We are really amazed by the Under 12 (U12) performance. We get it, you may think it’s not something BIG worth bragging about, but let us brag anyway! What “performance” you may ask – we are talking about their performance in running as well as their self-development.
One of the things our U12 are different from the teenage group is that they really like communicating and engaging with each other, which makes the training more fun for the athletes and coaches too!
We have more than fifteen U12 athletes training regularly with us now.
Allowed us to talk about some extraordinary performers here:
Rania is warming up for the 100m final.
Rania – 12 years old Last December, Rania didn’t get to compete in a race she had prepared for a long time because she had a fractured toe a day before the race from the playground. She still turned up on competition day but withdrew because it was too painful to even jog. Surely, she regretted and learned the lesson the hard way ☹. Thankfully, she is back now and finished in 5th on her first debut in the Johor Under 12 100m final. Finally breaking through her 16 seconds barrier, good one Rania!
Left to right: Safiya, Mariya.
Safiya - 12 years old
Safiya demonstrated exceptional sportsmanship during a racewalking training session. While most kids were cheating the race-walking rules by jogging a little, she chose to follow the rules even when she was losing. We are happy to see Safiya having a positive attitude in sports and being the eldest on the team she is definitely a good role model to the younger ones. That's the kind of sportsmanship we want to see in our athletes because cheating to win is not a real winner. Keep up the good work, Safiya!
Zen Yi on Lane 3, just before his 100m run.
Yong Zen Yi – 11 years old This wonderful boy was born with hearing loss. With the help of a hearing aid, he is able to hear. Hearing loss is known to affect one’s balancing and mobility, thus, he may have some difficulty performing some motor tasks. In his first three months of training, he falls uncounted times, but he always gets up 😊 Just like the famous Japanese proverb "fall down seven times, get up eight", giving up was not an option for Zen Yi, he decided to get back up no matter how many times he got knocked down.
Not only did his balancing get better, but he also improved his communication skills! Now, he is ready to get even better. Kids Athletics helps the development of individual’ cognitive abilities and motor skills, also affecting kid’s decisions and behavior. However, it wasn't just the coaches helping Zen Yi to improve, his parents and the seniors also played a big part in the process. Special shout out to Russell Wong for his patience, support, and guidance! Zen Yi was the most improved U12 athlete in the previous quarter. We are so proud of his achievement.
Zen Xuan on Lane 4.
Yong Zen Xuan – 9 years old This little boy here is the youngest boy on the team (also the smallest size), but this boy here is the only boy who remembers ALL the warm-up routines from the warm-up exercises to all the running drills. He was able to warm up on his own before his race at Johor Open. Isn’t this something worth praising? You boy is going to be another champion of Kawan Athletics.
What's next: Under 12 Competition in July
At the upcoming competition, we are looking forward to seeing the U12 athletes learning to:
prepare competition kits and number bibs a night before the game day
manage their time for warm-up before reporting time
do all their warm-up routines on their own
report themselves on time at the call room
Some of the events that our U12 are going to take part in are 80m, 150m, 1200m, 800m, and 4x100m mixed relay.
Kids' Athletics: Learning valuable lessons through sports & competition
It isn't about MEDAL only, it's about self-development - Not everyone is going to be a world champion. Sports and competitions teach children lifelong skills they will need for life - respect, discipline, sportsmanship, teamwork, communication, and fair play. Winning isn't just about medals, winning is also about trying your best, improving, learning, gaining friends, gaining trust, and being a better person.
Accepting failure as part of the journey - Competition teaches children to cope with the highs and lows in life. It also teaches them to understand and feel these emotions of frustration, disappointment, upset, and anger after losing a game. Through failure, children will be able to feel, manage, then control these emotions. Most importantly learn to bounce back from a loss. Sports prepare children for the real world.
Friendship & Respect - We may be rivals in the competition and still be friends outside. Through competition, children get to make friends with other children coming from different cultures and backgrounds which is great to combat racism. It creates an opportunity for two people who would not normally communicate to interact with each other. It teaches them to be sensitive to others' feelings, to be less selfish, and to listen to other children.
Ethics and fair play - Through sports and competitions, children learn to follow rules, accept decisions and understand that they could be penalised for cheating. It teaches children a strong work ethic at a young age, it teaches them to do the right things even when there's no one looking. Ethics is so important in sports because it creates a fair environment for athletes to compete. Cheating to win is unacceptable.
Understanding nothing comes easy - One's effort will determine one's result. Sometimes although luck plays part in the process, hard work and great effort will not go unnoticed. It will always pay back to those who are willing to work and wait. Children will learn from playing sports that sometimes life isn't fair and THERE ARE THINGS that are beyond their control. For instance, some kids naturally run fast without training regularly, sometimes injury happens, sometimes the weather is unfavorable, and the list goes on. It teaches them to focus on what they could control which is their effort and their attitude.
Kids athletics and running is the FUNdamental of all sports that include run, jump, hop, skip, throw, catch, coordination & all the important movement skills to other sports and everyday activities. Book now to know more about Kids' Athletics training!