So I’m back to my old job again – helping teach the children’s class at the karate academy. It’s not as easy as it sounds. Honestly, it’s not easy at all. For all those of you who work with a kids sports team, here’s a bit of advice: NOTE: I’m writing what I do for the kids karate class, it depends on what you’re teaching really.

Arrive early. You need to be there before any of the kids arrive. It’s important for the parents dropping their kids off to see a teacher there already.

Scan the room/training hall/area. There might be something dangerous or something that can get in the way while warming up or running around. Get all balls, benches, etc out of the way to avoid injuries.

Count the kids. This is an important one. You MUST count the kids as they arrive. One of them can say “bathroom!” then run off and not come back, you won’t notice because you’re too busy with the rest of them. Count them before and after class.

Show them who’s boss. Don’t put up with any bad behaviour or rude manners, no matter what your age or size. If any kids refuse to listen, let them sit the class out and have a talk with their parents afterwards.

Use the correct tone of voice – loud enough to be heard, but not harsh.

Make it fun – get the kids involved, turn the training into a series of games sometimes, but not all the time – they didn’t come to play, they came to learn.

Don’t over work them – kids get bored easily. Change the activities every 10 minutes to keep them interested. Don’t push them too hard.

Separate the naughty kids – don’t let them hang or work together in classes, the only thing you’ll get is chaos.

Use partner work – this lets the kids know each other. Have them change partners every few minutes so nobody feels left out.

That’s pretty much it! Good luck everyone!