A recurring idea in this issue is how organized sports make for a more well-rounded and responsible child. We couldn’t agree more with this. Along with providing some gains throughout their development into adulthood and looking great on a college application, sports have an amazing overall effect on a young person.

When I was in high school in the early 2000’s in Orlando, Florida, we were lucky to have an abundance of lakes and a pretty well-respected crew team. It sounds like a very posh sport I know, but this wasn’t really the case in the South. It was a newer sport, with most of the rowing programs in the state only being in existence for only 10-20 years. This is nothing compared to some of the prep schools we would compete with when traveling to the Northeast.

I loved being a part of something bigger than myself. The daily practices throughout the entire school year (the season was year-round) designed to push us to our physical limits, and the people all played a significant role in my development as a young adult.

But, it was probably the relationship we all had to our coach that had the most significant impact on our performance in and outside the boat. He was always there to push us along and was very strict when it came to our studies, checking our report cards every quarter, and was also aware if we got into any trouble at school. He was revered by all in the community, for his obsession with the sport and the positive impacts he had on many young lives. Some students would go on to receive significant scholarships and row at top universities, but all learned about the selflessness required to be a part of a team, which he perfectly personified through the countless hours of work he put into this motley crew of teenagers.

In this issue, we got to experience firsthand some of the people in Beijing’s community that personify this sort of involvement, along with the athletes benefiting from the mindfulness and structure that athletics can provide. In Schooled (p34) we talk with a handful of international school coaches about their views on the benefits of physical education. In Food for Thought (p22), Chef Pauline shares her high-energy snacks to keep your kid in the game. Then finally, in our cover feature, we cover some of the winter sports that have been gaining popularity in China in the years leading up to the 2022 Winter Olympics (p46). This and more should give you a clear idea about the importance of competitive play in your child’s life, and how we could all use a little more “fun and games.”

Featured photo: Dave’s Studio

This article appeared on p5 of beijingkids November 2017 issue.
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The Rio Olympics are now over halfway through, and as we predicted, many of the early concerns have been forgotten, while the world has gripped by some thrilling competition.

Our Beijing “two to watch” both have medals, and hopes of more to come. Diver Cao Yuan took the bronze in the 3m synchronized springboard, but recorded the best score in the preliminary round of the individual event, and competes in the semi-final tonight at 9pm. Gymnast Wang Yan also has a bronze for the team event, having finished 5th in the Vault and 6th in the individual All-Around. She can be seen again in the Floor Exercise final tomorrow.

You’ll forgive me a little twinge of nationalistic pride that my country is (at the time of writing) second on the medal table, one gold ahead of a certain country with twenty times our population. However that pride is tempered by some concern about the approach that’s got us there, and what it says about our attitudes to sport.

British sports receive funding from the government (the money coming from the National Lottery, not the taxpayer). However the funding is dependent on success in international competitions. So sports in which we have recently done well, such as cycling and rowing, are supported, while others are ruthlessly cut adrift.

A healthy degree of national pride seems to me to be a legitimate aspect of sport, as long as we don’t take it too seriously. As a soccer fan I enjoy the tribal aspects of the game: wearing my club’s colors, singing our songs, and engaging in banter with fans of our rivals. However I would never get into a fight over it, as happened far too often in football’s past. Ultimately these loyalties are what Kurt Vonnegut called “granfalloons”, wholly arbitrary groupings which say nothing about who we truly are as people.

And there is more to sport than nationalism. There is pleasure in admiring the skill and dedication of the athletes, the extraordinary feats of which humanity is capable. It is one of the joys of the Olympics that for a couple of weeks global superstars like Usain Bolt share the stage with amateur practitioners of more obscure sports. The world was recently smitten by the wit and down-to-earth charm of previously unknown Irish rowers Gary and Paul O’Donovan. (VPN required)

Perhaps most importantly, international events like the Olympics should inspire children to get off the couch and have a go. Here is where the British model fails: as our medal haul rises, participation in sport has fallen. American kids too are playing less sport, with pressure to succeed blamed for taking the fun out of taking part. Too much focus on elite success is unhealthy for us. So maybe it’s time to turn off the TV, and go for a bike ride, or a swim.

Photo: telegraph.co.uk