Not a sports fan?

 

I’m a sports fan. That much is obvious. But I’m more of a fan of sports rather than someone that keeps up with their stats and players and all that. Let me explain.

I can’t tell you much about the teams or the scores and all that. Oh, I do love my Clemson Tigers but I can’t tell you all the players and how they’re doing.  I know that Dabo Swinney is the coach and that George Quarles’ son is the assistant to the offensive coordinator. And that we need a good running back and a DB or two.

I can’t tell you which former Tigers are in the pro’s or the team they are on, other than Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne (Jacksonville Jaguars).

I rarely sit and watch an entire game, start to finish.  I’m just not made that way. I found the Super Bowl interesting in bits and the only way I knew who won the World Series was when I got a photo of my friend Sue Falson (a physical therapist with the Dodgers) celebrating with the trophy.

I’m definitely not that sports fan that lives and dies based on the outcome of a game.  I don’t listen to sports shows on the radio and I rarely watch sports on TV.

My wife is the true sports fan in the family.  Any time I get behind the wheel of her van, you can be sure that the radio is on and tuned to one of the sports radio shows.

But I am most definitely a fan of sports participation.

I believe in sports for everyone. My rule as a father was that I didn’t care what sport you played, but you had to play something.  For the most part, my kids are raising their own kids based on the same principle. 

Sports participation, in and of itself, is an incredibly important part of growing up. Youth sports teams are not about making future sports stars—they’re about teaching life lessons.

But you’ve heard that here, time and time again.

“Upon the fields of friendly strife are sown the seeds that, upon other fields, on other days, will bear the fruits of victory.” That quote from General Douglas MacArthur speaks to the opportunity to learn and grow from sports participation.

Did you know that over 90% of female CEO’s in this country played sports in high school? They learned valuable lessons in teamwork, rewarded effort, and reliability that they carried into hugely successful careers.

But here’s my dark moment—it has become incredibly expensive to participate in youth sports these days. Golf and tennis have long been dominated by those blessed by parents with healthy incomes, who can afford the costs of being good.

Soccer, baseball, softball, and volleyball have, unfortunately, joined the ranks of sports that are just downright expensive to participate in. Between travel ball and private coaching, the costs can be enormous.

What’s the solution? I believe that if your youngster develops real athleticism, if they play multiple sports, if they play for the love of the game, then they will be successful.  Maybe not in what you think might be their best sport—given the opportunity, a child will find what they’re really good at.

And I don’t care what anyone tells you—no one can tell at 8 that a child is going to be a great athlete. So, save your money, travel to cool places, give your child diverse opportunities, and let them find their way.

Let Them Find Their Way

 

I’m a sports fan. That much is obvious. But I’m more of a fan of sports rather than someone that keeps up with their stats and players and all that. Let me explain.

I can’t tell you much about the teams or the scores and all that. Oh, I do love my Clemson Tigers but I can’t tell you all the players and how they’re doing.  I know that Dabo Swinney is the coach and that George Quarles’ son is the assistant to the offensive coordinator. And that we need a good running back and a DB or two.

I can’t tell you which former Tigers are in the pro’s or the team they are on, other than Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne (Jacksonville Jaguars).

I rarely sit and watch an entire game, start to finish.  I’m just not made that way. I found the Super Bowl interesting in bits and the only way I knew who won the World Series was when I got a photo of my friend Sue Falson (a physical therapist with the Dodgers) celebrating with the trophy.

I’m definitely not that sports fan that lives and dies based on the outcome of a game.  I don’t listen to sports shows on the radio and I rarely watch sports on TV.

My wife is the true sports fan in the family.  Any time I get behind the wheel of her van, you can be sure that the radio is on and tuned to one of the sports radio shows.

But I am most definitely a fan of sports participation.

I believe in sports for everyone. My rule as a father was that I didn’t care what sport you played, but you had to play something.  For the most part, my kids are raising their own kids based on the same principle. 

Sports participation, in and of itself, is an incredibly important part of growing up. Youth sports teams are not about making future sports stars—they’re about teaching life lessons.

But you’ve heard that here, time and time again.

“Upon the fields of friendly strife are sown the seeds that, upon other fields, on other days, will bear the fruits of victory.” That quote from General Douglas MacArthur speaks to the opportunity to learn and grow from sports participation.

Did you know that over 90% of female CEO’s in this country played sports in high school? They learned valuable lessons in teamwork, rewarded effort, and reliability that they carried into hugely successful careers.

But here’s my dark moment—it has become incredibly expensive to participate in youth sports these days. Golf and tennis have long been dominated by those blessed by parents with healthy incomes, who can afford the costs of being good.

Soccer, baseball, softball, and volleyball have, unfortunately, joined the ranks of sports that are just downright expensive to participate in. Between travel ball and private coaching, the costs can be enormous.

What’s the solution? I believe that if your youngster develops real athleticism, if they play multiple sports, if they play for the love of the game, then they will be successful.  Maybe not in what you think might be their best sport—given the opportunity, a child will find what they’re really good at.

And I don’t care what anyone tells you—no one can tell at 8 that a child is going to be a great athlete. So, save your money, travel to cool places, give your child diverse opportunities, and let them find their way.

Ready and Able

 

I’ve gotten soft in my old age. I mean, I’ve always been a pretty emotional guy—It’s just gotten worse.

Forget Marley and Me—I’ll often get all emotional because the underdog wins, or the couple made for each other get together. 

I had an episode recently where a young athlete that I’ve gotten close to injured her knee.  She had already been here for long rehab on one knee, only to injure the other one.  I was off that afternoon but came back to examine her knee.

When I walked into our reception area, where she sat distraught, it was all I could do to keep from crying with her.  Truth be known, I did choke up quite a bit and maybe leaked a little bit of tears.

One of the things about physical therapists and athletic trainers (and occupational therapists and speech therapists too) is that we really care about our patients.  And we get quite close to them as well.

Even a surgeon might see a patient just a handful of times, but in rehab, we may see them three times a week for several weeks.  We have more opportunity to really get to know our patients and our athletes. 

I was working a soccer match recently when one of our players was injured.  This happened just a few feet in front of me, and from his scream, I knew it was bad.

I jumped up and didn’t wait for the referee to signal me onto the field.  I was there within seconds of the injury, assessing the situation, and quickly deciding that he had a serious injury. 

Athletic Trainers and Sports Physical Therapists prepare for that moment.  We hate it and when one of our athletes gets hurt, we hurt too. But we are trained to know what to do, we quickly go in emergency care mode, and do what is necessary to protect the athlete and make almost instantaneous decisions.

For this young soccer player, it was clear what to do—immobilize him and call for an ambulance.  All of our schools have an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) and put that into action once an injury calls for it.

First and foremost, we make sure the athlete is stabilized. We either call 911 or have someone trusted to make the call, making sure that they tell the operator that we have a medical emergency and that we will need transport to the hospital.

When it is an event where we have student trainers, the EAP is automatic.  Everyone knows what to do and everyone has a job.  We send someone to direct the ambulance to the entrance and to where they can park to best do the job. We inform the parents of what is going on.

If the injury requires splinting or special equipment, we’ve got that with us.  All of our folks carry a complete array of things we might need, including an AED. 

We work hard to be prepared, to anticipate every contingency, and to execute the plan that is in the best interest of the injured athlete.  School officials understand and cooperate.  Game officials understand and wait patiently. Fans and parents do what they can—pray and hope for a good outcome.

It’s the worst part of the job and yet it’s the most essential part of the job. We practice regularly to be good at what we do. We want to be ready and able.

For the Teens in the House

 

I know there aren’t many teenagers reading this. It’s mostly old folks like me.

After it’s published in The Daily Times, I share it on social media, but again, the readers are generally older.  That’s OK.

Maybe it trickles down. I hope so.

I know I’ve had a lot of people through the years that told me that they sent it on to their grandkids or saved it for their kids. 

Today is a pass-it-down column. I know my audience but I hope it reaches a younger generation, specifically teenagers and especially teenage athletes.

Don’t settle.  In sports, in relationships, in life.  Ever.  You’re stuck on the bench—don’t accept that as the best you can do. Find out what you can do to get better, to get more playing time. Pay the price and don’t give anything less than your best.

Aim high. My kids and my grandkids will tell you, “can’t never did do nothing.” That quote came from my Dad and I’ve repeated it often. 

Dream big, bodacious dreams.  If you don’t dream it, you can’t achieve it. Don’t limit yourself to only what you think you can do. 

I’ll get personal here for a bit. I came from a small town with parents who had to work hard. Don’t get me wrong—I never went hungry and I was never cold from an unheated house. 

But I also didn’t have people around me (other than my mother, and she doesn’t count) that told me that I could make a difference, yet, somehow, I dreamed of changing the world.

Maybe that world is the one you can reach out and touch. Maybe it is the community where you live. Or your state. Or your country.  I’ve been able to change some things, however small and seemingly insignificant, on so many levels. If I hadn’t dreamed it, I couldn’t have done it.

Be kind.  Nothing can truly change the world without it. They say “no good deed goes unpunished,” but I say no good deed goes unrewarded.  Kindness to strangers, kindness to those difficult to be kind to, kindness in every situation—you may not see or feel the reward, and you may not change someone else with your kindness, but your reward comes in the adult you will become. And the positive influence you will have.

Have courage.  Maybe that means speaking in front of a group. Maybe it means asking that special person out on a date. Do it. You won’t regret it.

Make friends with the kid that’s different or maybe the one who doesn’t seem to have friends. You will get more out of that than they will. You will become a better person because of it. And when you’re old and grey, you’ll be glad you did that.

I know that I’m just some old guy but, just like your parents, if you’re paying attention, if you listen more than you talk, and if you’re honest about yourself, you gain some wisdom with all those years. 

So, take it from me—be the best version of you.  That’s it. That’s the whole game.