3 Things to Rember When Your Kids' Sports Come Between Your Family and the Outdoors

There are many benefits to kids playing organized sports. They learn teamwork, discipline and how to operate within the defined framework of rules. They develop their fine and gross motor skills, get active, and build confidence and self-esteem. Organized sports can be a lot of fun, too.

There are also many benefits to taking your kids hiking, snowshoeing, skiing and an endless number of other outdoor activities. They learn self-reliance and reliance on the group. They learn through unstructured experience. They develop their fine and gross motor skills, get active, and build confidence and self-esteem. They also develop a relationship with the outdoors and the environment that connects them to the world around them, and that can ground them in hard times and good. It's fun. I could go on, but you get the idea.

As an outdoor dad and a soccer coach dad to my two amazing sons, I can personally attest to how hard it can be to balance the organized and the outdoors. Organized sports, exactly because they are organized and scheduled, all too easily take priority. Especially when you're the coach. And when one of your sons plays on Saturdays and the other plays on Sundays. A game at 1 p.m. on Saturday and another at 11 a.m. on Sunday makes it difficult to drive an hour or more to the mountains, get in enough hiking or snowshoeing to make it feel worthwhile, and drive home.

At my older son's last indoor soccer practice before Christmas, we had a parents vs kids game (the 12- and 13-year-olds let themselves get tied by a bunch of old men). Afterwards, a few of us dads got talking about how being a soccer parent changes your life. They know I take my boys out to the mountains a lot, and asked how I balance that with practices and games three days a week. I'm not sure I gave them a very good answer at the time, but it got me thinking. How do I balance the outdoors with organized sports? These are the three things I came up with and that I have to consciously remember to remember:

1. The drive is worthwhile

Even a couple hours in the mountains is worth the drive. Just like I can see the pride in my sons' faces after a good game, I can see how at ease and relaxed they are after a couple hours in the mountains. Just as importantly, I can feel how my own batteries are recharged.

2. You don't always have to drive far to get your kids out

I'm willing to drive a little further to get away from the more crowded and popular trails closer to the city. In Kananaskis and Banff, the further you drive, the more snow you find in the winter, as well. But if we've only got a few hours after a game, there are plenty of good trails 30 to 45 minutes away in West Bragg Creek, the Elbow Valley, the Bow Valley and the Kananaskis Valley. My boys and I have had as much fun snowshoeing down a snowless-but-frozen Canyon Creek in Elbow Valley as we have floating on a meter of fluffy powder another hour's drive west in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park.

3. Take what you can get, when you can get it

Some days, even that 45-minute drive to West Bragg Creek to snowshoe just isn't possible. But a quick and fun snowshoe or walk up Nose Hill, a five minute drive from my house, is. On those days, I have to remind myself to take what I can get. Calgary is fortunate to have a wealth of large urban nature parks to play in, as well as a river pathway system that provides lots of opportunities to play in nature. Even taking the dog to an off-leash park like Edworthy, with its trails through the aspens and ravines, provides a solid dose of Vitamin N when soccer makes a trip to the mountains impossible.

Let's Make Getting Outdoors and Active Fun for Our Kids Again

"If a school day is six hours then at least two should be set aside for hiking, biking, skiing, skating, sports or whatever it is that kids like to do and can do. Because that’s the secret, and the antidote to all this gym-oriented, heart-rate-monitor-wearing unsuccessful “fitness” blathering. Teaching kids that activity is fun, that being able to do what you want physically is important, and that it matters both individually to long-term qualify of life and collectively as the cause of massive wastes of tax dollars."

--World-class ice climber Will Gadd in Explore Magazine

When I read that, I was on a treadmill at the gym. I wasn't wearing a hear-rate monitor, but I may have been holding onto the heart rate sensors. And I was in the new Youth Wellness Center of the Westside Recreation Center in Calgary that's restricted to kids aged 13 to 18 from 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. I was getting in shape, but I wasn't having fun.

As I looked around, I realized that I was surrounded by the spandex-clad specimens of the near perfect human forms that Gadd talks about in his article. I am not a near perfect human form, and I don't think I ever have been. I generally carry a few extra pounds around the waist. When I recently lost 20 pounds (although the Divorce Stress Diet is effective, I don't recommend it), I realized I was also carrying a few extra pounds all over my body: cheeks, pecs, legs, back, buttox, everywhere.

For me, working out at the gym isn't an end to itself, whether that's weight control or making sure I look good in a bathing suit. It gives me the basic level of fitness I need to enjoy myself hiking, snowshoeing, scrambling, and doing a bunch of other activities in the mountains. It helps me have fun outside of the gym.

Fun. In the end, that's what it's all about. When I coach my sons' soccer teams, I stress fun because I've seen what happens when soccer isn't fun: kids stop playing. When I take my sons hiking and snowshoeing and I lead kids hikes for my outdoor group, I stress fun because I've seen what happens when hiking isn't fun: the kids don't want to come out any more. Worse, they learn that hiking and active living in general aren't fun, which decreases the chances of them growing up into active adults.

As parents, our job is to help our kids grow up into adults that are healthy physically, emotionally, and intellectually. Yet, as Gadd points out, the focus all too often is on the intellectual, which we abdicate to teachers and schools to look after. Physically? That's up to our kids' phys-ed teachers and sports coaches and doctors. Emotionally? When was the last time you asked your kids how they're feeling and why they feel that way?

Getting kids outside on a regular basis, whether it's hiking in the mountains or running around an urban nature park, and just letting them have fun is one of the most powerful ways we can address their physical, emotional and intellectual health. It gets them active and teaches them that being active is fun. The emotional benefits of being in nature are well documented: stress levels decrease while things like self-confidence and self-awareness increase. And it instills in them an intellectual curiosity about the world around them that they don't get sitting in a classroom. 

If you're reading this, you know what I'm doing to get my two sons outside and active. Leave a comment below to let us know what you're doing, and we can share ideas.

 

Kids Fitness: 5 Ways to Make Kids Want to Be Active

"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give the orders.  Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea."

Antoine de St. Exupery

"If you want to make hiking fun, make it fun."

Ken Schmaltz 

One of the reasons I'm passionate about getting my boys out to the mountains--or anywhere outdoors--is the fitness aspect. Whether they'll be active, healthy adults or sedentary, less healthy adults depends in large part on whether they're active now. So it's up to me, as their parent, to set them up for a lifetime of active, adventurous living. In this age of always-on digital stimulation, it's unlikely that they're going to log out of Minecraft and ask me to take them hiking or for a run. Although in the summer they will spontaneously go for a bike ride once or twice a week, inertia is a powerful force in their lives. Their bodies at rest are likely to remain at rest unless they're motivated to put those bodies in motion.

Be active yourself--This is the most powerful way of motivating kids to be active. Kids watch us. They copy what we do. They want to be like us, even if it doesn't seem like it at times. If they see you sitting around, they'll follow your lead (or lack of lead). If they see you enjoying an active lifestyle, they'll learn that moving their bodies is fun.

Make it fun--This is the second most powerful way of motivating kids to be active. Let's face it, a nice stroll through the park or beside a river isn't the average kid's idea of fun. Pick activities that have a "wow factor" or built-in excitement. At the park, make the stroll a game by seeing who can reach the next tree first (then let them pick the next finish line) or bring a soccer ball to kick your way through the park. On your river walk, throw in a log and see who can hit it the most times with rocks. Or better yet, take them on a hike--but whatever you do, don't call it a hike--that ends somewhere fun like rocks they can climb on or fossils they can hunt. (For more ideas, see my post Hiking with Kids: 7 Steps to Make Hiking Fun for Kids.)

Set them up for success--We've all done it. We pick an activity, a hiking trail or a ski run that's too much for our kids. Shortly thereafter, the complaining reaches a crescendo or they have a blow out or they just can't go any further, and what you expected to be a glorious day in the great outdoors comes to a screeching halt. Instead of learning that the activity is fun, your kid learns that he/she can't do it and it's the opposite of fun. Instead, pick something that your kids can succeed at. It will build their confidence and make them want to do it again. At first, hat might mean choosing a trail or ski run that's too easy for them, but at least there will be a next time when you can go further or faster or steeper.


Don't nag--Again, we've all done it. Our kids don't live up to our high expectations or they do something we've learned not to do. So we nag, cajole, criticize, correct, warn, scold...We make the activity not fun. The opposite of fun. Horrible. In the eyes of the kids, the outdoors and the activity become just another time and place for us to pick at them. If they're not going as fast as you'd like, adjust your pace to theirs. If they've given their best but can't go any further, stop, have a rest and turn back. If they walk through a stream instead of hopping across rocks, let them get their feet wet and learn their own lessons.

Set a family goal--Indoor soccer season ends in a couple weeks, and I'd like my 8-year-old to maintain his conditioning for the outdoor season in April (and the hiking season; I'm going to take the boys on a scramble this summer!). So we've all entered a 5 kilometer fun run in July, and we'll all train together once or twice a week. Sue and Mack (13) will run the whole way, and Michael and I will run for a few minutes, walk for one, and repeat. If I have to, I'll run with a pack on my back that contains a soccer ball to kick down the course. I'll run at Michael's pace (actually, I can't run any faster or I'll aggravate a couple of old running injuries; nothing builds a kid's confidence like running a 5K faster than his dad). And if he needs to stop and rest or walk more than he runs, I swear I won't nag, cajole, criticize, correct, warn or scold. I swear.

Kids Fitness: Run with the Big Dogs to Keep Your Kids & Pooch in Shape

I'm a dog person. After much pleading, I got my first dog for my tenth birthday, and have had a dog for most of my life ever since. My kids are also dog people. They've never known life without at least one dog sharing their home. When things aren't going great, I know I'll find them with Laya (short for Himalaya), talking things out with the assurance that they won't be judged.

I also know that if I say we're taking Laya to the off-leash park, they'll be up for it regardless of whether they're happy, sad or mad. The freedom a dog feels running off leash is infectious, and there's no better stress reliever I know of that you can do on a moment's notice. As soon as the car door opens and Laya jumps out, the boys are off and running too. They'll chase Laya for as far they can, then just keep running. When they were younger, the main draw for the off leash  was meeting new dogs, but now they spend as much time goofing around at a high rate of speed as they do greeting friendly furry faces. By the time we get back into the car, they've gotten as much exercise--and way more fun--as they would have from a half hour jog.

So when I saw this I thought: What a great idea. James and Erica at Evocative Photography have made a name for themselves photographing dogs. This year, they committed to taking their dog, Jake, out for at least 30 minutes a day. That's 30 minutes of exercise for both the dog and the walker in the great outdoors. It's a great way to bond with your dog, and it's an even better way to bond as a family--and trick your kids into exercising.

Kids Fitness: Winter Workouts for Kids, Part 2

Old school kids fitness: The snowball fight

This is part 2 of Kids Fitness: Winter Workouts for Kids. With today’s sedentary, electronic lifestyles, getting kids moving and active can be a challenge at the best of times. In the Canadian winter, prying kids away from their video games is…more difficult yet critical to their fitness today and setting them up for a lifetime of year-round physical activity. Here are five activities that will get you and your kids moving and having fun when the snow is flying.

1. Parent/kid fitness class—Let’s face it, running isn’t much fun. I started when I was 16. Two chronic running injuries (plantar fasciitis on the left and IT band syndrome on the right) and a ruptured disc in my neck later, and I can’t run on regular basis anymore. But I can run once a week in a parent/kid running course at our local recreation centre (the Westside Recreation Centre in Calgary). Mack says he doesn’t like it, but when the class ends and you ask him if he’d like to sign up for the next class he always says yes.
2. Snowshoeing—You don’t have to drive out to the mountains to have fun snowshoeing for a couple hours. Any urban park with snow will do. You don’t even need enough snow to need snowshoes. There’s something about having snowshoes on their feet that makes kids find ways to have fun. They’ll run around, explore places they’d otherwise walk past, and have a blast.
3. Walking to school—It doesn't get any more old school than this, and there’s nothing like walking to build your aerobic fitness. When Mack started grade seven, he wasn’t allowed to take the school bus anymore. Now he and Michael (grade three) walk to and from school, which is 10 or 15 minutes one way. Michael actually prefers walking to taking the bus. Go figure.
4. Snowball fights—Talk about fun. Yet how often do you see kids outside pelting each other with snowballs? Pick teams and home bases, or declare every man for himself, and let the battle commence.
5. Wii—Yes, a video game. But leave Lego Star Wars and Mario Kart on the shelf. Games like Active Life Explorer and Just Dance 4 are fun, get you're heart rate up, and give you a full serving of aerobic exercise in every session. Like swimming in Kids Fitness: Winter Workouts for Kids, Part 1, these games are excellent alternatives when it's just too cold to go out.

Kids Fitness: Winter Workouts for Kids, Part 1

When done correctly, shoveling snow is a competitive sport

I’m assistant coach for my 8-year-old son’s indoor soccer team. After the last game a parent asked the coach about workouts her son could do to get in better shape. Coach Tim suggested bike riding and going for walks. He was on the right track, but considering that it was the middle of January, -10 C outside and the ground was covered in snow, he wasn't very helpful.

With today’s sedentary, electronic lifestyles, it seems that even two practices and a soccer game a week aren’t enough to keep kids in shape. The Canadian winter doesn’t help. Too many kids park themselves in front of the computer or Xbox from October to May, with some extending the gaming season through the summer. Yet, winter is the favorite season of my 12-year-old son Mack and myself. Here are some activities that will keep you and your kids moving—both inside and outside—through the snowy months. Note that I said you and your kids. Nothing motivates kids to get active like seeing their parents get off their butts.

1. Shovelling snow—Just like swinging a kettle ball over your head is an old-school full-body workout for adults, shovelling snow is an old-school full-body work out for kids. Show them how to lift with their legs and they’ll work their calves, quads, hams, glutes, abs, lats, delts, traps, pecs, tris, bis, and pecs , as well as build their aerobic fitness. You can turn shovelling snow into a game by challenging them to see who can make the biggest pile of snow by the end of the winter, or turn it into a family quest to build a single, giant pile.
2. Wall climbing—According to the February 2013 issue of Outside, wall climbing is kinda sorta maybe displacing zumba as the next big thing in fitness. Even if you don’t climb yourself, you can take an hour course to learn how belay your kids and crawl up the wall yourself.
3. Swimming—Nothing beats swimming laps in a lesson for fitness, but it’s not very fun. If your kids balk at swim lessons, take them to nearest wave pool for an hour or two each week. You’ll both burn off a ton of calories and build your aerobic base. This is perfect for days when it's way to cold to go outside.
4. Tobogganing—Tobogganing combines all the benefits of stair climbing with speed, crashes and laughing. Except that those crazed fitness addicts usually do stairs in skimpy running clothes and lightweight running shoes. Your kids will be wearing bulky snow pants and trudging through snow and ice in heavy winter boots, adding to the fitness value.
5. Skating—I told my kids that in Canada, everyone needs to know how to do three things: ride a bike, swim and skate. This is an activity that they’ll be able to do their entire lives. My 78-year-old mother still skates once a week, and she’s one of the youngest people I know.

Go to Kids Fitness: Winter Workouts for Kids, Part 2 for five more winter workouts for kids.