I have come to recognize that many of the issues we face today stem from the Human’s penchant for elitism. Those of you that have dealt with me know that I am all about root causes. So let’s delve a little deeper.
Let’s take an issue that I’ve been working on for the past few years: Youth Inactivity (some misguidedly call it the youth obesity problem). How do we think this all happened? Do we think this just happened because kids are lazy? Sorry, Charlie. That would be way too simple, now wouldn’t it?
Here’s what I believed happened:
Overestimating the importance of Lebron James
We began to overvalue high achievement in athletics and the potential riches involved; so much so that we skewed the whole environment of youth sports toward getting a college scholarship and making it to the pros. Don’t believe me? Search on the internet for athletic performance institutes, training camps,programs and training camps. Look at the way they advertise. Sure some are doing it the right way (more and more because of the IYCA), but most are promising improvements in vertical leap or 40 yard dash times.
Why is all this important? Well, the other kids that don’t show promise toward the pros can see that they are left out once they get to high school, and in some areas, junior high school. They weren’t interested in signing 8 month travel contracts for their chosen sport. They just wanted to play. They got left out and became disillusioned.
While the number of boys and girls (ages 6 to 12) participating in youth sports programs is greater than ever, the drop-out rate by age 13 is growing significantly. nytimes.com, Ken Reed, 02/01/04
Money and Convenience are the Measures of Success
People over time have gotten more and more excited about how much they have and how big their possessions are. So much so that this philosophy made it’s way to our food portions. When I was a kid, the biggest big gulp that you could buy was 32 ounces. Now, I think it’s about 128 ounces if you buy one of those reusable thermoses. People started attaching their egos to how big things were so vehemently, that we have actually begun to literally kill ourselves with excess. We’re Rome, people.
Convenience started to become not only a measure of success, but a seemingly necessary evil so that we could have time to make even more money. People started to get ahead with dual incomes, real estate became an extra investment for many instead of just a means for shelter, and Voila! Now people must work long hours just to make ends meet. Then who’s raising the kids? Well, these video games should keep ‘em busy! Look at how much they love those video games. Sure, junior you can have a TV in your room. Sure, a phone too. You don’t even have to leave the house now, everything’s right here for you. You’re so safe and content. PROBLEM! They are not much safer, and definitely not any more content. It backfired.
Now we have a climate in which I have to try to find space in my facility to run programs just to make sure we get kids moving and enjoying exercise. They enjoy convenience and the trappings of their parents’ success so much more now than they do exercise.
Wait WHAT?!? Kids enjoy sitting more than playing now? We actually changed the course of nature, people!
So, What’s the Solution, Hot Shot?
All right buddy, no need to call names. The first solution is to change our values. No, I don’t mean this in the Republican Party sense in that I want everyone to carry guns, and not have abortions. I don’t mean it in the Democratic Party sense of let’s justt give everyone money.
No, I mean it the hard way – YOU make the daily decision to value things other than money, your kid’s performance being elite or in a certain percentile kids, and your convenience.
Got kids?
Make your life a little less convenient. You’ll find that itt’s actually LESS stressful. Get outside, take the kids for a hike.
Don’t have kids, but enjoy fitness and mentoring?
Learn what you need to about basic concepts in child development (the International Youth Conditioning Association can help, as can organizations like Joy of Sports Foundation, Functional Fitness 4 Kids, and others). Help start a program in your neighborhood.
Are you one of those people that has made a lot of money? Well, help ensure this nation’s future by funding some of the organizations that are trying to solve the problem
Are you a legislator?
Well, stop introducing BS bills that don’t do anything. Talk to people like me, not Arnold Schwarzenneger, about what we can do to ACTUALLY solve this problem. We’ve been talking about this for 10 years and it’s gotten worse. Stop talking, and…
Give kids more time in PE. It’s more important than you think and for more reasons than you think. Concentrating solely on test scores and making a percentile is not going to help us move forward. It hasn’t worked yet, has it? No, we’ve been slipping every year!
Give them curricula centered around child development and development of physical skill in a way they can use, not just teaching them how to play badminton. (Hint: I and some others can help you with this)
Are you a Coach?
Stop the madness. This isn’t about how many kids you can get to the pros or how many championships banners you can post up in the local diner. These things don’t matter that much except to an elitist. This is about kids still enjoying flag football and soccer when they’re 40, and having the requisite skill to avoid preventable injuries.
What’s your solution? How are you going to stop being an elitist?
7 comments
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October 21, 2008 at 5:26 am
Lorraine
Great article.I agree with all you have said in addition I would add that food,well…. very poor food choices and the emergence of fast food in some cases daily has added to the weight problem in America.
I have seen adults and kids increase activity but if the food they ingest isn’t of proper quanties and better quality they don’t lose weight just become more active overweight adults and children.
Most parents have NO CLUE HOW OR WHAT TO EAT.As a health care provider I can conservatively say 85% of my patients really have no idea what quality food choices are.They also aren’t that willing to change for themselves or their children.
Parents often times are afraid to introduce to the children healthier choices because “they won’t eat fruits and veggies .and healthier choices .
If the parents won’t, the kids can’t.
Change always starts at the top down.Parents to Kids.
Keep up the great work.
Lorraine
October 30, 2008 at 2:04 pm
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November 27, 2008 at 2:29 am
jleeger
Hear hear Kwame! It takes a village! I check out my blog on “scarcity thinking” in personal training – http://leegertrained.wordpress.com/
More people need to be speaking the truth. I think a large part of our nation’s ills is caused by peer pressure – people are afraid to come out and say “if you want to succeed, you must work…” I mean, look what they did to Bill Cosby…
November 27, 2008 at 6:18 pm
drkmbrown
Josh, I will definitely check out your blog. Given your intelligence and wit, I know it’ll be good.
I do agree with the notion that people should be more candid about what they think, but also believe that they should think first (unlike Glenn Beck and Bill O’Reilly).
Contrary to popular believe, much of the African-American community agreed with what Bill Cosby said, and with Barack Obama’s statements about personal responsibility.
The problem, though, is that the dominant culture is not really in a position speak on this, because there is a lack of perspective when considering certain situations. Why do you ask? Well, because the dominant culture in this country still directly benefits from the work done on the backs of slaves. Let’s not forget that slaves were not just unpaid workers. You are talking about a whole race of people that was systematically tortured, killed, and beaten into submission for almost 40 years. Then, even after that, the children of that race grew up with stereotyped images about themselves.
So, the problem is not that simple when we consider how the descendants of African slaves have had their culture and family structure systematically decimated.
The fact is, though, MOST black people take care of their kids! So let’s not lose perspective. even a disproportionate problem does not a majority make.
With all that said, I think that children should be made aware early on (by parents schools, and the community) the connection between hard work and success. But, I ask, where do those images and that validation come from? People need to be met halfway. When you see everyone’s parents around you working hard, but the deck being stacked toward the rich. When you then look and see all the people around you that are struggling are from a certain group…It’s not hard to see why some give up.
So, our communities need help from the police, civic planners, and the government so that the boot straps people are supposed to pull themselves up by actually exist. Our children then need to be taught that nothing comes easy and that they will have to work. This is what one would call a supportive environment. Remember that hard work is something learned early in life, and that hard work never lasts for long unless there is a clear view to opportunity (or the threat of violence)
December 1, 2008 at 7:54 pm
Josh
Yes. I’m just not sure where that comes from. Did you check out Carol Dweck’s write-up in the NYT Magazine?
We need a paradigm shift in the way we speak with other people. Something as subtle as telling your child they did well because they worked hard versus because they are gifted in some way, may tip the balance…
What worries me is the tide against which we have to work. How do we compete with MTV (and the incredibly bad messaging from the likes of most TV programming)? How do we compete with the media machine?
December 3, 2008 at 10:17 pm
drkmbrown
I am definitely familiar with that writeup by Dweck, as well as the work of Dan Willingham in this regard.
There have been many studies that show the potential damage of expectations. One of the things I hate to see is when parents are still dictating expectations and goals the same way for a 15 year old as they do for a 3 year old.
We still don’t realize, unfortunately, that the goal is to internalize the desire to work hard and axquire knowledge and wisdom, not dictate it. One of the questions I always ask parents is:
What happens when we finally remove that strong stimulus of dictation? If we are really thinking, it would be counterintuitive to assume that:
1. A child will suddenly, magically, have the skills to be self sufficient after having everything dictated to them for 18+ years.
2. A child will gain the skills to problem solve from being hyperfocused on a result.
This is why I began this thread with the focus on elitism. This results orientation comes from an attachment to the ego, passed down from parent to child, generation after generation (read Echart Tolle).
Unfortunately, those who speak out against results oriented education don’t often explain themselves well, or give viable alternative plans. On the flip side, those that are results oriented mistakenly think that not being results oriented means that results aren’t desired, that somehow this promotes laziness. If executed properly, a focus on process with an eye on goal POSSIBILITIES will likely net superior results.
This is one of my career goals, to work on that exact problem (actually my “family business” so to speak). We must end the elitist cop out tendency to fall back on “talent”. Talent is worthless on its own, and for its own sake. It is also worthless if burned out by treating kids like bottomless production machines.
How do we fight the media machine? By creating movement. We can’t expect to accomplish it by dictating messages to the public. That would literally make us part of the problem. We must instead do it through discussions like this. We must live the example of truly considering and solving problems, of respecting and really listening to not only each others’ opinions, but also what lies behind those opinions.
Luckily, it seems that we have a president (probably for the first time in history since Lincoln) that is truly prepared to do that!
We win by doing, by practicing.
December 3, 2008 at 11:54 pm
Josh
Yo man,
sounds good to me. Let’s create movement! I’m all about it! In fact, I try to do it every day!
I’ve read Eckhart’s books, and I love his approach. Did you read the first one? If not, you definitely should. His process, of simply feeling your own body as you sit someplace, is the most mind-expanding meditation I’ve done since…well, you know. Since sometime in college.
Anyway!
To add fuel to your fire, check out this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/02/science/02free.html?ex=1325394000&en=7d7a58876163384d&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
My favorite quote – “the more reasonably you try to act, the more unpredictable you are, at least to yourself”