Hey OTM Families!
As I am sure you know, our age specific martial arts program, SKILLZ, is one of the most popular and widely used children’s curriculums on the market. We are able to break down and focus on each child’s individual stage of development to help them progress faster and further!
As our students progress here at On The Mat they will move through our programs gaining access to newer and more exciting challenges. Part of the process is Aging out and Graduating out. Students Age out simply turning the appropriate age for the next program, passing that programs’ Pre-Evaluation.
Graduating out of a program takes a little longer but also adds a host of benefits that choosing to Age-out does not. While there are many benefits to graduating I would like to focus on what we have come to see as the top 3 reasons to Graduate out of a program.
1) Increased Confidence for Their Age
When a student graduates this means that they have completed all of the requirements for that program and are now considered to be above their stage of development for their current age. This means that things will still be challenging but each student will be better equipped for these challenges. This means that when they graduate to the next program, they will be able to keep up with those students or even be able to learn and progress faster!
2) Better Technique Than the Average Student
Another observation we have noticed of students who graduate is that when they move up to the next program their technique is often on par with, or better than that of their peers. This is because they have had many more months of training than the rest of their peers. This means higher scores on testings, and easier time adapting to new curriculum, and a better understanding of what the instructors are asking for.
3) Habit of Achievement
Finally, our students who graduate make achievement a habit. These students will learn to set more goals earlier by reaching higher ranking belts instead of skipping the last few when they age out. They will also find pride in being the highest rank(s) in class, wearing the advance level uniforms, and being a role model for their peers.
If Testing is on the horizon as you are reading this blog, feel free to ask your instructor about how graduating at <<your school name here>> works, and what you can expect if this is your first time!
Sincerely,
Master Andrew