The July 9 issue of Sports Illustrated magazine includes a fascinating article by Gary Smith, “Why Don’t More Athletes Take A Stand?” He shares the story of UVA walk-on football player Wonman Joseph Williams; an athlete, student, and activist.
Smith provides interesting food for thought as he drills down to analyze why today’s athletes don’t take a public stand on high profile, controversial issues like many did in the past: Olympians John Carlos and Tommie Smith raising their fists on the medal stand to protest racism, UCLA basketball player Bill Walton leadng a sit-in against the Vietnam war, tennis star Arthur Ashe battling apartheid in South Africa, seeking to have the country removed from the International Lawn Tennis Federation, tennis great Billy Jean King publicly supporting gender equity in education by testifying before Congress.
Smith compares the deliberate separation, special treatment and social withdrawal of today’s gifted athlete, starting with young children placed on travel teams, to ancient history and how athletics and academics were celebrated side-by-side.
Twenty-five hundred years ago, the earliest of such athletics fields – gymnasia – were built by the Greeks. Centers where philosophers strolled and teachers instructed young men in ethics, morals, science, math and poetry, where the playing field was a grand courtyard surrounded by libraries and lecture halls and classrooms with the intent of fully harmonizing the development of body and soul. A lad coundn’t run, jump or hurl anything without learning how to question, how to think, how to see connections. -Gary Smith, Sports Illustrated, July 9, 2012, pg 56.
It occurred to me while reading that last sentence that, perhaps, it has a wider application than just athletics. At the risk of admittedly making some broad-sweeping statements, have we separated our children too much from creative expression and social exploration processes?
If a child doesn’t experience a pots and pans band, creating various sounds and discovering rhythm through wooden spoons and spatulas, is an opportunity lost to develop an ear for music?
If a child isn’t given blank paper and a few crayons, or a dimestore-type watercolor paint tray, or a box of sidewalk chalk, can he develop a artistic expression, understanding the blending of colors and shapes and light and shadow?
If a child isn’t exposed to frequent discussions about nature, manners, politics, goals, religion, values and ideals, can she develop the ability to think and challenge and negotiate and decide?
If a child is left to sit in front of a TV or computer screen – all the time – how does he learn to engage in conversation, listen, communicate, make connections?
There was a time when we would encourage our children to “color outside the lines.” Perhaps we need to step back even further and simply encourage our children to color.
What do you think? Are today’s children spending enough time really “learning how to question, how to think, how to see connections?” Whether yes or no, what does that mean for the future?
