We had a little problem early on in the basketball season...Collins had no interest in practicing or attempting to get better. She aired her frustrations that no one on the team would pass the ball to her. So when we were at Brooks Elementary one day playing, I issued her a challenge: practice basketball every day for the next 7 days (until her next game) and she would get to pick out a prize from the toy store. Her eyes immediately lit up, and she knew she wanted to get a squishy. Fine by me as long as she practiced EVERY day.
I felt a little guilty about this bribe (aka challenge) because I wanted the motivation to come from within, but it was clear she needed a little push to get going and to see that practice makes you better. Every afternoon, she practiced dribbling, passing the ball, shooting the ball, and SHE GOT BETTER. From then on, she would pick up the ball and start playing without being asked to and she started having more fun. The challenge was a success!
One child that will not need a basketball challenge is Luke Fork. That day at Brooks, he was screaming for the ball. Brian would help him dunk it, and he would call for him to do it again, and again, and again. So cute. We might have a basketball natural with him...and it's okay that his older sister just needed a little push!
No comments:
Post a Comment