We continue to see all the bad stuff going on in contact sports in the media. It seems that every week we hear about the fear of concussions and their long term affects. There is a constant need for the topic of head trauma in sports to frequently surface. However, with that said there is a lot to be learned and studied on this subject of uncertainty. It has become increasingly more important for parents and athletes to be educated in this space.

However, with that said we fail to talk about all of the good stuff sports bring to the youth and parents. The list of “great” values and learnings for kids (and parents) is a growing list year after year.  Below illustrates some of the great things about sports we fail to look at because we are so focused on avoiding severe injury:

• Learning to adapt to people and coaches that sometimes present challenges
• The utter discipline that comes along with practice and training
• Understanding how to deal with loss and move forward each week
• How to temper winning and still embrace a solid victory
• Training your mind to remember direction and focus
• Respecting the opposing team
• Understanding the value of being respectful to an authority figure on the field

The list could be pages long, however the point here is “sports” bridge life lessons into one place. Nearly everything you learned on the field has a value to how you may approach things in everyday life.  Perhaps this does not apply to all, but in many ways life requires adaptation. Life is about running up and down hill all day every day. It is not always easy……we get fatigued…….however, we train our minds to persevere and move forward. We see athletes and coaches do this all the time in the toughest of games. However, we dig deep and find ways to be resilient on and off the field. Life lessons build winning records

Please note: That any suggestions are based on personal experiences and knowledge garnered from self-education.  Neither Menofvalue.com or Walt Alexanxder or Brad Weisman offer any guarantees or are responsible for the consequences for any advice taken.

By
Bradley D. Weisman