To The Daily Sun,
Kudos to Kelly O’Brien and the article on “The positive impact of athletics” which appeared in The Sun on Feb. 9. The article is mandatory reading for all parents (especially those with younger children) and is as true today as it was 50 or more years ago.
My dad and mom had five children and there was never a non-school sunny day where we were not shooed out of the house to spend time recreating in the great outdoors. It made no difference if it were a game of hide and seek or “Marco Polo” or organized games of ball. Recreating was key. As a child I gravitated toward swimming, baseball and tennis. In school, swimming and eventually football helped me overcome a rough transition at middle school in RI, from CT. Bullying stopped when I held my own in sports, gained self confidence and also the respect of my teammates. Following another move back to CT, sports again provided the introduction to new friends, teammates and even lifelong friends.
I later participated in football at the college level, where teamwork, camaraderie, achievement, failure and friendships abounded. Disciple and time management skills learned from sports helped me cope and eventually succeed in a tough academic environment, and I believe paved the way for a successful business career.
Sports enrich the educational and learning experience of students, give them lifelong skills, coping ability and opportunities to apply those skills to succeed in any venture of life. I am grateful to my parents, coaches, educators and teammates for enriching my life through sports participation.
Richard R. Gerken
Meredith
(3) comments
Agreed...put down the phones!!
Phones and tablets have replaced books and magazines. I read all the time on my phone. Not games. Not much chatting. Mostly science, history, and the news. If you see a hundred commuters with their phones out, they are doing the same thing on their rude to work as a 1920 train where everyone has a newspaper in front of them
Dang right! I was involved in swimming, track and field, and ski competition and it was wonderful. As a competitive swimmer, I was left with the best way to stay in shape later in life. Being on a team teaches a person strong social skills. To this day, at 69, I swim an hour of laps and can ski 50MPH for fun. Being strong throughout life is a way to age gracefully and strongly. But no pole vaulting LOL
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