Health & Fitness
The Wakeboarder
Andy and Jamie’s tips for a happy, competitive kid:
1. Ensure your child is competing for himself and not for you. We lay out information about upcoming tournaments, and Tyler decides which to enter. Then we decide which fit our schedule best. We don’t force him to practice. He pushes himself to train.
2. Find a good coach to instill good habits. We found Tyler’s coaches by word of mouth. It was important to us that his coach be a positive role model, be college-educated and treat him like an 9-year-old, not an adult.
3. Teach the child to be a good sport. Tyler’s best friend is also a competitor. We teach him that you can be competitive, but when it’s over, the friendship is what matters.
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Tyler Worrall
Age: 9 Parents: Andy and Jamie Sibling: Reese (7) City: Clermont Sports role model: Wakeboarders Danny Harf and Ben Greenwood Places to wakeboard: Lake Minnehaha, Orlando Watersports Complex Tyler’s regimen: 10 to 15 hours a week Tyler’s motto: “Always stick to it, and never give up.” Tyler described in three words: Determined to win. Accomplishments: World Wakeboard Association National Wakeboard Champion — Junior Boys (age 9 and under), Ronix Wakeboards team rider
Living on a lake and seeing his older cousins kiteboard spurred Tyler Worrall to put a wakeboard to his feet by the time he was 4 years old. Now, just five years later, the 9-year-old spends several afternoons each week riding and many weekends competing. “Wakeboarding was never something we pushed on him,” says dad, Andy. “He pushed himself to be better.”
Tyler started competing in (and winning) local competitions early on, against others twice his age. “In wakeboarding, you never know who’s going to be paired up in competition, especially when competing on the cable. We entered Tyler in his first contest for experience.” Now, he works with Coach Ben Greenwood, has a national sponsor (Ronix Wakeboards) and has started traveling to national tournaments.
PLAYGROUND Summer 2011
Thanks to cable parks, such as Orlando Watersports Complex, boats are no longer essential to learning the sport. Still, competing requires a lot of time and discipline. “Wakeboarding is a sport that we all can enjoy as a family,” says mom, Jamie. “Even traveling to Tyler’s tournaments is something we turn into family vacations.”
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