My girls had their mock meet on Sunday. This is going to be a good season. This year’s mock meet was a far cry from last year where one of my daughters was ready to quit half way through the rotations. This year, I saw grace and poise in their faces. They were encouraging and reassuring the first year girls. Oh yeah, their scores were much higher, also.
I don’t want to minimize the importance of their scores or winning. Being successful and doing your best is a major component of youth sports but it is only one component. Winning at all costs at this level is just insane. You can always find those parents that are flipping out if their kid is not the fastest, the stongest, or the best. Those poor kids will be burnt out by age 16 or earlier.
What I saw this Sunday reminded me of what is good about youth sports. The lessons that these boys and girls are learning are not easily taught in a classroom. I have seen a huge increase in my girls’ confidence, discipline, and self-reliance. Their ability to follow directions has increased and they can now push beyond what they think they are capable of and actually find their limits.
They will win some medals along the way and have a whole lot of fun. Not a bad way to learn.
