Athleticism: A Way of Life
We have shaped our South County Golf Academy Junior Performance Program model to develop Next Level Golf Performance in any golfer. The whole idea is creating an athlete first, and all the rest will fall into place. Doesn’t this same idea apply to all aspects of life in a way? Let me show you my thought process.
In creating an athlete, we focus on several basic principles that produce success without fail. Think about each of these and how they cannot only be applied to sports, but life in general.
1. Play hard, or go home:
In sports, we teach that you need to have your head in the game at all times. If you cannot be at your very best then you need to sit out and come back to it when you are ready. This idea can also be applied to life by showing that you need to give whatever you are doing your absolute all. Being an athlete, you learn that there is no room or time to be mediocre at anything in life.
2. Breathe deep:
No matter what sport, there is always room to breathe deeply to make sure you are focused and in control of your body and your mind. What a great reminder in stressful life situations, that sometimes we need to just take a deep breath to come back to base.
3. Get up and try again:
There is always failure at some point within athletics. Whether it’s tripping over the hurdle, missing a putt, or losing the game, failure sucks. However, the best thing a coach can say when these failures come is “try again next time.” Being an athlete, you learn that failure is necessary for success, it’s not the end of the world, and the best option is to get up and try again. Life brings the same type of failures but in a more extreme perspective. How much better off will your child be if they have been fed with the mentality that they can get back up and try again?
4. Rely on your team:
Your team is what takes you the finish, helps you win the game, or takes you through to the next round. In life, we all have people that are on our “team.” The more we learn to lean on those that love us the most, the more we will prosper. Golf in the junior world especially, is solitary, and competitive on an individualized level. Golf is unlike football, soccer, or volleyball, where each player has a specific duty to fulfill for the betterment of the team as a whole. Instead, these golfers are looking for personal victories to qualify them for the next arena in which they can prove themselves.
There is something motivating about the idea that everyone wants the same objective, and in order to obtain it, everyone has to work together. There is a deeper and more profound appreciation when you can look in your teammates eyes and say, “ WE can do this, let’s win this thing together!” Knowing that you are not alone in the pressure, the struggles, and the end goal, makes every play seem easier to obtain. When you want to give up, you know that you cannot let your teammates down, so it becomes easier to press on.
5. You are what you eat:
Bottom line is that eating junk will make you feel like junk. Especially when you are living an active lifestyle. Athleticism gives a natural motivation for children to eat healthy because they will begin to notice how it affects their game when they eat like crap.
6. The more you move, the easier it is:
The typical lifestyle of today is fairly sedimentary compared to the “olden” days. Athleticism promotes that, staying active is the best way to make life easy. One of the great things about golf is that it can be played your entire life, if we can maintain our physical health as well as aches and pains. Teaching young athletes that movement and staying active is the best medicine at a young age, will benefit them greatly in the long run.
7. Chest bump:
In sports, accomplishments are celebrated. Each athlete knows the pain, sweat, and tears that went into every score, or progression. Athleticism teaches us to chest bump, high five, or victory dance, the positive things that occur. Athleticism can teach your child to take the time to do this in moments of forward movement in our life, big or small.
8. Have fun:
If your young athlete is not having fun in their sport, then something is wrong. There should be laughter, excitement, and determination throughout any program. Is this not also true in life? If you are constantly finding yourself sad, down trodden, or beat down, it is time to make a change. Athleticism can teach your child to not settle for anything but the best when it comes to their happiness.
These and many more lessons can be learned from creating athleticism in children. Be sure that your child is involved in a well-rounded program to develop these attributes throughout his/her life.
