Kids Can Be Funny While Having Fun with Sports

For people involved with children and sports, there is much opportunity for agony and amusement. My sport is Tae Kwon Do. I especially enjoy the many incidents that are funny in the sense that they cause laughter because it is also true that the incidents are causing important physical, mental and social growth in the participants. Here is an example from my experience as a Tae Kwon Do instructor:

The regular class environment was not working for a seven year old boy with a serious attention deficit. Observers amused laughter, when the lad would mentally desert the classroom to visit his other planet, prompted me to take the one on one alternative. After several weeks of failure to teach the lad a simple form, it was time for a "carrot".

My "carrot" was a beautifully wrapped gift package that prominently displayed the student's name; and the package was placed along the wall in the area where we worked on the form. So here are the curious child and the confident instructor. Your can imagine the exchange and observer reactions.

Curous Student: "What's that?"
Confident Instructor: "A gift."
Curious Student: "Who is it for?"
Confident Instructor: "Its for you."
Curious Student: "Can I open it now?"
Confident Instructor: "No."
Curious Student: "When can I open it?"
Confident Instructor: "When you do your form."

At this point, when Student had given Instructior a record amount [like ten seconds]of concentration, we went to work on the form. Going to work was repeated with gift package prominently displayed until the fifth subsequent class when Curious Student finally rose to the task and opened the gift to much observer applause and laughter.

Other life changing experiences:
A total brat has become and led his siblings to become national champions.
A dedicated bully has become a polite gentleman.
Many, many children have achieved confidence, learned how to focus and become outstanding citizen examples to their peer groups - all amidst much laughter.

Yes, instructors are growing too - in patience, perseverence and creative teaching. We can laugh at ourselves, and people sometimes laugh at us too. Still, at age 80, I love growing.