Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Healthy Bodies

The Value of Team Sports

Why should children participate in sports? Because sports are one of the easiest ways to keep our God-given bodies in good shape. A healthy body makes it easier for us to serve God. And sports, especially team sports, are one of the best ways for children (and adults!) to keep fit.

As I was researching information about the US women’s national soccer team, an article by Erin Bried caught my attention. Bried asked: “What if the secret to getting in amazing shape was making exercise a team effort? Imagine taking a break from logging miles solo on the treadmill. Playing games would become your workouts, the fun your motivation, your teammates the most inspiring personal-cheering squad you could hope for.” Her point is that exercise is easier and more fun when you do it in the context of a game. Similarly, exercise science professor, Marcus Kilpatrick, has observed  that  “we tend to view sport as play and exercise as work, which is why we call one a game and the other a workout.”

Imagine this common scene in your home:

“Johnny, would you please mow the lawn this afternoon?”

“Dad, why do I always have to do it? Why don’t you ask Mary once in a while.”

“I do ask her to help. I’m asking you to help this time.”

“But dad, you always make me do more.”

Ask a child to mow the lawn or scrub the tub, and he may complain like you’ve asked him to wash all the windows on the Empire State Building! But put him on a basketball court and he has the unconscious energy to play for hours.

Being part of a team makes workouts easier to stick with and more enjoyable.  One study in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine found that “when paired with a more capable partner, female exercisers not only put in more effort than those working out alone, but also pushed themselves a staggering 208 percent longer.I have been playing basketball for over 50 years. When I am done running up and down the court for an hour I am thoroughly exhausted and have to peel my sweat-soaked jersey off of my upper body. Would I push myself this hard if I was working out alone?!

Children need from 30 to 60 minutes of vigorous, age-appropriate, daily exercise. Team sports are an easy way for children to meet that need.

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Children's Coaches,Part 1

The Influence of a Coach

My sophomore year of high school I tried out for the school’s  basketball team—along with 120 other boys! At the first practice we were divided into two groups based on our junior high coaches’ assessments. I was placed in the “lets-cut-them-quickly” group. By the end of the first week of practice, I was one of two boys left from that group! And by the end of the season I was playing on the "A" team. I have Assistant Coach Ben Newcomb to thank for my survival and promotion. He alone saw and encouraged the talent that I had. Though he yelled and threw clip boards and kicked chairs—mostly in response to my errors!—I loved him because he believed in me and pushed me to become a better player. His coaching nurtured a passion for basketball and, more importantly, a confidence that if I worked hard I could accomplish an important goal.

But I also had negative experiences with coaches. When I was in fourth grade I tried out for a Little League team. On the day that cuts were announced, I was one of the boys cut. As I dejectedly climbed on my bike, the coach asked if I would lead calisthenics. I agreed, hoping I was being given a second chance. When we were done, I stood around not knowing what to do next. But the coach said, “That’s all, Schock, you can leave now.” I felt humiliated in front of the other boys. Had the coach intended that? I don’t know.

Former NFL star Joe Ehrmann has written: “One of the great myths is that sports build character. They can and they should. . . . But sports don’t build character unless a coach possesses character and intentionally teaches it.” Your children’s coaches can have a profound impact on your child’s development. In my next post I will look at what a parent can do to help that influence be a positive one.