Creag Lawrence

Passionate about giving young people positive experiences through movement.

[David Edmondson @davecoaching]

The reaction to the FA announcement of 3v3 is somewhat expected.

“We will need more coaches”

This is the assumption that kids need coaches to play games and referees.

They don’t and to be fair it’s normally the adults that spoil the game.

[Jeremy Frisch @JeremyFrisch]

Years ago, in a galaxy far far away, children, many of them aspiring young athletes, would spend their summer days and after school pre-dusk hours playing outside in backyards, sandlots, woods, and playgrounds across America. These marathon sessions of movement allowed children to develop many basic physical skills. Games like tag and kick the can involved sprinting and numerous changes of speed and direction. Climbing trees or wrestling with friends developed total body strength and body awareness. Riding bikes or running on trails through the woods provided very sufficient cardiovascular benefits. As the children experienced more of these activities, this foundation of physical skills grew and expanded. When the time was right as these children grew older they would use this physical foundation as a platform to learn and master more complex movements like the skills found in sports like baseball, football, soccer and basketball etc. Children played many sports throughout the school year, and summertime was for vacation and camps. The words A.C.L. reconstruction or Tommy John surgery were literally non-existent because young athletes were hardly ever exposed to one activity long enough to cause overuse problems...
#LTAD

[Rafe Kelley @RafeKelley]

My oldest Daughter starting climbing trees just after she turned 2 with no prompting. And I encouraged her and supported her, now 12 she is the only girl in her class who can do 5 pull ups and this is despite now focusing on dance athletically.

Tree climbing is deep part of human heritage the hand needs it for grip development, the arm needs it for muscular and connective tissue develop, the shoulder needs it for range of motion, strenght and motor controll the nervous system needs it for movement complexity.

Here is one of our favorite games from when she was little, I would put one of her dolls in a tree so she can rescue it, we call it the fireman game.

Next time your kid starts climbing something don't tell them to get down see how you can help them do it safely, because climbing just like crawling, walking and runny is key part of human movement development and that goes for adults too.

[Guardian Australia @GuardianAus]

‘Why can there be no peace?’ Cyprus remains divided 50 years on https://t.co/p9L0bblaVi

[Ed Aarons @ed_aarons]

“From day one, Gareth wanted to see how it all worked and how everything fitted together.” How Southgate’s role in FA youth coaching revolution sowed seeds for success at senior level. Thanks to ⁦@nlevett⁩ and ⁦@johnallpress52⁩ https://t.co/VNI6A1yxRD

[Eugene Minogue @EugeneMinogue]

Great addition to my LLL (Lifelong Learning Library) 📚

‘The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness’ - @JonHaidt

https://t.co/zbFGAKx5qg

The book examines the decline of teenagers’ mental health over the last few decades. To understand teenagers, Haidt looks back at their childhood, especially at the effect of social media. 

His thesis is that childhood quickly and profoundly changed in the digital age. Particularly, how we messed childhood up by depriving children of play.

The decline of the play-based childhood, began in the 1980s and accelerated in the ‘90s.

All mammals need free play, and lots of it, to wire up their brains during childhood to prepare them for adulthood. But many parents in Anglo countries began to reduce children’s access to unsupervised outdoor free play out of media-fueled fears for their safety, even though the ‘real world’ was becoming increasingly safe in the 90s.

The loss of free play and the rise of continual adult supervision deprived children of what they needed most to overcome the normal fears and anxieties of childhood: the chance to explore, test and expand their limits, build close friendships through shared adventure, and learn how to judge risks for themselves. 

Three key takeaways;

1) Free play is essential to children’s optimal development.

The fact that children must play to be healthy physically but also cognitively, emotionally, and socially is often lost. 

2) The play-based childhood is on the decline.

Society shifted from letting children run and play outdoors with other children to a desire to protect them from all risks, real or imagined.

3) The smartphone-based childhood is on the rise.

The shift from a play-based to a smartphone-based childhood - what he calls the “great rewiring of childhood” has led to a surge in anxiety disorders and depression in teenagers.

It’s time for collective actions for better childhood!

Children need far more time playing with other children. This play should ideally be outdoors, in mixed age groups, with little or no adult supervision (which is the way most parents grew up, at least until the 1980s).

🏫🚸🌿🍁🍂🪵 🚲 🛴 🛹🛼 🛝 🏃🏼‍♂️🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏾👩‍🦽🚴🏿🚏🚶🏻🤸🏾‍♂️🤸🏼‍♂️🌳🏘️

#PlaySufficiency #FreePlay #Play #PhysicalLiteracy #PhysicalActivity #Leisure #Sport #ActiveTravel #PlayStreet #SchoolStreets #StreetPlay #HomeZones #FreerangeUrbanNeighbourhoods #FUN #Playces #Splace #Parks #Playgrounds #KnowBallGames #UNCRC #Article31

[Eugene Minogue @EugeneMinogue]

‘How to be a Norwegian parent: let your kids roam free, stay home alone, have fun – and fail’ - @Guardian

https://t.co/9spe2AIiBo

In Norway, children walk to school aged six, or even travel across the country – and no one bats an eyelid. Why do these kids have so much independence, while other countries are so risk-averse?

Failure, it seems, is a big part of Norwegian parenting – enjoy the freedom to make mistakes, but learn from them. There’s a tacit understanding that yes, you can climb that tree, but you might fall and hurt yourself. Or maybe falling will make you a better climber in future?

The Norwegian parenting style of ‘free child-rearing’ looks at things from the child’s perspective, to ask: what does the child experience in this situation? What does the child understand now? How can I help the child to understand what’s going on? How can I support the child in this situation?

British parents became more scared of unsupervised outdoor play sometime in the early 90s, and blames the decade’s breathless media coverage of the threats posed by violent crime and road traffic accidents.

“The freedom that children have in the Scandi way of doing things, it can all contribute to a healthier lifestyle with more outside play. There’s also a feeling that children are more integrated into society.

But I think, over the years, UK society has become more risk averse. If you just look at the way attitudes to outside play have changed over the last generation, it’s very clear that parents are more reluctant to take on even the smallest risk.

It’s a shame because giving kids freedom to run around with their friends outside seems to have many advantages – for the children and their parents.” - @Justine_Roberts

Free-range children will learn all they need to about the world without unnecessary intervention.

🏫🚸🌿🍁🍂🪵 🚲 🛴 🛹🛼 🛝 🏃🏼‍♂️🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏾👩‍🦽🚴🏿🚏🚶🏻🤸🏾‍♂️🤸🏼‍♂️🌳🏘️

#RiskBenefit #PlaySufficiency #FreePlay #RiskyPlay #ActivePlay #PhysicalLiteracy #PhysicalActivity #Leisure #Sport #ActiveTravel #PlayStreet #SchoolStreets #StreetPlay #HomeZones #Playces #Splace #Playgrounds #Parks #FreerangeUrbanNeighbourhoods #FUN #KnowBallGames #UNCRC #Article31

[Geir Jordet @GeirJordet]

What are some of the things to look for when you watch a penalty shootout? #EURo2024

[Jeremy Frisch @JeremyFrisch]

Dear Youth Athletes,
Be an athlete first...
Stay away from playing one competitive sport all year...
Stay away from superteams...
Stay away from tournaments that put out too many games over too few days...
Stay away from "elite" anything...
Stay away from youth national championships...
Olympic Development programs...
And travel teams that fly across the country...

Instead do other activities outside your sport. Master your own bodyweight..
Learn to :
Sprint
Jump
Throw
Crawl
Climb
Carry
Flip
Roll
Tumble
Start early in life, do it often, have fun!
#LTAD
#beanathletefirst

[Pete @sturge_p]

Here we go coaches. Our new website to support coaches is now live https://t.co/ukYpTj11Si A new session will be added each week to give you time to try things out. Let us know what you think and how they go. #thesessioncollective

[Jeremy Frisch @JeremyFrisch]

Athletic skills are trainable throughout a lifetime. However, there is no doubt that the greatest window of opportunity for accelerated athletic growth happens between the ages 5-13 years of age. Expose children early and often to as much movement variety as possible.
For those looking for a guide to help develop all around movement skills and athleticism in children I gave programs and courses available. DM for details.
#LTAD

[Creag Lawrence @creagl]

Sehr gut Gary! hoffentlich ist alles in ordnung? Beste wunsche 👍🏾 ⚽️

[Gary Piggott @CCD_Essex]

I was trawling through some old tweets and came across this, that Creag @creagl retweeted back in 2019.
I've had a play with it and translated, not personally obviously. Well worth a look, if you have not yet seen.

[England Football Learning @EnglandLearning]

The second six-yard box isn't just the most popular area for goals at the top level of the game.

We analysed the boy's academy game and found this 👇�The second six-yard box isn't just the most popular area for goals at the top level of the game.

We analysed the boy's academy game and found this 👇�The second six-yard box isn't just the most popular area for goals at the top level of the game.

We analysed the boy's academy game and found this 👇�The second six-yard box isn't just the most popular area for goals at the top level of the game.

We analysed the boy's academy game and found this 👇🧐

[Creag Lawrence @creagl]

@ShehabKhan Top stuff Shehab 👏🏽

[Creag Lawrence @creagl]

@vphalsall @EnglandLearning 👀

[Jeremy Frisch @JeremyFrisch]

Parents:
You can help your children develop
1. Athleticism
2. Coordination and Fitness
3. Oh and Have lot's of fun...

Instead of screen time, play with your kids doing fun physical activities right in your own home!

Here is a list of Family recess/Athletic development ideas that can be done right inside the house:

Pillow fights.

Arm wrestle.

Play wrestle 

Leg wrestle

Hand tag game

Jump from hula hoop to hoop

Hop/leap from hula hoop to hoop

Crawl through hula hoop

Hula hoops/beanbag toss

Airplanes with mom or dad

Pillow fights

Get off ground, no hands

Jump and land on cushions

Forward rolls on the cushions

Freeze tag

Sprint up the stairs 

Red light green light

Simon says

Noodle Joust

Noodle fencing

Duck/jump the moving noodle

Jump and touch the high noodle

Jump over the noodle for time

Hop to and from the bathroom

Jumping jacks during commercials

Steam rollers 

Push sibling in laundry basket 

Keep up the balloon

Lying down get up and balance on 1 leg

Stand on one leg for time

Stand on one leg and catch ball

Slow bear across the couch

Hide and seek

Jump rope 

Play catch

Build a furniture fort 

Towel tug-of-war W/cushions
#LTAD

[Creag Lawrence @creagl]

@Mullo83 👏 top stuff mullo

[Reucra8 @reucra8]

Are football academies given the wrong name? do they need to be closer to childhood play - youth club atmospheres combining apprentice learning from mixed age play + some theory - you don’t want to go to school all day then feel you’re back at school

https://t.co/lPkls0jjvp

[Reucra8 @reucra8]

‘Skill is King 👑’ - gaining advantage in Flow - Positioning - awareness - movement - deception - timing - techniques - no matter what level - gaining advantage in flow to outwit your opponents is so enjoyable 😎🔥🏀

[Creag Lawrence @creagl]

As always @KevinGreen82 👏

[Kevin Green @KevinGreen82]

Thread of my thoughts on 1:1
Licence to print cash especially in grassroots game with lack of honesty - so many players need athletic development prior to these sessions! Although if you look at some accounts via Companies House they either don't make much or are defrauding HMRC