4 Tips For Getting Students More Interested In Athletics

03/20/2019

2 minute read

Developing your athletics program is no easy feat. A big part of the challenge is spotting and encouraging the students who would make good additions to your team.
Easier said than done in an age where it’s becoming harder and harder to get students engaged in physical activity.

Here are four tips for getting your students more interested in athletics:

1. Respect Individual Needs

Not every student can be held to the same standards. There are some who have spent their entire childhoods being active and some that have very little experience with sports. When you lump everyone into one basket highly skilled athletes don’t feel challenged and less skilled athletes feel intimidated by their peers. In both cases, your students are not being given the opportunity to develop their athletic abilities.

2. Define Goals And Track Them

There’s nothing that motivates a student more than being able to see how they’ve improved. To do that, you need to set goals for your students and hold them responsible. You should define these goals based on what students excel at and where they need improvement. No one can do that for you, but here are a few tips that will help you set smarter goals for your students.

It’s important to note that not everyone will end up in the same spot. That’s not the goal here. Your goal is to inspire a lifelong passion for physical fitness, make sure your students meet reasonable standards, and hopefully funnel some talented students into your athletics programs along the way.

You should also set actionable goals – preferably based on national, state, or local standards – for your PE and athletics programs as a whole. Otherwise, it’s hard to tell when what you’re doing is really working.

3. Keep Group Sizes Small

Space is often a concern for smaller athletics departments. When you only have one basketball court and limited time then it can be tempting to group all of your students together and hope for the best. The problem is that having too many students per activity can have a negative impact on engagement. With smaller group sizes it’s easier to keep track of performance and give your students the individual attention they need.

4. Don’t Be Afraid To Try New Things

Kids have a lot competing for their attention these days. Your athletics department needs to be up to the challenge. Try introducing fun new twists on old games to keep students engaged. For your athletes, new drills will not only help you keep their interest, but also help them become adaptable and develop a more well-rounded set of skills.

Not all of your students will go on to become amazing athletes, but everyone — no matter their skill level — can develop a passion for physical activity. You just need to make sure you’re doing your part by encouraging them.

Products like 360 Hoops help you do all of this and more. You get classic games with a twist. New drills that emphasize the fundamentals. And most importantly it all comes with a minimal space footprint. To further optimize your use of space, portable models can be set up and taken down as needed.