The list of reasons why kids should play sports is too long to ignore. There's a host of short and long-term positives, both to the individual and society. This is especially true for girls.
You speak such a deep truth with beauty and you are one of the biggest influences in putting my girls in sports. They have gained and learned so much from sports and relationships build by playing. It’s been hard at times to watch my daughter as a minority surrounded by boys in basketball but the beauty has outweighed my fear. She has become more confident playing against boys and (to my surprise) has been cheered on! Thank you 🤍
Excellent as usual. I can kind of relate to all of the comments. I am small and female. I played sports including basketball, which was OK until everyone else had a growth spurt and then really sucked. With my daughter I chose a better sport by honoring our body type and admiring everything she did lol. She could do headstands and was a fearless menace on monkey bars or any climbing apparatus so I started her in gymnastics at age 4. It was great for her. She was well suited but still had to work hard, which she did. She learned lots of important skills including discipline and time management balancing hours of practice with schoolwork. She developed easy confidence I would love to have. Then she won all around at a southwest regional (5 states) competition, was asked to join a gym known for Olympic gymnasts, and immediately wanted to quit. I tried to be sure she was quitting for the right reasons (not fear basically) and she assured me she still liked it but not as much as she used to and mostly wanted to try new things and have more time for social activities - seemed like good reasons to me. She dabbled in basically every sport her school offered without taking any too seriously, just fun for fun’s sake. In high school she joined the cheer team and all those gymnastic skills and core strength were reawakened. Now she is on a competitive university team and she loves it.
I forgot to say I think one of the very best things gymnastics did for her was teaching her to just keep trying and not to see not succeeding as failure. She has this amazing core belief that she can do almost anything with enough time and effort. If she hasn’t yet done it, she just hasn’t tried long enough. And if she moves on without achieving whatever she was working on, that’s it she just chose to move on. I love that about her and again I wish I had that!
What an amazing story, sounds like you did a great job of guiding her. Because, ya, it’s not just about being the best or great, it’s also just having fun. She sounds like a great young woman ♥️
I think in the long run, if girls & women take an interest in any sports, no matter what it is, then those closest to them should at least encourage them to have a crack at it (give it a try). If they like or love it, then they can pursue the possibility of making a career out of it & who knows… Maybe compete in the Olympics or World Championships of some kind.
…I hate seeing parents try & push kids against their will into playing sports because when you think about it (🤔), who’s going to perform better… The person “pushed” into it or the person competing because they love & enjoy it??? My wife & I will help our daughter (she’s just 4 at the moment) if she wants to play a sport of some kind when she gets older but we won’t be pushing or forcing her into it. The final choice will be hers & we, as her parents, will be there to encourage & support her every step of the way 👍😁
Completely agree. Did you read the post? It’s very much based on Billie Jean King and how she talks about it’s not about being the best, it’s about the culture.
Exactly right & yes I did read it. I know who Billie Jean King is & was( giant in the tennis world) & the barriers / walls she had to break through to achieve the fame she did against the odds. Sure, she may not have been the greatest of all time, but you could tell how much she loved the game & it always showed in how she played. At least… That’s how I see it.
You speak such a deep truth with beauty and you are one of the biggest influences in putting my girls in sports. They have gained and learned so much from sports and relationships build by playing. It’s been hard at times to watch my daughter as a minority surrounded by boys in basketball but the beauty has outweighed my fear. She has become more confident playing against boys and (to my surprise) has been cheered on! Thank you 🤍
Thank you, that’s so sweet. What a great experience already for her ♥️
Excellent as usual. I can kind of relate to all of the comments. I am small and female. I played sports including basketball, which was OK until everyone else had a growth spurt and then really sucked. With my daughter I chose a better sport by honoring our body type and admiring everything she did lol. She could do headstands and was a fearless menace on monkey bars or any climbing apparatus so I started her in gymnastics at age 4. It was great for her. She was well suited but still had to work hard, which she did. She learned lots of important skills including discipline and time management balancing hours of practice with schoolwork. She developed easy confidence I would love to have. Then she won all around at a southwest regional (5 states) competition, was asked to join a gym known for Olympic gymnasts, and immediately wanted to quit. I tried to be sure she was quitting for the right reasons (not fear basically) and she assured me she still liked it but not as much as she used to and mostly wanted to try new things and have more time for social activities - seemed like good reasons to me. She dabbled in basically every sport her school offered without taking any too seriously, just fun for fun’s sake. In high school she joined the cheer team and all those gymnastic skills and core strength were reawakened. Now she is on a competitive university team and she loves it.
I forgot to say I think one of the very best things gymnastics did for her was teaching her to just keep trying and not to see not succeeding as failure. She has this amazing core belief that she can do almost anything with enough time and effort. If she hasn’t yet done it, she just hasn’t tried long enough. And if she moves on without achieving whatever she was working on, that’s it she just chose to move on. I love that about her and again I wish I had that!
What an amazing story, sounds like you did a great job of guiding her. Because, ya, it’s not just about being the best or great, it’s also just having fun. She sounds like a great young woman ♥️
And thank you for your continued support 🫶
I think in the long run, if girls & women take an interest in any sports, no matter what it is, then those closest to them should at least encourage them to have a crack at it (give it a try). If they like or love it, then they can pursue the possibility of making a career out of it & who knows… Maybe compete in the Olympics or World Championships of some kind.
…I hate seeing parents try & push kids against their will into playing sports because when you think about it (🤔), who’s going to perform better… The person “pushed” into it or the person competing because they love & enjoy it??? My wife & I will help our daughter (she’s just 4 at the moment) if she wants to play a sport of some kind when she gets older but we won’t be pushing or forcing her into it. The final choice will be hers & we, as her parents, will be there to encourage & support her every step of the way 👍😁
Completely agree. Did you read the post? It’s very much based on Billie Jean King and how she talks about it’s not about being the best, it’s about the culture.
Exactly right & yes I did read it. I know who Billie Jean King is & was( giant in the tennis world) & the barriers / walls she had to break through to achieve the fame she did against the odds. Sure, she may not have been the greatest of all time, but you could tell how much she loved the game & it always showed in how she played. At least… That’s how I see it.
No.
I fucking detest sports.
I have zero good memories from being forced into sports.
There is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING you get from sports that you can’t get from something else.
I’m sick of the sports people insisting their particular activity is sacred or better than the activity preferred by others.
Did you read the piece?