SPIDERfit’s Beacon of Best Practices
SPIDERfit Highlighted Coach
Name: Chris DeGeorge
Title: Director of Youth Development
Organization: Gabriele Fitness and Performance
Website: www.GabrieleFitness.com
1. How long have you been working with kids?
I have been working with kids for over 5 years. It has always been a passion of mine to coach and educate youth athletes.
2. What ages do you mostly work with?
The age groups I work with most range from 4th graders to 8th graders.
3. What motivates you to work with kids?
I know from personal experience how much of an impact a good coach and positive influence can have on a kid. These kids are our future leaders. I want them to build confidence and positive life skills that will stick with them throughout their life. I find it incredibly rewarding when a kid I work with accomplishes something they did not think was possible. This includes accomplishments outside of sports and training, like standing up to a bully or putting in the work to get better grades in school.
4. How would you describe your philosophy of youth physical development?
My philosophy is to build confidence and set up my kids for success as they grow in and outside of the gym. I look at training youth athletes like building a house from the ground up. I want to set the foundation of basic movements performed correctly and safely that will allow them to develop over the long term. This starts with having the athletes actually understand and think about why and how they are doing something. They need to learn through both failures and successes. This will improve their confidence and allow them to challenge themselves without fear of failure as they progress through my program. Most importantly, I try to make every session fun and enjoyable for the kids. If they are not having a good time, they will probably quit.
5. What/who have been your major influencers as to how you educate, motivate, and inspire kids to a life of fitness, performance, and health (Books, coaches, other resources?)
I have been influenced by several different sources. “Children and Sports Training” By Drabik is one of the first books I read about youth training and has set the foundation for my scientific approach to program design. I am also a member of the IYCA and have learned from many of the fellow coaches there. I also had two of the best coaches growing up; my parents. They taught me how to treat people and what I needed to do to be the best I could be.
My biggest influences really are my teammates at Gabriele Fitness. Vince Gabriele has built a tremendous team and culture of learning that pushes each of us to be the best coaches in the industry and help the most people we can. I would not be the coach I am today without Vince, Joe, Tom, Matt, Bernard, and MIchelle.
6. What has surprised you physically, mentally, or emotionally about the kids you’ve worked with?
I have been pleasantly surprised at how quickly some kids pick up on the little things I try to teach and implement them into their lives. I have seen some very shy kids become leaders very quickly. I have also heard from parents how much of an impact our training program and culture has had on their child. These little things I try to get across to my athletes are things such as giving a good handshake, asking somebody how they are doing back, remembering people’s names, etc.
7. What are the primary challenges you encounter when trying to develop kids physically?
Probably having kids connect what they are doing in class to how it will help them out on the field or court. There are some unconventional things we may do in class that does not make sense to the kid right away which will result in lack of effort or loss of interest.
8. What are your go-to strategies to overcome these challenges?
I always try to connect our training to something else and put it in terms they understand. Kids do not care about what muscles we are activating, what kinesthetic differentiation is, or the how protein is broken down in their body. They need to know this is going to make them faster, they will be able to pull off cooler moves in a game, and that if you put premium gasoline (protein) into your car (body), you will be faster and more powerful.
9. What’s your “trick” to get kids excited about exercise and physical activity?
My “trick” is to talk to these kids as equals. They are talked at or down to all day, I talk with them. They need to feel that I am their coach but also that I care about and respect them. This
Another trick I use is to “disguise” drills in games. Kids love playing games and I can set the rules and parameters of each game to result in certain skills being worked on for that day. This keeps the kids excited, smiling, and sweating.
10. How do you work with the community (parents, teachers, coaches, etc.) to get them involved?
I am very active in the community around our gym. I go to charity events, participate in fundraisers, and help develop warm-ups for youth organizations. We pride ourselves on GFP being a family gym. We love helping out our clients and athletes in any way possible.
11. How important is the role of family in developing lifelong fitness habits?
It is one of, if not the most important part of a child’s development of habits! The social network around anybody is a huge influence on that person. I make it a point to ask my athletes what they had for breakfast every day. I know the majority of them are not making their own breakfast. When I hear a kid eats pancakes or waffles every day, I know the family as a whole might need to make a change that will stick with their kid(s) for their lifetime.
12. What advice do you have for parents, teachers, coaches, personal trainers, or anyone else who strives to create a future of happy, healthy, pain-free adults?
I stick to three guidelines when working with youth athletes that I want to stay with them. First, teach them that having attention to detail is needed with anything they do. They need to listen to instructions and cues so that they learn skills and movements a lot faster. This carries over into other aspect of their life as well. Second, I teach every kid the importance and meaning of respect. There is no negativity allowed in my sessions. Treat everyone like a teammate you want to succeed. Third, make it fun! Kids do what they have fun doing. This is key to having kids grow and retain the skills and habits that will create a happy, healthy, and pain-free life.
13. Where can we find out more about your programs?
You can find out more about my programs by visiting www.GabrieleFitness.com or email me Chris@gabrielefitness.com
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