Champions for Life: What Football and Martial Arts Teach Kids

FOOTBALL

Paolo Alberto A. Mallari
Management and educational trainer/football coach

Patience and perseverance
Football is a stop-and-go sport. Being aggressive throughout the game doesn’t necessarily translate to a strong game plan, says Paolo Mallari. Part of the game IQ is waiting for opportunities to present themselves and capitalizing on them.

Temper the tempo
Mallari points out that football isn’t all running and kicking. Kids also learn that pacing themselves means knowing when to bring the energy level up a notch and when to remain steady.

You can do it
As there are clearly more ways than one to score a goal, Mallari says that football encourages a “can-do” attitude in kids. For example, a player can feint, go to one direction, and then bolt to the opposite way or even use his teammates as a diversion to put the ball past the post—just two options on how to convert a goal. More than the skill, kids will acquire the positive attitude that anything is possible.

No “I” in team
As it is a team sport with each player having a corresponding position, football educates kids on the significance of what it means to have both a function and responsibility in a team setting. Mallari adds that camaraderie and solidarity are takeaways, as well.

Driven to shine
“Losing in football is arguably one of the toughest defeats to handle among all the sports because you give so much of yourself when you play,” says Mallari. Football kids will realize that while they might not like the pain of losing, staying passionate in order to excel is what matters more.

Browse our directory of summer classes for football / soccer.

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CAPOEIRA

Alessandro de Azevedo Soares Coqueiro
also known as Professor Fantasma, founder, Escola Brasileira de Capoeira (EBC) Philippines;head trainer, EBC Philippines Capoeira Academy

Keeping ’em coordinated
Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art that teaches self-defense in dance form. Executing the steps sharpens a child’s sense of timing and movement. “Capoeira helps a child’s coordination and rhythm because the movement is based on music,” says Professor Fantasma.

Exposed to cultures
Music is an integral element of Capoeira. The sport involves playing Portuguese songs with instruments that are exclusive to the discipline. According to Professor Fantasma, Capoeira allows kids to appreciate the customs and rich history of Brazil.

Friendlier than ever
Finding and switching dance partners are part of a Capoeira routine. This process helps kids become more sociable. “A few minutes into the session, kids are already sharing techniques with each other,” says Professor Fantasma.

Taking charge
“Capoeira also develops leadership skills, but not to the point of showing off,” says Professor Fantasma. Like any sport, Capoeira requires putting in time and effort before the difficulty diminishes. Given the dance-partner setting, the kids who are more “Capoeira-capable” confidently give pointers to those who are having a little more diffi culty with the movements.

Knowing their role
Capoeira sessions entail a group of people coming together and busting out harmonized motion. Knowing this,kids realize early on what the concept of taking turns and working within a group is all about, says Professor Fantasma.

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KARATE

Juan Carlos T. Veguillas
Senior karate instructor at the Association for the Advancement of Karatedo (AAK)

Turning Japanese (and more)
A young karateka (karate practitioner) learns the kind of values and discipline associated with the Japanese way of life. Juan Carlos Veguillas says that karate inculcates the need to strive for perfection. Throwing the right kick or punch demands a certain kind of precision a karateka could get only from putting in the hours.

No pain, no gain
According to Veguillas, “karate helps kids realize and appreciate the value of rigid training.” A young karateka adapts well to the ideas of sacrifice, hard work, and pushing oneself to the limit.

Taking it in stride
In this martial art, execution is key, and karate instills that doing things right means aiming to be the best at what you do, says Veguillas. Being the best also involves being open to all sorts of criticism. Kids who do karate are able to manage emotional sensitivity early on.

Eyes on the prize
Landing a hit translates to points in a karate match. With each delivered blow, a karateka must not get over-confident when a point is awarded. It is in these simulations that the kids learn persistence and perseverance and how to have an unshakeable sense of focus.

No room for boasting
Karate puts a premium on humility, says Veguillas. Showboating and taunting are not welcome during practice sessions. What matters is that every karateka should prove himself and let his actions speak louder than anything else.

Give your kids a headstart this summer -- browse our directory of summer classes for martial arts.


Photos by Migs Castro (Paolo Mallari and Alessandro Coqueiro), and Vincent Coscolluela (Juan Carlos Veguillas)