A prevelant myth among today’s parents is that families must choose between academic success and afterschool sports. There are a lot of arguments to justify focusing on academics:
- Competition for grades and college;
- Inconvenience of shuttling kids to and from practices;
- Expense of league dues and equipment.
- I understand the stress and effort that it takes to keep kids active and engaged in sports. My family will continue to be unbelievably busy as long as I have to spend three or four days a week at the fields, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. I even acknowledge that it may make it more challenging for my kids to excel in school against stiff competition…but doesn’t that lead to self-discipline and efficiency
So why work so hard to keep your kids occupied in sports? Why go the extra proverbial “extra mile” to make sure your kids compete on the field as hard as they do in the classroom?
- First, sports is a microcosm of life. It contains all the elements that people encounter throughout life, love and business: teamwork, competition, motivation, commitment, communication, adversity, victory and defeat.
Next, sports are also one of the best ways to keep your kids from picking up all the bad habits that older children and adolescents do when they have too much idle time. Body and mind stay in shape while occupied on the things that will help them grow and develop, as opposed to those habits that lead to atrophy and brain rot. Even when their not practicing and playing, their circle of friends will likely be concentrated around other likeminded kids and families who subscribe to the same activities.
Parents, engage your kids now and introduce them to the great experiences and passion that can last an entire lifetime. If you think you don’t have time or you kids can’t juggle school and sports, talk to some families who make it work, then make the adjustments to make it work for you. In the end, kids will only spend a finite amount of time on school work, so it is up to you to make sure that the rest of the time is filled with positive activities.
