Positive Youth Development
through martial arts
“[F]ew things are more important for our children than the gift of emotional self – control , which can be taught”
Evans, C. (2019). Performance under pressure. Auckland: Harper Collins.
Positive Youth Development (PYD)
has been described as an “approach that guides communities in the way they organise programmes, people and supports so that young people can develop to their full potential “(Pittman).
Key Outcomes
1) Developing the whole person.
2) Developing connected communities
Key Approaches
1) Strength based.
2) Respectful relationships.
3) Building ownership and empowerment
We can already see how the martial arts promote positive youth development. If you remain in doubt see the 5 + 1 model below.
The first 5 c’s in the model below was developed by Karen Pittman, Merita Irby and other colleagues (2002) and the last added by psychologist Dr. Richard Learner.
The 5 + 1 goals of Positive Youth Development
• The ability and motivation for civic and social engagement, cultural engagement, physical health, emotional health, intellectual achievement, employability.
Competence • The ability and motivation for civic and social engagement, cultural engagement, physical health, emotional health, intellectual achievement, employability.
Character • Having a sense of responsibility and autonomy. • Having a sense of spirituality and self-awareness. • Having an awareness of one’s own personality or individuality.
Connection • Membership and belonging. • Having a sense of safety and structure.
Confidence • Having a sense of mastery and future. • Having a sense of self-efficacy.
Caring/compassion • Sense of being cared for and loved. • Ability to form strong friendships. • Desire to care for others; family, peers, community and global.
Contribution • to self. • to family. • to community. • to other aspects of society.
Hamilton, Hamilton & Pittman (2004)
Without doing anything extra, Positive Youth Development is a natural consequence of martial arts learning. Imagine the benefit to our youth and the community if we enhanced this, even a little?
What if we had…
resources to us enhance this learning?
games designed to build PYD?
an online learning platform for young people who want to learn about these things?
a reward system for young people who complete self directed learning?
research that told us what young people were looking for from us?
research that told us what parents want their young people to learn?
opportunities for Sensei, Coaches, and Instructors to develop greater skills in this area?
a voice for you to add to this list?
engagement in developing these and other things and benefit from them?
Do you want to play a greater part in positive youth development?
Then become part of this community!
Example
At our Judo club we often get the children to sit in seiza and call mokuso for a brief meditation period. During this time we can still quietly speak and instruct. I tell the students to use this time to “breath on purpose” in order to get them aware of their breathing. Next time I might tell them to breath in for the count of two and out for four. Before a grading I tell them this can help them manage anxiety or I might tell them if they cant sleep because of worries they can do this breathing to relax and fall asleep. I actually tell them that when I am full of worries this is what I do to get to sleep.
Tell me what you think of these ideas or tell me what you do. Click Connect Below
SLD members can contribute to the development of this site through a youth development forum.
