Athletic skills can be of great concern when young. Am I big enough? Strong enough? Fast enough? Elusive enough? Tall enough? “I wish my body was different so I can be the best.” Think of any and all physical attributes and the reality is no one will score 100% on each element. Assuming no one from the family turns out to be an Adonis, there is still a natural curiosity of where do I fit? We all want to be good. To be competitive. To be the best. Wrong goals?
I suggest a worthy goal is to be the best one can be within the parameters of mind and body. Maximize your ability by hard work. Develop hand eye coordination, exercise wisely and study sport specific strategies. If you can lift 20 pounds try to lift 21 tomorrow. Same for running for speed or distance. Don’t be afraid to push it. It’s best not to leave regrets of less than a full effort on a practice field/pool/court/course. Maximize your physical ability by learning the tactics of a sport. Play with anticipation. (Where is the ball, puck or opponent going to be in the next five seconds? Get there first.)
Always have fun in sports. Be a good teammate. Encourage other kids. Don’t overly gloat about an individual success. On the other hand, inner pride in yourself is good for the soul and your confidnce. Parents and grandparents can do the public reveling. Actions speak louder than bragging. And, remember it is a game. It is not unusual to have dreams of perhaps playing for a school team or even in college. A few kids have even bigger dreams. Dreams get into something beyond physical ability or sports skills or tactics. It also requires motivation to go above and beyound. For example: shooting baskets in basketball helps but there could be another kid shooting 100 shots a day…or another with 500. That drive to excel is internal and means a person is driving themselves. (Just beware of the difference between pushed vs. pulling one’s self forward.)
As is the case with school, always do your best. Many sports/physical activities can be enjoyed for a lifetime. If you want to try out for organized sports and make a team fine. Go for it! It’s up to you. Tonight I was watching a Big Ten basketball tournament game. A tall, muscular young man was warming up by dribbling right, left, around his body anmd between his legs. The sight brought a humorous comment to mind that my brother made to me. Sixty-five years ago he felt bad about not making the school basketball team. It took him years before it dawned on him that the other kids had been dribbling with both hands. He still believes that not alternating between the right and left hands did him in. Perhaps. But, not making a team was not the end of the world. It was still fun.