“Slacker kids sent to snowbound boot camp” plus 2 more |
- Slacker kids sent to snowbound boot camp
- Delightful activities for kids
- Youth sports column: Kids feed off negative energy from parents, coaches
| Slacker kids sent to snowbound boot camp Posted: 10 Jan 2011 02:34 AM PST Updated  At the camps children are forced to train - military style - in sub-zero temperatures (Reuters: Lee Jae-Won ) In South Korea parents who find they have children slacking off at school, playing too many computer games or watching too much TV are increasingly trying to straighten out their under-performing kids by sending them to military boot camps. It is no walk in the park. At the camps children are forced to train - military style - in sub-zero temperatures, crawling half-naked through snow-covered ground and doing exercises for 10 hours a day. Kang Han-sol is at breaking point. His bottom lip is starting to quiver, his face scrunching up ahead of the inevitable tears. Like dozens of others, Kang is stripped to the waist wearing just combat boots and camouflage pants as he crawls through the snow. It is minus 8 degrees at Ansan, 70 kilometres south-east of Seoul, and the boot camp internees sound like a flock of bleating sheep as they drag themselves through the snow. "I was sent here by my parents because I was spending so much time playing computers games," 15-year-old Kang said. "With the training here I will be more motivated to stop playing these computer games and instead study hard." Most of the 180 kids at this boot camp have been sent here because they are failing in their studies - a cardinal sin not tolerated by proud South Korean parents. This training is designed to toughen them up, which has many of the more flabbier students on the verge of physical and emotional exhaustion. "Nowadays many students are selfish and lacking in self-reliance," trainer Park Tea-joon said. "They give up too easily, so many parents send their children here to correct these defects." Just when many of the kids are ready for a break and a spot of lunch, it is time to lift some giant logs in the snow. It is too much for some of the older kids, who actually volunteered to come here. "My mother and father, wearing smiles, advised me to come here for a good experience," 17-year-old Choi Na-yeon said. "I feel awfully sorry now that I decided to come, especially after anti-biochemical training in thin clothes in the snow." In South Korea education is everything. The country ranks second in the world in the OECD's exams for 15-year-olds. Kids are pushed hard and it is not unknown for high school students to study up to 18 hours a day to win that treasured spot at university. If slogging half-naked through the snow helps, then so be it. First posted This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Delightful activities for kids Posted: 10 Jan 2011 01:35 AM PST Tomorrow will be full of fun for young kids as there will be delightful activities awaiting every child wherever they go. National Children's Day is the most anticipated celebration for the young souls who will find their outings a memorable time of the year. Besides fun trips to public places around town, some department stores also offer a weekend full of entertainment and edutainment for kids residing in the City of Angels. Among them are Siam Paragon which presents The Flying Fantasy until Jan 9 and The Mall which organises The Mall Kids' Funtasia at four selected branches on Jan 8-9. Co-organised by Siam Commercial Bank and Muang Thai Life Assurance, the Siam Paragon The Flying Fantasy fair presents special activities at different zones. The Adventure Fantasy at Parc Paragon features over 10 games. Kids can defeat the wild bull at Rodeo Bull, defy gravity at Euro Bungee, take the wild water adventure in the Water Balloon, climb Rock Mountain, enjoy a wave slide, space ball and much more. The Ocean Maze Fantasy in the Hall of Fame of Siam Ocean World invites all youngsters to enter the labyrinth and submerge into the deep blue sea where the wonder of marine life awaits them to explore. The Entertainment Fantasy in the Fashion Hall, 1st floor, sees a parade of 300 little models marching along the catwalk in a fashion show held exclusively on Jan 8 at noon. It will feature kid's collections by five leading local brands - Chai J, Garden by Flynow III, Playhound, Tube Gallery and 27 Nov - as well as renowned international brands such as Burberry, Gap and Zara. The Nanmee Books Food for Thought Festival in the Hall of Mirror offers science experiments from the primary curriculum in Japan. From hands-on experience, the kids will develop their thinking skills as well as reading and writing skills while learning to be good team players.  Siam Paragon's The Flying Fantasy and The Mall's Kids' Funtasia fairs present many fun activities for all children to mark National Children's Day. Many booths from educational institutes are also there to provide information for parents who are looking for the most suitable school for their kids, while a myriad of toys have been discounted. Aimed to promote kids' imagination outside the classroom, The Mall Kids' Funtasia offers edutainment activities under three different themes - Thai culture, environmental conservation and recreation - at four selected branches. Children will learn about traditional Thai food in Thai dessert workshops and Thai ways of life of Nonthaburi residents in a pottery demonstration and a display of vintage cars and antique three-wheeled vehicles at the MCC Hall, 4th floor of The Mall Ngam Wong Wan. With the support by the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand, The Mall Bang Khae will showcase a replica of a new line of electric trains and how it can save power. The Mall Nakhon Ratchasima, meanwhile, has an exhibition on astrology and energy to save the crisis in Thailand. The Mall Bang Kapi will offer a labyrinth adventure under a Pirates of the Caribbean theme. There are also many cartoon characters taking turns to entertain kids, as well as creative games and a puppet show. Moreover, the Water Park at the four branches presents more fun activities with famous cartoon characters from Thailand such as Shelldon and Pang Pond. Kids who are less than 150cm in height can enter the park free of charge. For more information, contact Siam Paragon on 02-685-1000 ext 234 and The Mall on 02-310-1846/7. Did you know?You can subscribe to free e-newsletters and receive e-mail alerts when other people leave comments in articles after you did. Click here to take full advantage of the alerts! Latest stories in this category:This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Youth sports column: Kids feed off negative energy from parents, coaches Posted: 10 Jan 2011 12:41 AM PST From the mailbag:Coach Kuyper,As an official I do a lot of youth ball, and I can honestly say they (the kids) play for the fun and rarely do you hear anything about first place or their opponents. However, I never know what I'm going to get in the way of coaches while doing these games. Just the other day I had to stop the game only five minutes in to calm down the coaches. You try to reason with some coaches but their competitive drive hits these kids negatively in a lot of the cases. At this level, the kids are trying to learn the game; some of these guys think it's the NBA. I could go on and on, but won't. - RickGreat insight Rick, you have hit the nail on the head. I have seen many games of many different kinds of sports where the kids' energy, respect, and sportsmanship feeds off the adults. I remember watching a game several years ago when the officials had to eject some out-of-control parents from the gym. It was too late as the damage had already been done. The kids had already learned that if the call doesn't go your way, they have two responses: 1. Cry, complain, cause a scene and demonstrate poor sportsmanship, just like the adults. 2. Get angry and continue to play with anger by pushing, shoving, elbowing and playing rough. I remember watching a flag football game where the coach got so frustrated with his team that he came out on the field and stood behind his quarterback the rest of the game and barked out instructions, yelling at his intimidated players incessantly. The kids were afraid to make a wrong move, miss a block or throw a bad pass. The game turned into the coach's "gig." The fun dissipated the moment that coach stepped on the field. As much as some parents and coaches don't realize or refuse to see, their influence to make or break fun is immense. Once the fun is gone, the foundation of the game changes. Pressure, intimidation and performance become the focus, and the kids just lose out. When fun remains the goal, improvement and success naturally follow. Parents have the ability to cause good or harm in the youth sports experience. So, stop it adults, and let the kids have their fun. You are not 10 anymore, so let it go. Let the kids play and have fun. It's their turn now. Tom Kuyper writes about youth sports for the Arizona Republic. Comments or questions can be directed to tomkuyper @kidsandsports.com. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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