The Joy of Childhood

The enjoyment of being a child occurs for only a brief moment in life. Childhood is the only time when one should be able to enjoy freedom from the pressures and stress of the real world. The biggest issue should be choking down broccoli quickly enough to get back outside to play before the sun sets. In the past decade childhood has been snatched from our young, aspiring athletes and I'm not talking about the super-stars. It is the sisters and daughters who are being denied the opportunity of true childhood enjoyment.

Long gone are the days of two or three sport little girls. Every parent appears to be guiding their child toward being a specific sport specialist. At AAU games around the country, parents can be found huddling, conversing and taking note of college coaches that are in attendance; plotting the path for their child to get a scholarship. Irrelevant are the facts that the child is ten years old and the ball is bigger than her head. God forbid little Sally isn't getting enough playing time - her parents will fix that by starting their own AAU team and allowing super Sally to shoot the ball 27 times. No worries if she can't walk and chew gum, she is going to be a SUPERSTAR! This way, by the time players are 16 years old they have spent every single summer of their young lives on the AAU circuit and participated in thousands of games - unfortunately only basketball games.

The truth is that a very small percentage of the total number of high school athletes go on to play college sports at any level. The Division I level has 338 women's basketball teams. With approximately 15 players per team, there are approximately 5,070 DI women's basketball players. To put this number into perspective, the New York City public school system alone has 1,200 public schools and educates one million students a year. In reality less than 4% of female high school players will make it to the college level. (Take that percentage even lower when you evaluate college wrestling and lacrosse, who field less then half that amount of intercollegiate teams) These numbers are not meant to discourage participation in athletics, but to encourage parents to allow children to be well rounded athletes. School athletics are extremely important in the development of young females. It teaches them discipline, hard work, dedication, teamwork and most importantly self confidence. Why not allow a child to experience these intangibles from several sports? As a young woman matures, reaches high school and shows true signs of gifted athleticism, (not to be determined by her proud momma and poppa) then allow her to specialize in a specific sport. Sue Bird is a perfect example of an outstanding basketball player. How many people know that Bird was a tremendous soccer player, who didn't give up soccer until her junior year of high school when she transferred to Christ the King? Bird became National Player of the Year in college, won NCAA titles, was drafted by the WNBA, named to the National Team and participated in the Olympics. Clearly Bird's multi-sport background hindered her development.

Recently, National High School Player of the Year, Elena Delle Donne, left the University of Connecticut after two days of summer workouts. She then enrolled at the University of Delaware as a non-scholarship athlete where she will play volleyball this season. (I'm sure the volleyball coach hasn't stopped jumping for joy yet!) Much speculation has surrounded this young woman and her departure from UConn. Kara Wolters, a former All American out of UConn who finished her playing career a decade ago, felt the need to issue this statement:

She was so good. What a waste. It's the most bizarre thing I've ever heard. To have an opportunity like that to play, obviously at the best college women's program in the world...and she threw it away. It's like an engaged couple. You are glad they broke up before they got married and had to get a divorce. Better now to have her quit, than affect the team negatively and be like a cancer because she is whacked. So maybe it's for the best.

Who knew that Kara Wolters has a doctorate in psychology and can diagnose an 18 year old as "whacked?" It couldn't possibly be that Delle Donne was home sick or attached to her 23 year old sister who has cerebral palsy and is blind and deaf? Or perhaps, is it just possible that this kid is simply burned out on basketball? Yep clear as day, she must be certifiable - call the loony bin.

Delle Donne is a perfect example of why children need balance in their lives. If a child wants to play two or three sports or join the chess club and play the flute, allow them that luxury. Let them know the enjoyment of diving on the hard wood of a basketball court to save a ball, let them smell the grass of a soccer field on a spring day, or hear the crack of the bat as they hit a double. Allow your child to enjoy childhood, it only comes once. Life is short, but childhood is even shorter.

Gold Medal Thoughts

On the Final Day of the Olympics, let's reflect on the good, the bad and the totally absurd. China satisfied the absurd category immediately, when they deemed a 7 year old child not pretty enough to sing during opening ceremonies and instead had a 9 year old lip-sync. The 9 year old was much cuter, so it's ok to damage the confidence of a young girl, when a nation's best interests are at heart.

Saying goodbye is never easy, especially to baseball and softball as an Olympic sport. Please thank M.L.B. Commissioner Bud Selig and the players union for making sure that our best possible players represented the U.S.A. in Olympic Baseball. Thank you Derek and A-Rod (yes he is a U.S. citizen) for demanding that a clause be placed in your contracts permitting you to represent the United States once every four years for two weeks. Oh wait, none of that happened did it?

For the women of the US Softball team, it was a bitter sweet ending to what has been an outstanding run since softball became an Olympic Sport in 1996. USA Softball set an amazing standard winning 3 of the 4 possible gold medals and riding a 21 game win streak into this Gold Medal game. What a travesty that little girls won't get to dream of playing softball in the Olympics and their daddies won't get to cheer for Jennie Finch. Fortunately, in the 2012 Olympics I will have trampoline, synchronized diving and rhythmic gymnastics to keep me entertained.






How about that outstanding television coverage U.S.A. Women's Basketball received? Is it possible that it was easier for me to catch a game of table tennis and badminton, then it was USA Women's Basketball? I was able to catch the gold medal game, where Australia lost 92-65. Lisa Leslie wrapped up a 19 year career with USA Basketball, winning her fourth gold medal. A round of applause is due the WNBA for suspending their season for several weeks, so that players could participate in the Olympics and represent their respective countries. (Might want to take some notes Bud...).


USA Men's Basketball saved the best for last, as they pulled out a thrilling 118-107 win against Spain. Coach K shared his love for country with his players and guided them back to the USA Basketball of old. Somehow, he got Kobe to share the ball. Perhaps Coach K should be leading the charge for world peace. Hopefully the hard work, team building and selfless play that he has established will carry on to future USA Basketball Teams. Jason Kidd is leaving USA Basketball with a 56-0 record (He didn't play on the 2004 team).


Gymnastics took home 10 medals, the most in a non-boycotted Olympics. Of course it wouldn't be the Olympics if there wasn't some controversy. The Chinese are offended that 3 of their gymnasts age are being questioned as legit. Odd that the question would be brought up since He Kexin's date of birth was reported in March 06 by the PRC General Administration of Sport as Jan 1, 1994. I guess the top government office in charge of sports was confused and couldn't get their dates correct. For future reference, if you are going to cheat, try not to publish their real age before hand. Of course He Kexin has her "official" passport with a different date of birth, making her of age to participate in these Olympics. I am sure the Chinese could never arrange for a passport to be forged? By the way has anyone seen those 4 protesters that were arrested over a week ago? I didn't think so.


Fortunately each year China receives $1.2 billion from the World Bank since they are a developing country(one-tenth of the population still lives on $1 a day). If China runs through that billion too quickly in the fiscal year, they can call upon the services of 79 year old Wu Dianyuan and 77 year old Wang Xiuying. These two women have been ordered to spend a year in a Chinese labor camp, so that they might be re-educated. Maybe the Chinese will re-educate them on possessing common sense when it comes to filing applications to hold a protest in China. At least the Chinese Government can get some good, solid, productive labor hours out of these two women as they approach their 80th birthdays. When China won the bid to host the Olympics, the Vice Premier issued this statement, "The winning of the 2008 Olympic bid is an example of the international recognition of China's social stability, economic progress and the healthy life of the Chinese people." If he thinks I believe one word of that statement he can start advertising Tiananmen Square as Disney World.

Thanks to Mark Spitz for setting the original record for gold medals and supporting and inspiring Michael Phelps, in his pursuit of greatness. Recently, a nutritionist took Michael Phelps to task for signing a contract with Frosted Flakes instead of Wheaties. Instead of placing blame with the parents of the obese children in America, lets blame it on Michael Phelps, a human specimen of perfection. Or maybe as a parent we should turn off the tv, take our kid out to play, empty the house of soda, ice cream, cookies and cake. Force your offspring to do what we had to do as kids; hop the fence and run to our neighbor's house for Devil Dogs or Hostess cupcakes. At least we burned some calories on our quest for sugar.

The members of the Men's and Women's 4x100 relay team should not run again without taking a drink from my daughter's sippy cup. One drink out of this cup and their fingers will stick to anything, including a track baton.

Watching the Beijing Olympics on television was quite an experience. I was the kid who unwrapped and re-wrapped all of her Christmas presents weeks before Christmas. It's only in recent years that I stopped reading the first and last chapters of books and then the middle part. Living on the west coast, there was no way I wasn't going to check ESPN and Fox Sports for results, while trying to figure out how the heck I could see a Women's Basketball game.

In Taekwondo, Cuba's Angel Matos pushed a judge, then pushed and kicked Swedish referee, Chakir Chelbat in the face. Talk about a rough day at the office. Apparently Matos didn't like the fact that he was disqualified in a bronze-medal match. Perhaps he can share stories with Swedish wrestler Ara Abrahamian, who left his bronze medal on the mat. Sure you won bronze in the 2008 Olympics Dad. "No really I did son, we can visit it in the vault of left behind medals."

USA Women's Soccer reclaimed gold, perhaps unexpectedly. Years ago, I played basketball against Christie Rampone when she was at Monmouth University and she blew by me every time (It may have been because I was on the bench at the time). In any case what a great turn around for Women's Soccer. (In no small part due to Christie Rampone's consistent leadership, as she just completed her tenth year with the National Team).

By the way who's your daddy? Much was made of the fact that WNBA superstar Becky Hammon went to play basketball for Russia. However, the U.S. had no problem naming 33 foreign born athletes to its various rosters. We also have Jenny Lang Ping, from China coaching our women's volleyball team, but it's o.k. because we gave China Jim Lefebre to manage their baseball team and Michael Bastian to coach their softball team. I guess its time to acknowledge and admit that the Olympics is just like everything else, a business.

The Olympics have have always been about breaking down barriers and uniting different cultures through sport. I can only hope that China's hosting of the Olympics shone more light on the hardship and human rights struggles their people face every day. They are not a free people. Those of us lucky enough to be born in the U.S.A. , can't imagine not possessing the freedom to criticize, praise, protest or applaud whomever we want, whenever we want. All of these thoughts can only lead me to one place, how much of the closing ceremony was real?