Teaching through Sports

As parents, my wife and I have to balance our competitive natures with our "let children be children" philosophy. We also have to balance the need keep our adult sports fun. My wife and I don't ever expect to make money from our athletic adventures. We certainly don't put that kind of pressure on our young athletes. Every week presents challenges and stresses, especially when children have expectations that don't mesh with their actions. Really, how do you always keep it fun when you are constantly under pressure to do your best? When you are doing things that aren't fun? When it's cold and miserable and you don't feel well? My wife and I are now remembering that sometimes it's not fun being a teenager!

More than my wife, I have to keep youth sports in perspective. Some of my fondest memories are the personal victories from AAU and high school swimming. I grew up in the pool, and I can honestly say my personal and professional success as an adult is a direct result of growing up as a year-round competitor. Of all the gifts I was given by my parents, the weekends and evenings spent inhailing clorinated air ranks in the top two or three. But these are memories. My parents remember it a little differently. They remember having to kick me out of bed for a 6:30 morning practice. They remember the trips out of state where I didn't give it my all. They remember the trials of parenting, not wanting to squash my desire but wanting to point out the need to always do your best. They remember the parent's perspective - the trials my wife and I face now. They also remember the good times. They were there when I won the 100 Butterfly at high school state championships. My mother emailed me a note from the hometown paper where the "25 years ago" section had the results of a dual meet with another team. I set two Conway HS team records at that meet. Someone else holds the records now, but what a fun memory!

Add into this competitive mix the task of learning to coach your own child! With my expectations and fond memories, I set my oldest daughter up for failure. It took several years of trial and error, which ended when we both agreed that I was not going to be her coach... But as her parent, there were still lessons that needed to be taught. In today's information-rich environment, I needed a way to tell all three of my children about the important lessons we should all learn from growing up competitors. Since "why" is far and away the most important question in the information age, I penned the book "Why We Play" as my gift.

About the Author.

A Journey in Soccer.

Writing the book Why We Play.