Running can sometimes be overlooked but it is crucial in endurance sports and the best athletes always have superior running ability. For young athletes in endurance sports who are really motivated to improve, having a good cardiovascular endurance sets a good foundation that, in turn, helps them improve and better execute their skills.
Let’s think about it, in almost all endurance sports players always experience fatigue late in games and when the score is close this can certainly influence the player’s performance and whether the team wins or loses. In sport talk, we always hear it from commentators as being able to ‘run out the game’ and ‘performing during clutch moments.’
Practical tips and advice
In community level sport teams, most coaches are just parents who are volunteers. They may be comfortable with running a general training session with drills focusing on improving skills but they may lack the knowledge to advise young athletes and on how to improve their running ability specifically.
As a parent, finding motivation and developing consistency with your child will always be the challenge. If there are any local running groups that you can find in your area then you and your child can consider joining if the level and schedule suits you. I personally recommend searching for your local Parkrun. It is a local 5km running event held every Saturday morning at 8am at various locations worldwide. It is run by volunteers and completely free. It has a great casual vibe and always welcomes runners of all ages and abilities with many children joining in the run every week. If you still need that extra boost of motivation, then think about registering for one of the many marathon events (Melbourne Marathon, Run Melbourne etc.) throughout the year in your city. Most of them include family friendly 5km distances that children participate in. If children can develop a routine of going for a run as little as once a week it will help improve their cardiovascular endurance in sports overtime. Whether it be just 3km or 5km each time, the key is consistency and finding ways to stay motivated.