26th July 2024
‘Citius Altius Fortius’ meaning Faster, Higher, Stronger is the motto of the Olympics.
The ultimate sporting event for athletes to do their best, win medals for their country, and gain sporting glory.
There is a lot of hard work, tears, sweat, and blood behind qualifying for the Olympics & only a few get a chance to stand on the Podium.
It is the Olympics season and I’d like to recollect a chat I had with a friend some years ago.
While paying my son’s monthly fees for coaching & playing the sport,
One of my friends asked “Why do you pay so much money for your son to do all his sports”?
Well I have a confession to make; I don’t pay for my son to play sports.
Personally, the fees does’nt matter so long as he learns the lessons sports teaches!!
While he plays his sports, what I actually pay for is
– I pay for those moments when my son becomes so tired he wants to quit but doesn’t.
– I pay for those days when my son comes home from school and is “too tired” to go to his practice but he goes anyway.
– I pay for my son to learn to be disciplined, focused and dedicated.
– I pay for my son to learn to take care of his body and equipment.
– I pay for my son to learn to work with others and to be a good team mate, gracious in defeat and humble in success.
– I pay for my son to learn to deal with disappointment, when he doesn’t get that placing or title he’d hoped for, but still he goes back week after week giving it his best shot.
– I pay for my son to learn to make and accomplish goals.
– I pay for my son to respect, not only himself, but other athletes, officials and coaches.
– I pay for my son to learn that it takes hours and hours, years and years of hard work and practice to create a champion and that success does not happen overnight.
– I pay for my son to be proud of small achievements, and to work towards long term goals.
– I pay for my son to learn to lose graciously and learn to try another day for success.
– I pay for the opportunities my son has and will have to make life-long friendships, create lifelong memories, to be as proud of his achievements as I am.
– I pay so that my son can be out on the field or in the gym instead of in front of a screen.
…I could go on but, to be short, I don’t pay for sports; I pay for the opportunities that sports provide my son with, to develop attributes that will serve him well throughout his life and give him the opportunity to bless the lives of others.
From what I have seen so far I think it is a great investment!
Let’s play the Sport in the right spirit and aim for ‘Citius, Altius, Fortius’ and stay blessed forever.