Hey Everyone!
As I sit here watching a plethora (word of the day alert) of hockey on this glorious day known as Hockey Day in Canada, I can’t help but think of how important and influential sports are to our world.
I’d like to start by telling a brief story about a young baseball player from Calgary, Alberta. On a hot, summer day a few years ago the boy was getting prepared for the biggest game of his life. His team was hosting the Little League Alberta Provincial Championships, which if won could lead to the Little League Canadian Nationals and possibly the Little League World Series. (Just to put things into perspective, the Little League World Series is what every young baseball player dreams of one day playing in. Not only do you play against teams from around the world, but the games are broadcasted on national television). Now that you know how momentous these tournaments are for a young child, I’ll return to the story.
So our young protagonist prepared for the big game, which happened to be against one of their Calgary rivals. When he arrived at the field he was excited to see his name penciled in as the starting shortstop. He laced up his cleats, put on his hat, grabbed his glove, and warmed-up in the perfectly trimmed outfield grass. Everything the boy had done this year was in preparation for this start. After his team completed their pre-game warm-up they were introduced on to the field, where they were greeted by a boisterous, home-town crowd. The boy took his place at shortstop and soaked it all in. He was on top of the world…but then it all came crashing down. Every ball hit his way was kicked around, bobbled, or completely missed. By the end of the game their team had lost badly and he had made six errors. The emotion from the game built up and the boy couldn’t help but cry once his teammates left the field. Noticing this, the coach confronted his distraught shortstop. The boy had felt un-consolable but after hearing his coaches wise advice, he wiped the tears away and strode off the field with confidence.
And yes, if you haven’t guessed it already that young boy was me at eleven years old. This was a key event in my life that helped shape me into the man I am today. It taught me to persevere through tough times, provided me with one of my childhood mentors, and proved that I can cry like a champ given the right circumstances. Sports are so very important and this was just one of the many examples of the positive effects it had on me. And that’s just the beginning…
When most people are done with their schooling, whether university, high school, or Clown College, they head out into the real world and attempt to land a dream job that will stabilize their life for many years. Unfortunately, to beat out the competition also vying for that job, you must go through a grueling interview and “wow” a complete stranger (sometimes two or three strangers if you’re really lucky). Now I don’t want to brag too much, but since I’ve completed university I have been a perfect 5 for 5 with job interviews (As to why I’ve had five, successful job interviews and didn’t take any of them is a whole different story). My perfect record may be because of my incredible charm or classic good-looks, but I believe the more likely reason is due to my involvement in sports. All of the intangible traits that professionals value, like good communication skills, perseverance, teamwork, leadership, and hard work, are enhanced by participation in sports.
One of the most amazing spectacles to witness is a NCAA Division 1 football game. Teams like Ohio State and University of Michigan average over 100,000 fans per game. While not all are rooting for the home team, a pretty sizeable portion are all joined together in cheering harmony to help their team succeed. There isn’t many things that can bring all walks of life together (young and old…black and white…jock and nerd…cop and thief…Jewish and Catholic…left-handed pitcher and pretty much anyone) but sports has that power.
It seems whenever you ask someone about the mentors they’ve had in life, the top of the list contains parents, teachers, and friends. However, for someone who has had any involvement in sports, a coach usually tops the list. They provide the perfect combination of teaching athletic skills and giving life lessons that carry over off the field and into other aspects of life. Granted, I’ve had a few coaches who wouldn’t make my top 100 (my fellow Northern Alum can attest to this), but there have been more than enough fantastic ones to make up.
With the growing popularity and evolution of television, movies, and video games, our lifestyle has become increasingly sedentary. Instead of getting outside in the fresh air and being active, many children are turning to video games to get their sports fix. I’m fine with games such as Wii Sports, but it is not a true supplement for the positive effects that genuine team athletics can provide.
Sports have played a big role for me and I really can’t imagine my life being any better without them. They taught me so much, kept me in excellent and healthy shape, and provided me with a few of my most influential mentors. So my one piece of advice for all those with a family or looking to start a family…get your children involved in sports!* Whether it’s a weekly gymnastics class or daily Little League Baseball, the benefits they attain will be incredibly valuable!
Until Next Time…
*Check out the “Awesome Videos” section to see why children’s athletics is fun for the parents too.
Source:
http://otherfunnythings.wordpress.com/2013/02/10/fresh-air-green-grass-and-a-whole-lot-of-sweat-gotta-love-sports/
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