If you’re anything like me, you grew up tossing long ball with buddies in the backyard or shooting the rock with cousins. Maybe you just practiced pitch and catch with your lacrosse ball and stick or drove your parents mad by serving tennis ball against the barn door. Despite all the broken windows, dented hoods from foul balls, lost needles needed to air up balls or bike tires, your parents still drove you to every game, tournament or competition. They were the biggest supporter of your dream of going pro. And we thank them for every moment they spent watching work toward your dream!
Fast forward twenty years, and now the tables have turned. Sure, you might have played a little ball in college or ran in a few rec leagues, but that dream of playing at the highest level quickly subsided and the real world took over. We are now the proud papas, the “Cheer Dads”, or the Team Moms. We put aside our dreams of great athleticism aside for the next generation to take over.
If I had a dollar for every time I sat in the stands and talk to parents like you and me say, “Man, I wish I had this type of training, this type of equipment, these fields, etc. when I was a kid…”It’s a common point of conversation amongst us, and certainly a valid one.. The advancements in nutrition, training methods, recovery, and equipment have advanced todays athletes a little closer to excellence. So, give yourself a pat on the back because if it wasn’t’ for your genetics, ingenuity, failures and successes, our kids would have nothing.
Former athlete doesn’t mean former athletic. In fact, athletism is something we develop from countless hours of dedicated and deliberate practice. Malcom Gladwell suggest that it takes 10,000 hours to master complex skills such as playing an instrument or even computer programming. This is no different than swinging a golf club with precision or sinking free throws.
In our early stages of life, we probably reached nowhere near this threshold. Hell, we had other things to do as kids like chase girls, socialize with friends, or study for the SATs. At some point, we dropped the mitts and picked up a hammer to learn a new skill that would better provide for our expenses. Sports went from games of leisure and enjoyment to a distant past time, but our love for the game never ceased. It’s one of the reasons we taught our kids to hold the pool que just right or do flips off the diving board. We kept the 10,000 hour clock moving forward.
It’s no secret that as we get older our activity level decreases. This is partly due to a number of factors such as age, muscle mass, loss of balance and coordination. Studies have shown that even if someone remains physically active, they too will eventually slow down and die. Weird, I know. We all have a shelf life. Even with a foreseeable ending, many choose to keep that athletic sprite alive.
I get it…we all have jobs, responsibilities outside of work, and are sometimes just plain tired at the end of the day. Hitting the gym may be the least of our concerns at the end of a long work day. Finding the motivation to get up and get some may be challenging for most of us, but here are a few suggestions to further keep ol’ Father Time off your back:
- Join a league- I hold no magic 8 ball, but I feel as if indoor and outdoor adult sports leagues are on the rise again now that the global pandemic seems to be on the decline. I have several clients who are a part of Senior’s leagues that play all types of sports both local and international. The Huntsman World Senior Games boast of 30 different sports with athletic levels from novice to former professional players. These games are held every year in hopes of athletes making it to the National Senior Games held biannually (every 2 years, not twice per year). For those of us who have not quite reached that Diamond anniversary status, here are a few other options for sports local sports leagues and even casual walking/hiking tours:
- Volunteer to coach your kids- This is a good way to show the youngster that “I still got it!” Even more of an intangible reward is seeing the youth get better and better each session, week after week. Some of my favorite things in the world have been when I see a former athlete of mine in the grocery store, and they come up and say, “Hey Coach!” Brings a smile to my face every time! They may not appreciate your unpaid work now, but they the lessons you bestow upon them may last in their subconscious memory for years to come.
- Go Electronic- If you can’t become a world-famous athlete, you might as well play one on TV! This is not my ideal suggestion for physical activity, but the rise of electronic gaming is gaining attention in the sports world. FIFA, NFL Madden, NBA 2K, and Gran Turismo are amongst the top selling sports video games in the world. If for nothing, you might actually be able to complete that windmill dunk you have always wanted do or haul ass in a limited edition Aston Martin DB7 Coupe! What has gain even more popularity are motion-based gaming. These include consuls such as the Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360 Kinect, and Playstation Move. By far the most superior of them all (at least in my 14-year-old son’s opinion) would be the Virtual Reality Oculus Headset. Plug in, and get moving!
