NONCOMPETITIVE KIDS CAN STILL BE SPORTY!
LESS INTIMIDATING AND JUST AS REWARDING
While you may have enjoyed competitive sports as a child, that doesn’t necessarily mean your child will feel the same. Not every personality matches well with team sports and high-pressure competitive matches. Whether your child is shy or less competitive, there are still sports they can participate in and enjoy!
personal goals. Martial arts can help your children develop their focus and concentration while practicing self-defense skills. Some other martial arts styles your child might enjoy include kung fu, jiujitsu, capoeira, judo, and aikido. SWIMMING For kids who love diving into the water, swimming should be a sport to try. Like the rest of the listed individualized sports, the choice of joining competitions or a team is entirely up to your child. As they progress in their swimming journey, they may decide to start participating in competitive swim meets at the local YWCA/YMCA. HORSEBACK RIDING This equestrian sport is perfect if your kid loves animals! While it may be more pricey, many equestrian centers offer discounts or even free lessons in exchange for stable work. Your child may thoroughly enjoy caring for the horses
when working in the stables, and in return, they can also take horseback riding lessons.
ROCK CLIMBING Climbing, which debuted as a sport in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, can be done indoors or outdoors. Many rock climbing studios offer lessons for kids and ensure sufficient safety regulations. Rock climbing can lead to a lifelong passion for the sport and opportunities to compete in various events if desired later.
GYMNASTICS Yes, gymnastics can be competitive ( think
Olympic intensity ), but that doesn’t always have to be the case. Your kids can start gymnastics without having to compete. Beginning gymnastics often focuses on basic movements and stretches to gain flexibility. If your child develops a passion for the sport, they can choose to go competitive later at their own speed! MARTIAL ARTS Martial arts, such as karate and taekwondo, help kids improve their self-confidence and achieve
Create a Stable Foundation
4 DOCUMENTS THAT BUILD A BETTER TEAM
In the early days of running a business, entrepreneurs tend to move fast and loose, hiring on gut instincts. But as time goes on, that method becomes less sustainable. Recruiting the best people and reducing turnover requires intentionality. It all starts with the following foundational documents that will ensure the entire team is on the same page. WELL-DEFINED JOB DESCRIPTIONS Unclear expectations constantly disrupt workplaces. Correcting that problem starts
before you extend a job offer to a candidate. Job descriptions for every role help match people with positions and reduce the likelihood of disputes over who is responsible for what. When needed, job descriptions can also help you enforce accountability when employees fall short. AN EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK Don’t assume everyone knows how to act in a professional environment — put the non-negotiables in writing. An employee handbook should contain essentials like time off policies, dress codes, conduct standards, and dispute resolution processes. An employee handbook sets expectations for staff while reducing potential conflict. Simultaneously, it provides you with a roadmap for fair and effective team management. KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS How do you know who is performing well and who isn’t meeting standards? Don’t count on subjective judgment calls. Instituting key performance indicators (KPIs) that make sense for your line of business and your employees’ work will help keep them on the right track.
Accuracy and productivity KPIs give employees the gift of knowing what you expect and provide you with a way to evaluate performance fairly. Those already doing well will enjoy seeing their hard work recognized, and those who need improvement will better know where they stand. CORE VALUES It doesn’t take many business owners long to learn that someone can have high proficiency while being a bad fit for the team. To build the company culture you want, you must first define it. Determine what core values you want your employees to uphold, put them in writing, and emphasize them often. Core values check bad behavior, help you weed out the poor team players, and align your team on common goals. These foundational documents will help you hire better team members and reduce turnover. With everything in writing and signed off on by your employees, these policies also protect your business from potential employment lawsuits. If your small business doesn’t have any of these essentials, it’s time they go to the top of your to-do list.
2 • DouglassRunger.com
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