Yesterday I wrote a blog about “Attributes.” It was a twist on words that allowed for a twist in our thinking process about the qualities we possess and what or who they are attributed to. As an undiagnosed dyslexic/ADD kid, I didn’t have many “qualities” I could count on at school or at play. Lucky for me, my mom and dad believed in diversity and subjected me and my two sisters to many activities and games. Did they know what they were doing? I doubt it! Mostly I believe my dad was looking for what each one of us was good at.

The middle sister was interested in playing the guitar. The younger was a phenomenal tennis player. When my dad saw how I swung a golf club at the age of 12, he had all intentions of making me into a pro. He went a little overboard and put so much pressure on me to excel that I became exhausted and backed away. I kept at it much longer than I wanted to because I didn’t want to disappoint him, and it took me years to love the game again. Although I had a small amout of natural ability, it didn’t compensate for what I lacked emotionally, and believe it or not, I wanted to go bowling! At that age, I loved baseball and football in the front yard, archery and going skeet shooting, fishing and boating. Golf was for old men with ugly shoes.  

As I look back now though, I truly believe it was the combination of all these activities that allowed me to grow out of dyslexia and prosper, both emotionally and physically. No, I am not great at any single sport, but I don’t believe it was because I didn’t stick to one. Instead, I believe I stuck to all of them despite my un-coordinated body and lack of talent. Developing the skills needed to play each of these sports ultra-enhanced my development and ultimately, my life.

The “Attributes” blog showed how much goodness we can derive from a variety of activities and exercise, but tomorrow, look for the scientific research and doctor’s advice on how sticking to only one sport can actually hurt a child’s development. When it comes down to it, the more we expose our children (and ourselves) to, the better off our bodies and minds will be. Till tomorrow! D.