Something’s just been off this autumn.
My wife claims she doesn’t miss all the stress of watching our sons (both
goalkeepers) sweat out another tight 1-0 or 0-0 game destined to be decided on
penalty kicks or a last-minute breakdown by one our defenders. But I do. You’d
think we’d be used to it after all of those games watching them on the pitcher’s
mound, but being a goalkeeper’s parent is a different kind of stress. I’m sure
you have clients in the same situation minding the nets for their soccer,
lacrosse or hockey teams.
Nothing to slow down time this fall
I actually started to embrace the stress of being a goalkeeper’s parent
as an antidote to our otherwise hyper-caffeinated, fast-paced lives. To a goalkeeper’s
parent, the clock seems to move in super-slow motion, each agonizing second on
the click ticking at a snail’s pace. Your stomach’s in knots each time the
opposing team mounts a charge into the final third of the field—and why aren’t
any of the other players paying attention!
I really miss the adrenaline rush. It’s like if you forget to shower, brush
your teeth or put the coffee pot on in the morning. You can survive the day, but
you’re just sort of out of it and never up to full speed.
Mostly, I feel bad for all the kids (and the parents), especially those
finishing their high school and college careers under the cloud of the
pandemic. They won’t get to experience the improbable comebacks, the agonizing
defeats, the grueling practices, the day to day ups and down of the league standings,
the teamwork, the camaraderie and the pride of representing you school and town
against your bitter arch rivals. They won’t get the thrill of wearing jersey to
school, being dismissed early for the long-drive upstate to play a distant team
from a town you’ve never heard of, to (hopefully) start a Cinderella run
through the state tournament bracket.
It's even harder to see all the pros and elite college football players
on TV playing through the pandemic.
I know the pros (and Power 5 football players) are being very well compensated
for their efforts. But if you’ve watched any of the emotional roller-coaster World
Series games this year or all the NFL games that have gone down to the wire, the
players are in it for more than just the money. With Tampa down to its last
strike, little-used outfielder, Brett Phillips, delivered a bizarre walk-off
base hit that allowed the Rays to steal Game 4 from the heavily favored Dodgers
and even the Series at two games apiece. Watching the tearful Dodgers in the dugout
and the giddy Rays airplane-gliding and making snow angels in the outfield
grass, you’d think you were watching the final game of the Little League World
Series in Williamsport, PA.
Too bad the real 12-year-old athletes are still on the sidelines.
As a parent and former youth
sports coach, I worry about the long-term impact that the dearth of youth
sports will have on our kids. Numerous studies confirm a strong correlation
between regular exercise and mental health. “Both male and
female high school athletes are less likely to smoke cigarettes and suffer from
loneliness and low self-esteem, when compared to
non-athlete peers, according to research used
for the Healthy Sport Index (Women’s Sports
Foundation, 2018). Further, the report argued that getting people active could
save the the global economy nearly $68 billion annually in medical costs and
productivity. The U.S. alone could save up to $28 billion. And
individuals could find $2,500 or more in their pocket if they move for 30
minutes five times per week (The Lancet Physical Activity Series).
Conclusion
Mostly I worry about how the kids are supposed to have fun. They have the rest
of their lives to worry about healthcare crises, political bickering and
punishing economic conditions. The pros and elite college athletes get to play sports
and have fun. Why can’t our kids?
What’s your take? I’d love to hear from
you.
#youthsports #youthsportsmissing
#mentalhealthkids #teensports
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