In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

chapter 22 SCORE Good health requires exercise. Actually a simple thing to do, exercise does not need special equipment, a gym, or a coach—only the will to move. Each of us can enjoy regular physical activity anywhere, anytime. It is never too late to include it in your life, and what a wonderful gift it is to give to a child! Today the highest number of children playing competitive sports is in the middle school years. However, these years also see the highest dropout rate from sports, because many kids don’t believe they can compete at the next level. The alternatives to competitive sports are limited or nonexistent. What fill the gap are video games, hundreds of television choices, and surfing the Internet, all requiring minimal physical activity. Sports play a rich role in our history and culture. Competition can be fun and bring out the best in us. However, when we look only at the win/ loss column and disregard the experience before the final whistle, we miss what is really important. Winning does not necessarily signify fun, but when an activity is fun, everyone wins. That is the good news. Are we pushing the limits of human performance? If we don’t have a sense of balance about sports, we could be impairing our physical, emotional , and mental well-being. Former Division I collegiate swimmer Bryttany Curran presents a striking example of self-fulfillment. When asked if she is a swimmer, her response has always been, “I am a person who swims. I’m a person who loves Jesus. I’m person who plays the violin. I’m a person who loves music. I’m a person made up of many things.” Will we reach a pressure point where the body, mind, and spirit will break in the inexorable quest to shatter records? U.S. swimmer Tiffany Cohen won the gold medal at the 1984 Olympic Games, just missing the world record by one hundredth of a second. Despite winning the gold, she told me she was devastated when the TV commentators repeatedly emphasized her failure to break the world record. I was shocked at their reaction to SCORE 180 her perceived failure. She won the gold medal, for heaven’s sake! Watching that dim-witted and destructive broadcast tape, which was shown over and over, distressed me, as I thought about the pain she went through. Sport psychologist and former collegiate diver Dr. Lauren Loberg believes that internal pressures can plague athletes. “Elite athletes never reach their goals. Perfectionism is what makes you good but also what hurts you.” In a perfect world, everyone would have a dream that would stretch the individual beyond the perceived limits. I believe having a dream is crucial for growth and motivation. What is yet even more essential is the journey we take to reach that dream. It is the journey’s bits and pieces, the stops and starts, the accomplishments along the way and lessons learned that build our character, give us intentional direction, and sweeten the victory. We lose our balance when the goal overshadows the process. Few athletes have a sense of accomplishment that carries them forever . As time passes, so does the celebration of national champions. Even an Olympic gold medalist is on the top of the world for only a short time. We look at our champions and rarely think about all the losses and failures they had before they won. Considering the years of work and preparation required to be a top performer, the athlete had better love the sport apart from wins to endure the physical, mental, and emotional effort the activity requires. If winning, fame, and fortune are the only motivators, then the athlete has lost all perspective on the journey. How much more fulfilling their efforts will be if they recognize and enjoy the many benefits along the way. Athletes need to find meaning beyond sports. Performance specialist Loren Seagrave acknowledges the difficulty some athletes experience when they walk away from their sports and do not have other goals. “The adulation of the crowd, fan recognition, and the trappings that accompany success for the athlete can be addictive,” he said. Candace Parker, WNBA Rookie of the Year and U.S. Olympic gold medalist , has a good perspective on fame. “You learn to listen to those people in your close circle. Everybody else is just an opinion. Good or bad, you can’t read too much into what they say because...

Share