A strong desire to swim competitively is extremely important when it comes to deciding if a child is ready for this rigorous sport (see Part 1). If your child seems eager to join a competitive swim team even after you’ve explained in detail the type of commitment level involved, they may be ready. But first, you need to evaluate their swimming ability to discover if they’re able to handle the work … [Read More...] about How Old Should a Child Be to Begin Competitive Swimming? Part 2
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How Old Should a Child Be to Begin Competitive Swimming? Part 1
When it comes to the question of what age a child should be to start swimming competitively, there’s no simple answer. Several different variables will come into play in making the right choice for each kid. In this article and the next, we’ll explore some of the factors involved so you can make the decision that will be best for your child’s … [Read More...] about How Old Should a Child Be to Begin Competitive Swimming? Part 1
Dancers: What It Means When Your Body Snaps, Crackles & Pops, Part 2
The constant movement involved in dance is a great form of exercise but can cause various body parts, especially joints, to make lots of different sounds. We’ve already looked at possible causes of and solutions for neck and back cracking and hip popping. Now we’ll turn our attention to the next joint down on the body: the knees. Knee Pops … [Read More...] about Dancers: What It Means When Your Body Snaps, Crackles & Pops, Part 2
Dancers: What It Means When Your Body Snaps, Crackles & Pops, Part 1
If you’ve been a dancer for any length of time, you no doubt have noticed that your body can be a bit noisy. This is especially true when you’re practicing in the studio or performing on the stage. If you’re new to dancing, you may be alarmed by this phenomenon. Dancers Can Expect Their Bodies to Make Certain Noises Body noises often come to … [Read More...] about Dancers: What It Means When Your Body Snaps, Crackles & Pops, Part 1
Dance Studio Tips: Keeping Staff Members Happy, Part 2
Your dance studio will run so much more smoothly when you hire quality staff members and keep them happy! Not only will you as the director have fewer headaches associated with the fallout of high turnover rates — including hiring and training new staff members on a regular basis — but you’ll also appreciate the kind of positive environment and … [Read More...] about Dance Studio Tips: Keeping Staff Members Happy, Part 2
Dance Studio Tips: Keeping Staff Members Happy, Part 1
As a dance studio director, managing your staff is an important aspect of your role. Among the many responsibilities you have, the last thing you want is to have to take the extra time to hire and train new staff members more often than necessary. One way to encourage low turnover rates is to be sure to hire top-notch staff members. But there’s … [Read More...] about Dance Studio Tips: Keeping Staff Members Happy, Part 1
Dance Studio Tips: Hiring Quality Staff Members
As director of your dance studio, you have a multi-faceted role that requires plenty of skills and oversight of many areas. Managing your staff is one of those areas you probably didn’t anticipate taking up so much of your time — especially if you have a high staff turnover rate. Not only does high turnover translate into the need to spend time and … [Read More...] about Dance Studio Tips: Hiring Quality Staff Members
Tips for Encouraging Your Young Martial Artists to Progress, Part 4
Helping young students to progress may be one of the most difficult yet most rewarding aspects of being a martial arts instructor. In this series (see Parts 1, 2 & 3) on encouraging your students to be the best they can be, we’ve saved perhaps the hardest to deal with category of students for last. These are your apathetic students. If you … [Read More...] about Tips for Encouraging Your Young Martial Artists to Progress, Part 4
Tips for Encouraging Your Young Martial Artists to Progress, Part 3
Keeping students on track so they can see progress is vital to the success of any youth martial arts program. As a martial arts instructor, you may find it challenging to know how to approach students with different levels of motivation (see Parts 1 & 2). In this third article of our series on encouraging young martial artists to progress, … [Read More...] about Tips for Encouraging Your Young Martial Artists to Progress, Part 3