Happy Independence Day!
JUL 2013
iNSiDE
calendar • earth talk • dad’s eye view feeding your young athlete • read & play • movie time SUMMER 2013
A Balanced Approach to Sports How sports, nutrition, and development connect for success. by Jordan Kent
M
ore than ever before, there is an emphasis on the childhood obesity and nutrition education for children. Even for myself, educating young minds on the benefits of healthy eating has become one of the top priorities of my summer youth sport camps. Most of this emphasis is on ensuring they receive a balanced diet full of all of the good stuff we’ve seen in the food pyramid– fruits, veggies, grains, nuts, dairy, etc. The message being that variety is the key to eating well. The benefits of a healthy diet are universally prais e d; more energy, healthier body weight, prevention of potential ailments down the road, and an overall healthier development process for our kids. However when it comes to sports, the “variety is key” mantra has been thrown out the window lately. I’ve noticed more than ever before an intention from kids to focus on one particular sport and ignore their opportunities to participate in
others, all for the sake of becoming a professional someday. Now there isn’t anything completely wrong with this belief; sure becoming a professional athlete will take years of concentrated practice and effort in a sport. Doing so at a young age though, I feel robs children of vital developmental opportunities that could actually benefit their overall athletic goals. I am such a firm believer in the value that sports play in a child’s development that I feel they are just as necessary as any type of formal education c h i l d r e n receive while developing. To m a k e sense of the value of sports, it’s necessar y to look beyond the goals and equipment and think outside of the painted lines on the field. It’s very clear that sports provide an opportunity for children to develop a variety of coordination and motor skills that are acquired when learning any sport. Much like a young inspiring pianist must practice repetition and develop coordination and muscle
memory, so does any young aspiring athlete. It is the natural “trial and error” that leads to the breakthrough and skill development associated with sports that will teach children how to control many of the amazing features of their bodies; things like balance, coordination, acceleration, change of direction, and momentum. Similar to any instrument or art utensil, there comes a progression of skill in which the child is learns to harness the capabilities of their most vital asset, their bodies. All of this work they put in benefits their health by increasing their metabolism, burning calories, and developing strong healthy bones and muscles that will benefit them throughout their lives. In my opinion though, there comes an even more important development of character for children when they participate in sports. There are lessons learned
through sports that many children otherwise would not have had the opportunity to experience in the world they live in. The incredible thing about sports is that there are many parallels to life woven into the fabric of their competition. Beginning with one of the more familiar aspects, teamwork will be one of the first lessons children will be introduced to. The goal of any team is to be successful and to put that success ahead of the needs of any individual. This teaches children to be selfless and to sacrifice some of their individual desires for the greater good of their team. In addition, every team is comprised of teammates who must fulfill their role and duty. Throughout life, we all have had to serve in a number of roles that are reflected on any team. Children will have the opportunity to experience being a leader, playing a supporting role, or being designated to one particular task simply by being on a variety of teams throughout their athletic careers. Along with teamwork, kids will have plenty of opportunities to challenge themselves, physically and mentally. I can speak first hand from my experience playing three sports in college and three years in the NFL that athletics will test your resolve, drive, and courage, but in the end will build your character. I remember the countless times I had to line up for another rep, take on another strong opponent, or head into another practice, unsure of how to face the challenge ahead of me. In each and every situation though, I learned to conquer my fear of the challenge and failure, and wound up actually embracing the adversity that stood before me. Being able to face a challenge and overcome it can build confidence and inner strength in children that they can then apply to other obstacles they will face in life. However, not every game ends up in a victory, and I remember plenty of times stepping off the field or court and not having the best performance. Learning how to handle failure was quite possibly
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