Derval O'Rourke: Positive ways to influence your children in sport

Derval O'Rourke: important to approach kids' interest in sport differently from yours

It’s well-known that as children grow up they go through many different milestones on their way to becoming who they are. 

My two children are both coming to the stage where they are much more interested in sports and participating more actively in the sports that they play. 

This week I’ll chat about how I try to navigate sport with the goal of keeping my kids involved and enjoying it.

Firstly I try to approach sport with my kids with a level of self-awareness. I try to be aware that I’m coming from the world of elite performance, a world where records and positions are at the centre of everything.

My kids’ experience will be entirely different to mine so my job is to be their Mum and encourage them. I feel incredibly grateful for the life I had in competitive sport but I try to completely park that when it comes to my kids. My only goal is that they feel empowered and supported to stay involved.

Below are some tips I’ve come across that I find really helpful.

• Kids are always watching and listening. I try to remember that when I’m talking about sport or watching sports with them. What are the messages I’m giving out, am I only talking about the winning team? Do I talk about other aspects outside of results?
• Make activities fun. Children are much more likely to continue to take an active role in sports when they are doing something they enjoy. Try to emphasise the ‘fun’ benefits of sports and encourage them to look for the fun and enjoyment in sports and activity too! I tell my kids about my friends from athletics and the trips we took together around the world.
• A key factor with children is creating an environment where they feel welcome and involved. This will keep them coming back to the sport each week with excitement rather than dread. Sport is so vast, even a sport like athletics for example you can throw, jump, run or walk. Finding different sports that appeal to different kids is a really great way to keep kids moving.
• Incorporate physical activity more in their day-to-day life. Oftentimes we separate activity into its own box. We’ll say things like “It’s time to get ready for XYZ”, or “Training starts at __ ‘o’ clock”. This type of language can create negative feelings if children perceive sport as being a chore. Being more active in their daily life can help to negate these feelings. If they walk to school, walk the dog or have regular outside time already, they might have a much more positive attitude towards sports in general.
• Consider the ‘who’ rather than the ‘what’. If you find a sport where the coach is fun, supportive, kind and creates a positive environment then that is in many ways more important than what the kids are doing. Good coaches can have a lifelong impact on kids, I know I’m grateful for the influence a few wonderful coaches had on me.

Remember that every child is different. There are a lot of amazing sports out there, team or individual, that are great for children to get involved with. Finding one that your child really enjoys may take some time, but it could be one of the greatest gifts you give them.

Wellness Tip: Spend some time with your family doing an activity that you all love. Whether that is going to the park for a picnic, or going to the beach for a walk.

Fitness Tip: How do you speak about your own fitness in front of kids? Consider your messages and the impact they can have.

Lemon Squares

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

A fruity fave that comes together nicely!

Servings

16

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 58 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 13 mins

Course

 Dessert

Ingredients

• For the cake

• 185ml warm milk

• 40g poppy seeds

• 220g caster sugar

• 3 eggs

• 300g self-raising flour

• 185g unsalted butter, softened

• zest of 1 lemon

• For the lemon icing

• 300g icing sugar

• Juice of 1 lemon

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/gas 2. Grease an 18cm (7inch) square tin and line it with parchment paper.

2. Mix the warm milk and poppy seeds in a small bowl or measuring jug and set aside for 15 minutes.

3. Whisk the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking until the mixture is fluffy. Add the flour, the milk and poppy seed mixture and the lemon zest, whisking after each addition.

4. Whisk for about 5 minutes, until the batter is pale and thick.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. If the cake is not golden-brown, increase the oven to 180°C/400°F/gas 4 and bake for a further 5 minutes.

6. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.

7. For the lemon icing, place the icing sugar and lemon juice in a bowl and mix well until smooth.

8. Place the cooled cake on a board and cut into squares. Drizzle over the lemon icing and serve.