It has
been 30 years since I was a geeky, skinny 13 year old. Here are 13 things I want him to know about
life and sports…
·
It’s
tough being a teenager; you will fail often and wonder, “Why me?” on a regular
basis. Those hard times will yield
valuable lessons which will shape you, teach you, mold you, harden you into the
adult you will become.
·
You will
strike out a lot more than reach a base, miss more lay-ups than make, drop more
passes than catch; you can fail, but you can’t give up.
·
You will
likely try to fit in with others, to make them happy. Guess what?
They need to fit in with you, not the other way around. If those kids don’t like you for you, then
hang out with kids who do.
·
Sports
will teach you almost every lesson you need to know about life. Books will fill in the gaps.
·
I get
it: Grown ups are weird and mean and
dictators. They are doing the best that
they can, and care about you more than anyone else.
·
There
will be moments - good and bad - on the field and court that you will never
forget. Cherish those.
·
You may
not like your coaches and teachers, but the good ones will be remembered long
after you are done playing for them.
·
Keep
figuring out who you are all the time.
You will see different labels all over the school: Jock, geek, nerd,
stoner, goth, bully. Be your authentic
self. Forge your own path and never
conform.
·
The
cruelest kids are just as confused and helpless as everyone else, maybe more
so.
·
The
ironic twist is that you want to get older as fast as possible; that will
reverse sooner than you think. Have as
much fun as possible. Be. A. Kid.
·
You will
do some stupid things in the next few years.
Actually you never stop doing stupid things. You just become wiser and try to minimize the
damage along the way.
·
Talent
is overrated. Some of the most talented
kids will miss the rewards of hard work because everything comes easy to
them. You are talented, but that does
not excuse you from working your butt off.
·
Believe
in yourself. In a few decades you will
open a business where you will be working with a bunch of (you guessed it) 13
year olds teaching them how to be better athletes. You will use the next 30 years worth of
knowledge to “pay it forward”. Maybe,
just maybe, you can be a positive influence on a geeky, skinny 13 year old
trying to figure stuff out.
