Kevin Hillier says it’s time to be more relaxed about kids’ sport
Everyone knows I love sport but I’m genuinely worried about where sport is heading in a lot of different areas. I bring this topic to the table as a parent and a sports lover, as it seems to me we’re building elite programs from too young an age. High schools are now set up as starting points to identify children with potential to be elite sportspeople if given the right guidance and training. Isn’t this exactly what we criticised eastern European countries about in the 1960s and ’70s?
It’s a win-at-all-costs mentality, or using the Essendon model and mission statement, Whatever it Takes. Stop already. Can we ever get back to allowing kids to just love sport, just loving being out there and just having fun without having to be the best? We aren’t all winners. Never have been, never will be. That’s a fact of life and one we all need to acknowledge.
I’m not emotionally scarred because I didn’t win every game of footy or cricket I played in. I’m better for the experience of being on both sides of the results. I learnt just as much from the losses as the wins, that it was part of being a team and that it wasn’t all about me. God knows, this generation could do well to embrace that concept. The most gifted individuals will eventually rise to the top anyway.
Do we really need to be putting 12-year-olds into elite squads and monitoring their diets and training programs? My 10-year-old wants to be a professional footballer (soccer or AFL) but I just want him to enjoy the game. The chances he will reach the elite bracket are minimal and while I’d never crush his dream, I want him to get joy from having a go and being part of a team.
We’re losing the pure enjoyment of sport because we’re buying into the ‘sport is business’ model. It is business for some, but at the grassroots level it should still be about fun and exercise and sharing moments and experiences with your mates. They’re things money can’t buy and I’m sure you, like me, have memories of games, people, opponents and winning and losing that will last a lifetime. ■
If you have any news or events, let me know at kevin@howdypartnersmedia. com.au
