Role of Sports

It's with a little embarrassment that I admit to being witness to the brawl at John Williams stadium last Friday night. It incited quite a stir, not only in our community, but across the middle of the state. We made the regional news....and not in a good way.


I have mixed feelings about the ensuing proceedings. I have good friends with strong feelings on both sides of the issue.


The point I'd like to bring up is: just what is the role of sports in our lives...as adults and in the lives of our children? Many times, it's treated as the end-all, be-all, but is that really healthy? We claim that we engage in sports as exercise, to keep us healthy, but when an unhealthy dose of competition gets in the way, it spells trouble. We need to act civilized on and off the field of play...whether that's a soccer field, a football field or in a pool. Adults, let's show kids that you can engage in sports AND be healthy, both bodily and psychologically.


I find that too often, we adults get carried away in the heat of the moment. We put too much pressure on our kids to perform. Competition is a great thing, but pushed too far, it really corrupts everyone involved. When you look back at your life from your deathbed, are you going to even remember your Ironman finish time, or just the fact that you DID finish? Are you going to be more proud of the person your child has become, the contributions he or she made to society or how many goals they scored?


Try to keep it in perspective folks. There are kids out there who really want to go to college but are not gifted athletes and may have just above average grades. Do we deny those kids college entrance, in favor of a gifted athlete who gets tutored for every class in order to be given a D in the class to pass? I know this will cross the line for some of you. I'm not saying that those kids should be denied an education either. What I'm saying, is that everyone should get a fair shot. It's up to every person to decide what that means. I'm firm on one point. Competition isn't everything, but participation is!