Brown and others believe children should try a variety of sports as they're growing. The benefits are many. Physically, they'll exercise many parts of the body, developing strong, healthy bodies. Mentally, the variety would provide more of an opportunity for fun, and less pressure on excelling in one sport. I'd even cajole them into a couple of sports they haven't thought of.
Adults are often the reason for young athletes rebelling or shying away from athletics.
Too often, adults are living out their dreams through their kids, Brown said. Harden believes it's important to have parents who can keep their child's athletic career in perspective. I'd like to see the parents not be obsessed with winning or losing, or performance, Harden said. I'd like the parents to realize the value of participating for their children. Christy Gow is a parent who seems to have the situation under control.