Starting at a young age, I grew up wanting to play ball. I couldn’t fathom not playing sports, especially basketball, so much so that when I found out I couldn’t play basketball (at age ten) due to lack of funds, it made an impact on me that I still feel today. I was devastated; my heart was broken.
At the last minute, against all odds, the funds came through! I was able to be a part of a great group of kids who played together and communicated well. Ultimately, I became a better ball player. This singular opportunity to play organized sports changed my life.
“Everything Negative - pressure, challenges are all an opportunity for to rise." -Kobe Bryant
If it were up to me, every child should play sports. As a young kid in my neighborhood, where money was tight and spending on “extras” didn’t involve signing up for organized basketball, I would have done anything to play ball. And when organized sports showed up, my life’s trajectory changed for the better.
Perhaps you’re wondering if organized sports are right for your child. Here are a few reasons why your kids should play sports and the benefit it will have on your child’s life.
Creates Friendships: I can’t stress enough how valuable organized sports are for creating friendships. When you’re in close proximity to five, ten, even twenty athletes, in order to work together you have to know how to get along. In order to get along, you have to create friendships. Creating and maintaining friendships is something your child will learn and use not only on the basketball court but in everyday life for the rest of their life.
Develops Communication Skills: Communication skills are the foundation for any relationship. When the concept is clear, the action is executed with ease and pride. If your child struggles with communicating, an organized sport forces them to communicate because the team works as a whole. It creates accountability within the child. When your kid realizes that their voice is important in creating a complete and functioning team, they’ll speak up, defend their choices, and communicate clearly with their coach, their teammates, and you!
Makes a Community: If friendship is the basis for making a great team, having a great team is the basis for a great community. When you have a strong team, with young athletes dedicated to the sport and their friendships, you have a healthy community that will undoubtedly grow. A happy and thriving community is contagious. And what’s better than a happy kid in a happy and healthy community? A thriving community creates built-in mentors, close friends, and true family; a community that wants everyone around them to succeed.
Demands Respect for Teammates and Coaches: This is an attribute that is hard won and once won, stays forever. There is an inner growth that takes place in those who’ve learned to respect those in authority (coaches) and their teammates; the ones right next to them on the court! Understanding respect creates peace. And when peace is in place, with respect and hard work, your child will excel beyond their wildest dreams.
My program, EAT Sports Foundation, is all about the “at-promise” kids. EAT stands for EDUCATE, ASPIRE and TRIUMPH.
We want to educate our kids; we want them to know the game inside and out. We want them to ASPIRE to greatness. And the best way to aspire to that is to give them a chance at success by leveling the playing field. We want them to TRIUMPH in their skills.
If your child plays basketball but isn’t keen on taking up an organized sport, our program will give your kid skills to navigate both the court and the real world. If your child wants this program, and is dying to play just like I did when I was young, then what are you waiting for? Visit our website, reach out to us with a comment or question, or sign up!
My goal is to have kids who want to play, and GET to play, no matter their background and no matter their neighborhood.
Visit www.EATsportsfoundation.org for more information.
- T
