When you have a very talented junior golfer – (I have one, it is not Rob, and I say that with love and the faintest little inkling that he could still prove me very wrong) – you are tempted to imagine that this is it. At 8, or 10, or 12 years old his future is decided and every decision, vacation destination, spare hour and dollar is directed in the direction of that dream (whose dream it really is remains somewhat vague) and those articles that recommend kids not specialize in one sport too soon ……… well, they can hardly apply to golf which is such an individual sport, so technical and highly competitive from such an early age ………
Yet this year, out of the blue, we have both our boys playing travel basketball. Golf tournament weekends take precedence of course, but contrary to the paranoia and personality of the average hyperextended golf parent we are embracing a second sport on a competitive level and finding it extremely beneficial !
The physical training alone that the boys are subjected to is making them faster and stronger than they have ever been. Their coach is an old-school, in your face, ain’t how hard you hit but how hard you get hit and keep moving forward ex-pro-baller ….. They love him and respect him and work hard for him.
And even more than the physical conditioning, there is a mental toughness that holds a team together in a fast paced battle of wills and wits when you take on opponents bigger and stronger than you. Mental toughness is what takes you to another level in any game you play. It is not something that can be coached into you. It percolates organically through preparation and pressure.
And even more than that – and I don’t really understand the correlation, if indeed there is one – I am more relaxed. I’m less obsessed with his golfing ambitions, my golfing ambitions for him, whatever ……..
Sports coaches and psychologists credit a multi-sport upbringing primarily with reducing injuries, stress and burnout and facilitating better overall motor and athletic development, confidence and ownership of the sports experience.
It’s turning into a real win-win.