Substances, Screens, and Sports
- Vernon C. Lindsay, PhD
- 15 hours ago
- 3 min read
My wife said, “We need to keep our kids off drugs.” Along with encouraging conversations and explaining the importance of positive peers, we made sports part of our strategy.
Organized sports activities offer children a healthy alternative to sitting at home, looking at screens, and filling idle time with misusing substances.
Beyond the physical and mental health benefits, sports encourage children to build resilience, develop grit, and learn collaboration. By attending practices and games, they develop transferable social, intellectual, and emotional skills that support education, employment, and entrepreneurial achievements.
Unfortunately, private sports clubs are not viable options for every child.
Lower-income families cannot afford the travel, uniform, and club fees to join teams outside of school. While some clubs offer discounts and financial aid, access is not always inclusive.
In Angela Duckworth’s book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, she discusses the relationship between extracurricular involvement and the development of grit and resilience in young people. Her research indicated that children in after-school activities are more likely to experience multiple failures in a safe environment, learn from their mistakes, and push forward toward new endeavors.
The abilities gained through playing sports, learning musical instruments, and engaging in other extracurricular activities correspond with success in life.
Awareness of Duckworth’s research and my exercise commitments have informed my family’s financial priorities. My wife and I have invested thousands of dollars and countless hours in club sports over the years. While the benefits exceed the losses, paying for our children to play on sports teams is expensive and time-consuming.
We are not financially wealthy, but we create lines in our budget to support our children’s future.
I must remind myself that the sacrifices will make sense when I see them excel. They may not join a professional team or become Olympians, but they will gain important life skills. It’s already happening.
This summer, my daughter became a lifeguard, and my boys started an entrepreneurial hustle by offering yard services to our neighbors. They experienced setbacks in both endeavors, but persevered to earn an income.
I smile at the signs of my athletic teens’ ambitions, but they are a lot to handle.
Last Saturday, I had a triple header. I took my youngest to his cross-country meet, and my middle child to two separate soccer games in different parts of the city. With four games on our schedule this weekend, the busyness will continue.
In addition to the research and my values, I blame our sports commitments on living abroad. We had limited extracurricular options when we lived in Mexico and Antigua and Barbuda. Private clubs offered the best opportunities to learn how to swim and play competitive football (soccer).
We initially enrolled the children in swimming classes to keep them alive. My wife and I wanted some reassurance that they would not drown at the beach.
What started with one class on Saturday mornings evolved into six practices or more every week. Two of my children became members of Antigua and Barbuda’s National Swim Team. The middle child left the pool and fell in love with football.
Our concerns about wanting to keep our children off screens and away from drugs have complicated our lives, but it’s worth it.
Sacrifices made from places of fear and love can enrich lives.
Think about one commitment you can make to increase opportunities for yourself, your family, and your community.
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