Sussex


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2024/04/2-10-1000x667.jpg" alt="encourage child in sport" class="wp-image-68358" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2024/04/2-10-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2024/04/2-10-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2024/04/2-10-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2024/04/2-10.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>While not everyone can have the impressive career of Karen Pickering MBE OLY, four times World Champion and Olympian, (pause for applause here), anyone can adopt her mindset for success and wellbeing. She’s also got the accolade of Head of Swimming at <a href="https://sussex.muddystilettos.co.uk/kids/school-reviews/ardingly-college-sussex/">Ardingly College</a> near Haywards Heath. Which means pupils get to take advantage of her wealth of knowledge and experience as well as her realistic take on resilience and the highs and lows of competitive sport.</p>



<p>During her time at the College, Ardingly’s student swimmers have gone from strength to strength including winning their first ever medal at the English Schools Swimming Association’s National Relays earlier this year. But that’s not all, Karen also manages the popular Swim School at Ardingly College, which is open to members of the local community so she appreciates all ages, talents and personalities.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Which is why Muddy asked for her expertise on encouraging children in sport, how to foster natural talent without being a pushy parent as well as getting every kid involve in physical activity.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-did-you-harness-your-passion-for-swimming-as-a-child-nbsp">How did you harness your passion for swimming as a child?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>I loved being in water and wanted to be a swimmer before I was any good at it. It was my happy place and where I felt most confident, even though I had nearly drowned in lessons when I was five!</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-can-you-remember-what-your-parents-did-or-said-to-encourage-you">Can you remember what your parents did or said to encourage you?</h3>



<p>Thanks to my parents, I believed that if you work hard at something you can achieve great things. They never said something wasn’t possible so I could dream of being an Olympic swimmer. But they also said to me that you won’t always win and that’s fine; just do your best and have fun along the way.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-if-a-child-decides-they-dislike-swimming-or-a-particular-sport-what-should-parents-do-nbsp">What if a child decides they dislike swimming or a particular sport, what should parents do?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>You can’t force a child to enjoy something, but swimming is a crucial life skill and learning to swim and be safe in water is very important. Building confidence by having fun in the pool&nbsp; –not just taking lessons, but having fun in the water – can also help. Trying different pools and instructors, with one to one lessons, can also make a difference. At the Ardingly Swim School that I run here at the College for members of the public (from babies through to adults) we have small group lessons, as well as one-to-ones, and that can make a big difference to a child who doesn’t love the water.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2024/04/1-11-1000x667.jpg" alt="Karen Pickering MBE child in sport" class="wp-image-68359" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2024/04/1-11-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2024/04/1-11-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2024/04/1-11-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2024/04/1-11.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Karen Pickering MBE</figcaption></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-if-kids-don-t-take-to-one-sport-naturally-what-s-the-solution-nbsp">If kids don&#8217;t take to one sport naturally, what&#8217;s the solution?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>Defining ‘sport’ can be problematic. Sometimes teenagers say they dislike sport but they may just mean team sports or a certain sport at school. Any activity where there is movement can help health (both mental and physical) and fitness, so encouraging children to try different activities hopefully means they will find something they do enjoy. I’m lucky to teach at Ardingly College where there are over 25 different sports on offer, as well as other active subjects such as Dance, and our aim is for all our students to find some kind of sport they enjoy and will continue in later life.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-important-is-it-for-children-to-believe-they-re-good-at-something-and-to-keep-at-it">How important is it for children to believe they&#8217;re good at something and to keep at it?</h3>



<p>It is so important to teach children that it is rare to be good at something straightway and it is normal and ok for things to not go right all the time. Success is so much more satisfying when it is something you have had to work hard for, and it is important to understand that success doesn’t necessarily just mean winning. Winning is often out of our control and depends on how someone else (a team-mate or competitor) performs. We can look at what we do and decide if we met our own goals and if we did our best and, if so, that’s a success.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-tips-would-you-give-parents-when-their-child-is-struggling-with-their-mental-health">What tips would you give parents when their child is struggling with their mental health?</h3>



<p>I find my mental health suffers if I don’t exercise. I need my body to be as tired as my brain, which can be hard when you are stressed and feel too tired to exercise. That is when I really push myself to do something, a walk, a swim, a run on a treadmill. Something where I don’t have to think and where I can be distracted from whatever is on my mind. Aside from physical benefits there are so many other great things about sport; the friendships you make, goal setting, accountability to team-mates/friends, time management skills, resilience etc. And these benefits aren’t just for those competing professionally; they are qualities that apply to any level of sport.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-do-you-do-at-ardingly-college-to-support-children-on-the-sports-psychology-side-of-things-nbsp">What do you do at Ardingly College to support children on the sports psychology side of things?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>At Ardingly, Psychology is one of our three essential pillars of Sports Performance. We regularly host motivational speakers and professional athletes to discuss how to prepare mentally. The students are also fortunate that they have so many top-class coaches and inspirational teachers to learn from; for instance, our Director of Sport is a former Manchester United footballer, we have Hockey international players on the teaching staff, as well as County level Cricket Coaches and, of course, I bring the benefits of my Olympic and World Championship experience.&nbsp;</p>



<p>At the pool we have created a place where it is safe for swimmers to come and be outgoing and interact with their teammates, or they can have time to themselves. Whatever they need. The older swimmers look out for the younger ones and they are a strong team. As a squad, we have agreed behaviours and things we won’t tolerate. When a teenager is going through a tough time, I want them to know they can come to the pool and leave that behind for a while and if they need to talk things through then they can. I remind them that underwater no one can hear them scream so if that is what they need to do, go and do it!</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-much-of-success-do-you-think-is-determined-by-mindset">How much of success do you think is determined by mindset?</h3>



<p>Talent is a head start but mindset is everything else. You have to have the will to put in the hard work and the resilience to deal with the highs and lows.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-the-main-thing-parents-forget-to-consider-when-trying-to-encourage-their-children-nbsp">What&#8217;s the main thing parents forget to consider when trying to encourage their children?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>That the most important thing is that the children should be having fun. That winning isn’t everything, so always think about the questions and conversations you have on the way back from training or competitions. The first questions shouldn’t be “Did you win?” or “Did you score?” it should be “Was that fun?” or “What skill did you learn?”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-advice-would-you-give-to-teen-who-has-been-training-at-a-sport-or-any-passion-but-haven-t-reached-the-level-they-want-to-nbsp">What advice would you give to teen who has been training at a sport or any passion, but haven&#8217;t reached the level they want to?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>Reframing what ‘good enough’ is and what is important. If they are not enjoying it, then that is different but if they feel like they are not achieving then it means learning to measure success in a different way. It is not always easy to improve, sometimes you plateau for a bit, and then you have to hang in there. Resilience in all walks of life is important and sport teaches that.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-was-your-biggest-setback-in-your-career-and-what-did-you-learn-how-did-you-move-forward-nbsp">What was your biggest setback in your career and what did you learn, how did you move forward?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>I broke my back in a car accident on my way to training when I was 24. It was tough coming back from it and took three years to get back to full training. Some people in swimming thought I should retire, but my coach and family never suggested it. Thankfully I wanted to see if I could return to my best and it meant I went on to compete in two more Olympics, broke two World Records and won two Golds at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-the-best-things-about-swimming-what-is-so-special-about-this-sport">What are the best things about swimming- what is so special about this sport?</h3>



<p>It is a life skill and opens the doors to other water sports. It helps strengthen lungs, is a full body workout, but in a non-impact way so is not harmful to your body as some other sports can be.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-can-we-motivate-teens-to-get-off-their-phones-and-into-the-water-more-often">How can we motivate teens to get off their phones and into the water more often?</h3>



<p>Keep training interesting and about more than just winning. Create a fun, safe environment &#8211; an escape from everyday stress and a place where individuals can strive to be their best and still be part of a team.</p>



<p><em><a href="https://sussex.muddystilettos.co.uk/kids/school-reviews/ardingly-college-sussex/">Read Muddy&#8217;s review of Ardingly College</a></em></p>



<p>READ MORE: <a href="https://sussex.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/wild-swimming-spots-in-sussex-winter/">Where to go wild swimming in Sussex</a></p>



<p>READ MORE: <a href="https://sussex.muddystilettos.co.uk/lifestyle/wellbeing-lifestyle/ice-ice-baby-get-to-grrrrrrips-with-cold-water-exposure-ice-baths-and-wim-hof/">Get to grips with cold-water exposure, ice baths and Wim Hof&nbsp;</a></p>



<p>READ MORE: <a href="https://sussex.muddystilettos.co.uk/life/parenting/tips-teen-mental-health/">Essential (and realistic) advice on supporting your teen and their mental health</a></p>



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Winning streak! Olympian’s tips on encouraging your child in sport and helping them enjoy it too

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