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| Happy children = happy mommy |
Some of you might know that the husband was quite an athlete when he was younger. He played soccer, swam (i forced him to join the inter-class competition), conquered crazy stunts on the roller blade and did table tennis competitively. He was quite a monkey according to his mom. Perhaps that was why he picks up sports easily even to date. I wasn't too shabby either. During those good old school days, I participated in volleyball, badminton, swimming, bowling and tennis. I was Jack. Trying out everything but never could master anything. I was terrible at balancing. I put the blame on my parents who bought me a bike, but never once taught me how to ride or brought it down for me to try. Now with kids, I really hope they'd be like their father and inherit his agility and not my horrid sense of balance. To start off, Big K was said to be a tad slow in her gross motor skills when she was in N1. Being a first-time mom, I didn't know what milestones she was suppose to hit and blindly believed our N1 teacher. So even though we brought her to the playground daily, we still enrolled her for gym class. Fast forward 7 years, I have this to tell you new mommies: Believe in your child! They will get there eventually!
So I nudged the hubs to guide her in table tennis. Sadly, he might have been the captain of his team back in University days, but he can't even coach his own daughter. He just didn't have the patience. I knew I needed help. Yet, I was clueless as to who to engage as a coach. I certainly did not want some quack training my child. By a stroke of fate, Coachradar was introduced to me. CoachRadar was founded with a mission to promote holistic upbringing in children. Their founders, who are a pair of lawyer and banker turned entrepreneurs duo, firmly believe that sports is pivotal in the success they found in the careers. Indeed, studies have shown that exercise increases blood flow to the brain hence creating more connection between the nerves, leading to better concentration, memory, creativity and better problem-solving skills. In summary, playing sports helps the brain to grow better.
With such a background, I knew i could trust the coaches who were under them. CoachRadar is somewhat like a tuition agency which has a host of professionals for you to choose from. In this case, a coach for the sport you are interested in learning. Yes! They do not only have table tennis, but an array of others like badminton, basketball, swimming and many more. They have an extensive network of coaches and you can choose one base on ratings, location and price. Still not convinced that they do not enlist quacks? Well, they choose to partner only those who are experienced and certified. The coaches are required to submit their identity documentation and proof of their certifications during the application process. They also carry out rigorous search within the public domains to verify their information. With this, I felt much more assured. In fact, a quick check with people in the table tennis scene led us to confirm that the coach we were connected with, is indeed a qualified one in Singapore. But do you know what's the best part? This is a FREE platform! Yes, they do not charge any admin fee or commission! All prices shown are the rates of the coaches. You pay the coaches of course.
How does it work?
You may browse through the selection of coaches and read through their credentials as well as reviews. Once you've decided, all you need to do is to request a booking with the coach of your choice with a preferred lesson type and schedule. Upon confirmation, you'll receive each other's contact information to ask further questions of request scheduling changes. Yup, it is that simple!
So how did Big K perform?
She gave table tennis a try at age 5. She hated it. She couldn't reach the table and hence was frustrated and tired. We had to stop. Now that she is taller, She could hit with more ease and I was pleasantly surprised that even though she hadn't played for a long while, her touch was still there. Papa bear said that she had ball sense. Coach Toby also commented that she had potential. Indeed, within a mere 4 lesson, she was able to better her forehand, learn backhand and how to serve a ball! Not first class smashes but good enough for me! I was pretty impressed. That made her more confident even though she still tells me how she dislikes the heat. The girl needs to step out of her comfort zone and Learn! Sorry hun, Mummy doesn't want to breed a greenhouse-child.
So how did Small K perform?
Small K is academically 5yo this year. Theoretically, this is the right age to start him off this sport. Hence, we let him have a go as well. However, this boy preferred to be a ball boy more than anything else! *face palm. Papa bear, however, said this was actually a skill too. OK! If you say so! Small K was extremely not focused and more interested in chasing the ball than hitting the ball, but Coach Toby was so patient in guiding him. So much so, I was a little embarrassed. Coach Toby was well-versed on how to coach children. Firstly, he suggested that our session be a 1hour instead of a 2hours session. Initially, I thought a 2hour would be good as the child could hit many balls and have sufficient practice. But nope, you could see their stamina dwindling after 45mins of play. So, Coach Toby was correct! He also attempted to speak to my children at their level. He squatted and ensured that the eye level was the same! Most importantly, he kept encouraging Small K, telling him it's perfectly fine not to hit the ball. On our second lesson, Small K was a whole lot better. So, did he have potential like the sister? hmmm...I can't really tell yet. He seems far better at running though! Perhaps I should get him a coach for track and field!
Over and above, I think this platform is really great if you wish to get a coach to guide your child in whichever sport your child likes or simply testing out waters to see if things work out. You never know, he may just be the next Joseph Schooling. Head over to CoachRadar today to connect your kids with trusted sports coaches in Singapore and groom a well-balanced child! #balanceforsuccess
