right hand. There are several variations and one thing is for sure; kids love playing calf tag. Give it a try and be sure to post your comments below. I would love to hear how much your athletes enjoy this great game.