Keeping Kids Hydrated

	Make sure your children get plenty of liquids to stay healthy and active this summer, and help them develop good hydration habits for a lifetime. By Debra Wittrup

	No Sweat Children are much more prone to dehydration than adults because their bodies don't cool down as efficiently, and they are never more at risk than during the heat of summer. The danger arises when fluids are leaving the body through sweating faster than they are being replaced, and severe dehydration can be life-threatening. Taking a few simple precautions will protect your child and allow him/her to enjoy the summer fun safely.

	Power Aid Perhaps the best way to keep your child hydrated is to get her used to drinking liquids regularly. Offer healthy beverages at every meal and with snacks. And if you know a particularly busy or strenuous day is coming up in your child's schedule, add some extra hydration in her first meal of the day or even the night before. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends drinking the equivalent of a standard bottle of water (16.9 oz.) about 2 hours before vigorous exercise.

	Wet Their Whistles Don't wait until your child is thirsty to offer refreshment; by that time he is already dehydrated. Three studies by the University of Connecticut found that more than half of the children at sports camps were significantly dehydrated despite the availability of water and sports drinks and the encouragement to drink liquids. Get your child in the habit early on by scheduling frequent beverage breaks during activity, about every 20 minutes or so in hot weather. If possible, take all hydration breaks in a shady spot.

	Banned from the Sport When choosing drinks for kids, avoid those that have caffeine, such as iced tea or many sodas. As a diuretic, caffeine can contribute to the dehydration process by increasing fluid loss. In addition, as a stimulant, it can depress the symptoms of dehydration. Beverages such as soda or juice-flavored drinks might taste refreshing, but the high sugar content is unhealthy for many reasons and should be avoided for hydration except as a last resort.

	Sweet Choices Many fruits are excellent sources of water as well as being a nutritious snack. Offer fruits often during playtime and throw them in the cooler for after-game snacks. Fruit juice has a higher concentration of sugar than whole fruit and because of that, it's not the best beverage choice for hydration during strenuous exercise. But the AAP (American Academy of Pediatric) does see a place for it among your options: for activity periods longer than three hours, the AAP suggests a drink of half water and half 100-percent juice.

	Eat Your Veggies Always include high-water-content foods in your daily meal planning to help your family stay well-hydrated at all times so strenuous activities don't find them in a deficit. In addition to water, fruit, fruit juice, and many vegetables are excellent sources of hydration. Clear soup, especially when made with vegetables, offers an ideal way to get liquid into the diet along with good nutrition.

	Winning Strategy As they get older, you won't be able to follow your kids everywhere to ensure they're getting the liquids they need. But you can help them to understand the importance of hydrating frequently for good health. Instill in them early on the habits of frequent beverage breaks and choosing liquids wisely. Help those good habits along by always packing good sources of hydration into their lunchboxes or backpacks as not-so-subtle reminders to keep up the good work! Always remember to incorporate a health exercise plan into your child's routine.  While the heat may create an issue for your child with some outdoor sports, Martial Arts is a year round activity that is not limited by the weather conditions.  Kids train inside, but are engaged physically and mentally. Koguryo Martial Arts Academy 614-899-9033 www.koguryoma.com

What do Kids want in a Coach?

According to kids asked in an online survey: "What should a coach care about most?" You might expect them to answer "to focus on winning." But "Put me in, coach!" is what most kids really want.

In fact, the majority didn't think winning was all that important. Only 7% of girls said coaches should be most concerned with winning, while about 18% of boys said so.

Here's what boys and girls value most in a coach:

64% said giving everyone a chance to play

27% said teaching new skills

9% said winning

Striving for excellence is a great goal, but when coaches and parents apply too much pressure, kids can get overly worried or push themselves too hard physically, leading to injuries. Some kids may even go on unhealthy diets to lose or gain weight to be better at their sport.

And when sports become too competitive, kids who have only average or below-average skills might spend too much time on the bench instead of learning new skills.

I grew up playing soccer for a team that won 3 consecutive state championships in middle school, however, I spent most big games on the bench.  I have always been competitive, and this was a challenge for me.  But, I learned a lot about being a support member and how to work hard for what I wanted, playing time when it mattered. It also taught me to look beyond what others thought of my ability.  I learned to find value in myself and others as members of a team.  Later, as I matured and played for other teams, including my collegiate national finalist experience at Otterbein College, these experiences helped me to function as a leader in those environments.

As a martial arts instructor, I use these skills to help kids find their own value and not to compete against each other, but to support one another, grow as individuals, and always push to do their best.  Kids need to learn to respect themselves enough to do their best, regardless of whether it earns them instant gratification.

10th Degree master instructor Greg Silva offers this perspective, "I have been a  martial arts instructor for 46 years.  I believe there are no better coaches than martial arts teachers."   Martial Arts instructors know that the door to success open "in" not "out".   That means the success to building an athlete who is well balanced yet understands that being in top shape and a top performer begins with the proper attitude, confidence, self esteem, sportsmanship and self control.    This building from the "inside out" will prevent kids from being lazy, giving up, or quitting.   The nature of martial arts with setting continuous goals is a key to it's success.   And there is no bench to sit on.   All kids learn, train and compete while playing the "game" in every class they take.”

To see how martial arts teaches so much join us in training.  Classes are forming now.

Contact us for information on 6 week Quick Start sessions and how to ‘Get in the Game’.

Phone - 614-899-9033

Email: koguryomartialarts.hq@gmail.com

Web: http://www.koguryoma.com/