Things seemed much simpler in the 70's and 80's. There were no 7-point harness car seats. We just slammed around the back of the wood paneled station wagon like air hockey pucks. Gluten and GMO food wasn't in the vocabulary. Kids played an hour or two of organized sports on the weekends, and then played with their friends and families the rest of the weekend. Not anymore.
My kids are too young to have hit the sports insanity full force. As much as I'm excited to watch and coach my kids on the sports field, whichever one that may be, I have some trepidation about the current sports landscape out there. Kids are specializing in sports at such a young age, with camps and select teams that seemingly suck up every free moment of their lives, not to mention their parents'. It's a highly competitive environment, with big money stakes by way of collegiate scholarships in the offing. While I'm all for esteem-building competition and team camaraderie, I wonder if the pendulum has swung too far?
I just read an article in Sports Illustrated about Roy Hibbert, the 7'2" center for the Indiana Pacers. He's in the midst of a breakout season, and his team is seriously challenging Lebron James' Heat for Eastern supremacy in the NBA. One thing that I found interesting in the article was the fact that while a freshman at Georgetown University, Hibbert was unable to execute a single push-up or stand up from a chair without using his hands. Here was a Division 1 college athlete who was too weak to move his own (albeit massive) body via fundamental movements. Unfortunately, the article did not mention one thing about his current workout routine. I happen to know that Hibbert spent the summer preparing for the season by working with Mike Robertson at IFAST (Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training), a trainer whom I follow online. It would have been nice for readers to recognize the relationship between strength and fitness and athletic success.
Back to the '70's. Mr. Philips and Mrs. Robinson were my grade school gym teachers at Stratford Avenue School. In hindsight, they really knew what they were doing. I remember bear and crab walking across the length of the gym floor. I recall climbing ropes and cargo nets to the height of the gym ceiling. I remember playing hockey, softball, football and soccer. I remember the annual "Olympics" which involved a myriad of events, from tire jumping, to softball tossing, to sprinting, to tug-of-war. I remember early morning gymnastics. We did it all. And it was fun! Sure, I didn't always love bearing walking back and forth. But by having us do these exercises, Mr. Philips and Mrs. Robinson provided the building blocks to create successful future athletes.
I wonder if today's gym teachers are following in their footsteps? I wonder if today's youth coaches are too focused on sport-specific drills rather than the fundamentals of foundational strength and movement? I suppose I will find out over the next several years as my kids grow into the sports scene. But I sure hope that the adults in charge of the sports programs don't foster the college version of Roy Hibbert in the pursuit of creating the next Lebron James. I hope that coaches, gym teachers, and parents recognize that the basics always matter, and that keeping it simple will ultimately yield more healthy and successful athletes.
Next time your child scores the winning goal, touchdown or basket, give them the praise they earned. But don't forget to check if they are still able to handle the basics. Can the do a push-up? Can they squat down and stand back up with ease? Can they crawl a distance with their knees off the floor? Can they stand up from a chair without using their hands? Amid all the pressures of today's youth sports landscape, don't neglect the basics.
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