Lara Andrews is a pioneer for young sports women in New Zealand. Lara was the first Kiwi women to become a professional softball player in the USA.
Despite her international success, Lara has played many sports and before pursuing softball was also an excellent netball player among other things. Currently she’s a veteran player for the New Zealand White Sox and one of Sport NZ’s Balance is Better Champions where she connects with schools, organisations and her community to spread the word about adopting a Balance is Better philosophy and committing to this statement of intent.
In this video, Lara discusses her youth sporting journey and the benefits of taking a balanced approach and playing multiple sports.
So what are some of the key takeaways to consider when it comes to creating youth sporting environments for coaches, parents and volunteers?
- Playing multiple sports exposes young people to different skills, challenges and even coaching philosophies
- Enjoy your sport, enjoy the moment and try and grow through failure and success
- Even professional athletes can enjoy playing other sports
- Adults need to focus on positive player development
- Sport provides a great opportunity to develop life skills
- Talk to your children about what they want and expect from their sporting experience.
Image credit: Dave Lintott/PHOTOSPORT
