Emotional

• Often eager, enthusiastic and anxious to win.
• Developing some perseverance, but their interested and ability to remain focused may be short-lived.
• Like to discover how things work and ask lots of questions.
• Have doubts and are often sensitive about themselves.
• Skateboarding could be an outlet to be physical and let go of worries.
• Children can benefit from seeing their instructors make and apply positive moral values in their daily decisions.
• Fairness and mutual satisfaction are key.

Social

• Want to be like others and to experience a sense of belonging.
• The younger children will look up to instructors and to youth who are a little older than they are.
• Like organized activity and to develop their own rules.
• Understand the need for cooperation.
• Spend more time apart from parents. Enjoy being with a mentor.
• Need to practice new skills in a safe environment.
• Beginning to explore where they fit socially, and experiencing new peer groups.

Corresponding Instructional Focus

Provide activities that require problem solving and teamwork, where possible. Skill level changes should include endurance, agility, concentration, coordination, balance and movement though play. Allow for plenty of practice time and expect varying results from day to day. Focus on FUN, and not on achievement. Practice fundamental movements of running, skipping, jumping, throwing, catching, stop and start, change direction, etc, as well as basic skills of skateboarding. Praise small steps, slowly building to more complex goals. Ask for feedback often. Be conscious of activity lengths and variety.