Today, more and more kids are put into the mindset that they are training simply to become better individually. It sort of goes with much of our culture and the "me-first" athletics that I have been talking about. However, in so doing this we have missed the most remarkable benefits of athletic training. It is difficult and for some kids impossible, to teach values like perseverance, discipline, respect, honesty, teamwork, creativity, and leadership in the classroom. It is much easier to teach these values on the field, in the weight room, on the track, or in the gym. Why don't we do this then?
I do not know. We are too self-centered, perhaps. Although ironically, the self-centered thing to do is to work well with others.
It's time that we change our attitudes toward athletic training. The cultural shift has to change from: "we are here to make your son a better athlete and player" to "we are here to make your son a better teammate, athlete, leader, and person." When we decide to change, the affects will be enormous. They will ripple into education, into the workforce, and into our national culture. Yet, until we do this, we should expect to see more of the same. We should not be surprised to see our children losing ground to Asian countries. We should not be surprised when they don't seem to have the same "drive for success" that the older generation had. We should not be surprised because it will be because of our arrogance that this situation will (and partly already has) come about.
For more go to www.thefortisacademy.com
Josh
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