A
Sporting Chance
Not all children end up playing
traveling youth sports and some do not play sports at all growing up. Yet
somehow, to the amazement of ever expanding community of athlete parents, these
children still turn out to be productive citizens, some contributing to society
at the highest levels imaginable. Growing
up my family and I were fully immersed in the traveling sports community. I
played hockey, baseball, football and was also involved in martial arts for a
time. My brother was also a hockey player and my sister a successful basketball
and fast pitch soft ball player. In other words, there were very few moments to
rest at our house, it was always go, go, go. Surely, the amount of money and time that my
parents had to sacrifice so that we could participate was excessive. Recently,
my father flat out told me that there were moments when he was not sure how he
was going to pay the bills, let alone our athletic fees and actual traveling
expenses. By now, you are probably wondering, what is your point? Well, I’m
getting there, just hang tight.
I am no longer a child and I no longer play at any
competitive sports. As a matter of fact, about the closest thing I have left I
compete in is either a game of two-on-two basketball with my boys, or a day out
on the golf course with my work buddies. All kidding aside though, the nagging
injuries that I suffered playing high level competitive sports growing up
continue to haunt me each day of my life. From my surgically repaired shoulder
that requires a shot Cortisone every three years or so. To my groin and
hamstring tears that never quite healed right, so that I walk with a slight
limp. I must say it wasn’t just money and time that were being sacrificed all
those years ago traveling from town-to-town playing sports. The point was to
make it big, to play in the NHL, or the NFL, all of the hard work,
longsuffering and sacrifice for a less than a 1% chance, where is the logic in
that?
To have a much success as has been the case, travel
youth sports must certainly be offering something of value to these children
and their families, but what? Most of us have heard all of the common arguments
that support travel youth sports. The more popular ones are that traveling
(team) sports build “character” that you can use throughout the rest of your
life. They teach all important lessons, such as; how to function in a “team”
environment, how to be coachable, how to be accountable for your actions, how
to learn from your mistakes, how to take risks in a secure environment and my
personal favorite, the cornerstone of sportsmanship itself – how to lose
gracefully. I admit to you that each one of these along with so many others are
extremely important to the development of a child’s character, however I
question the method in which travel sports delivers it. Moreover, I challenge
the assumption that sport, whether individually, or collectively can deliver
these messages as effectively as a simple well run family unit.
Considering we are given only one body and one mind
to use while alive in this life, should it not be paramount to protect our kids
while they go through the fragility of their youth? Are we so wreck less to not
see the alternatives that exist elsewhere in functioning communities such as
the theatre, or the boundless arenas of science, math, music and art, to name a few. Feed them
from these areas and watch them grow and experience success. Fuel their
strengths in the areas in which they will be required to use for their jobs,
for their future families, for the betterment of society. To evolve as a
culture we must move beyond the pitfalls of the common misconception that every
child wants/needs to play sports, and that they should aspire to be part of a
traveling team as the pinnacle of their young lives. Just as most children are curious beyond
measure, so too was Albert Einstein who was once quoted saying, “I have no
special talent. I am only passionately curious.” Not just curious about sports, but rather all
things.
