Although I am guilty of and quite enjoy hijacking threads, thought I'd move some of the tangent discussions (because they are good/intersting) out of the DHS thread.
Fun: wrong word for why we play sports. Yes, athletic endeavors are fun—at times. But the real value and I would say REASON we encourage youth to play sports is for the SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT AT HAVING PUSHED ONESELF. To me that is much bigger than "fun," which is ultimately fleeting and occasionally trivial.
I am a serious cyclist. Rode my best time at the Assault on Mt Mitchell in the 2006 event at an advancing age—better than my previous best time some 15 or more years ago. Was that fun? Was the 8000-9000 miles a year training fun? Was the ride fun? Nope. But magnificently satisfying—because I put in the effort I could to prepare and made my best effort the day of the event.
That is what I see and hear in HS athletes who GET IT. Some fun is there, of course. And it must never be drudgery, but it ain't about fun. We laugh; we get excited; we celebrate—and that LOOKS like fun. But it is much much more.
Now—with success comes jealousy, right? In case you aren't interested in a "fun" discussion. . .
