Must people don’t know this but I do a lot of consulting for other martial arts schools all over the world.
Specifically I try to teach them ways to make their kids program better because more often then not, it’s lacking in a lot of areas.
One of those areas is simple yet almost always overlooked: FUN.
Yes fun. Kids need to have fun while doing any activity, martial arts, soccer, football or anything else.
And believe me, most martial arts youth classes could really use a dose of fun that’s for sure. Here at Ivy league MMA, our classes are challenging sure, but also very fun for the kids.
We get the fun factor from the use of many different types of games mixed into the classes. These same games can also be used for summer camp and after school services. They fit in perfect for any of these environments.
Some of the games we use are:
- Dodgeball
- Sharks and Minnows
- Foot Tag
- The Blob
- Steal the Sock
Those are just a few, I’ve got at least 30 more written down and used often.
Look, maybe you run some kind of “hardcore” kids MMA program, I get that, doesn’t matter. The kids still need to experience fun within the classes.
No fun in your classes…guess what? Kids will quit, and I can’t blame ’em either. If you’re not providing a good time for them then you’re failing as an instructor.
Hardcore MMA classes that feature lots of yelling and kids being pushed harder and harder are all fine and dandy…for a little while.
However, fine and dandy won’t last long. Sooner or later they’ll quit. They’ll quit cause like all kids, they want to have fun.
You don’t have to run brutal youth classes to be successful. I don’t do that yet I still get great results with my kids, on my mats and in tournaments.
In fact the Ivey League Kids are always ranked in the top of all competitive Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament circuits year after year.
You can still work super hard and at the same time have a blast. The key lies within the use of games like the ones I listed above.
Don’t make the whole class just a bunch of games sure, but mixing in one or two at some point during the practice is a sure fire recipe for success.
Keep in mind it’s all about a good mix of work and play. I usually play games with the kids right before the middle of the class and again at the end.
I’ve found these two time frames to work best. This could be different for you so be sure to play with the timing a bit to end up with what works best for your children.
So, do your kids martial arts classes a favor and add in some games. Trust me the kids will love it, as will your coaching staff and last but certainly not least, the parents will too.
Check out a video of us playing dodgeball.
