Let Your Kids Play Everything!

When I was growing up, we played everything.  Everybody could swim.  Everybody rode a bike.  Baseball, basketball, dodgeball,  kickball.  Three-legged races.  Sack races.  Not organized sports.  We just played.

The only organized youth sport available was football so we all played that.

And despite being completely out of our demographic and without a single public court, a bunch of us played tennis.

Those people that knew me between the ages of 15 and 25 would not believe it if you told them that I didn't even own a tennis racket today.

My history with tennis goes back even before that.  When I was 10, we borrowed some old tennis rackets from Fred Chaney's grandmother (who lived next door to Little Bill Miller) and got permission to play at the McPeake's house, which was actually one of only two tennis courts in my hometown.

The other belonged to the Greer family and actually had lights.  We were able to play at both of them as long as we were quiet.  We were good kids so they knew we would be OK.  We could even use the lights at the Greer's as long as they were off by 9.

Pretty soon we were playing all the time.  I can even remember one day sweeping snow off the court to be able to play. 

About the time I got to high school, the city built a park with two tennis courts.  Needless to say, we were regulars there.  Tony, Bill, Ronnie, Teddy, Joe.  If all of us were there, we just rotated one in.  Always doubles.

There was no tennis team, no instruction.  We learned the rules from the few older guys that played.  But we couldn't get them to play us because we always beat them.

It wasn't until I left for college that the city built a swimming pool and four tennis courts across the street from my house.  Go figure.

Those people that knew me between ages 25 and 55 would not believe it if you told them that I didn't own a basketball.

I used to play all the time.  Lunchtime games on Tuesday and Thursday.  Sunday evening games.  

Pickup games at Sandy Springs Park.  I was a true "Basketball Jones" (if you remember that Cheech and Chong classic).  My last game was at age 59.

I guess I gave up tennis because of family responsibilities.  My knees took away basketball. 

Football was always my sport and I played it as long as my skill levels would allow.   Oh, I played in a couple of flag football leagues once out of college but it was never the same.

My kids did lots of different things.  Snow skiing.  Rock climbing.  Whitewater canoeing. Backpacking.   In addition to the usual youth sports of baseball, softball, soccer, gymnastics, basketball, volleyball, and yes, football.

The point of all this?  Let your kids play everything.  There's a lot of good discussion right now about sports specialization--focusing on only one sport.  The consensus opinion is that it is a horrible idea.

I'd like to issue an Amen to that.  Let them have fun.  Let them try different things.  Let them develop athleticism by running, throwing, hitting. Playing tag in the back yard.  Or Red Rover. Playing Who-Can-Hit-That-Can-With-A-Rock.

Give your children the latitude to find their own sport; not the sport that you want for them.  Given the chance, their natural abilities for one sport or another will emerge.