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I wonder how much childhood a young man or girl has to give up in order to reach championship level at an early age. Thomas Daley is an awsome diver and his form is excillent. At the age of 13 to get perfect scores of 10 three times is a real accomplishment. But what has he had to give up? A lot of child prodigies burnout befor they reach adulthood. How much is what he wants to do and how much is what his parents or coaches want?
If you stand for Freedom, but you wont stand for war, then you dont stand for anything worth fighting for.
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marc
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Needs to get a life! |
Registered: March 2003
Messages: 4729
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Good question...
But i think a parent can push a kid into a sport but only the kid can excel to such a high level.
After all it's not the parent at the end of the high board isn't it?
Dedication, commitment and practice is the only path to success.
Life is great for me... Most of the time... But then I meet people online... Very few are real friends... Many say they are but know nothing of what it means... Some say they are, but are so shallow...
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timmy
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Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13796
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I think you can only know by asking each individual. My son is and always was an awesome musician. He chose to play the piano when he was four. We did not choose it for him. He chose to add the violin and then the clarinet, and latterly the guitar. he's good enough to have continued to train and be a world class soloist on clarinet.
We chose a relatively normal education for him. We could have chosen a music college, but we chose the finest academic school we could, instead. He starts his first job on Monday as a lawyer. He loves music and it's his hobby.
What if we had limited his options by choosing a music academy for him?
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
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You did what was proper for your son. To many times parents tend to want to relive their childhoods thru their children and push them into things that should be fun but become a burden. for the child what should be a choice and option becomes a chore and then a burden and its no longer fun. I have seen how some parents react when their child fails at some sport or activity.
If you stand for Freedom, but you wont stand for war, then you dont stand for anything worth fighting for.
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marc
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Needs to get a life! |
Registered: March 2003
Messages: 4729
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I don't see how any parent can "choose" what regiment of university level education their child gets.
At that age, a person is capable of making their own decisions.
Life is great for me... Most of the time... But then I meet people online... Very few are real friends... Many say they are but know nothing of what it means... Some say they are, but are so shallow...
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marc
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Needs to get a life! |
Registered: March 2003
Messages: 4729
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Oh hell YES...
I once watched a father walk onto the playing field and bitch slap his son for striking out (baseball).
The fathers largest mistake that day was that I was in the stands watching.
I spent the evening in custody... (2 hours)
He spent the night in intensive care for a solid knock on the head...
Oh..... i didnt mention... the child was 7 years old.
Life is great for me... Most of the time... But then I meet people online... Very few are real friends... Many say they are but know nothing of what it means... Some say they are, but are so shallow...
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timmy
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Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13796
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We may have a difference in transatlantic terminology. He chose his own university and subject and career. We chose the school [13-18] with his full input (and he rejected several, including Eton) that gave him the best chance of both having fun and being successful prior to university.
Even now he is not 100% sure he will enjoy his career, but he knows that he will qualify professionally before making any changes.
We always told him that all he had to do was to do his very best on that day, with due reference to the day itself. Doing his best on a great day he is awesome. Doing his best on a crap day, he is ok.
We never, not once, rewarded him for exam success. Instead, as soon as exams were taken, we rewarded him for effort. Success in the exam was his own reward, that he earned by the way he worked. We rewarded THAT he worked..
[Updated on: Wed, 13 August 2008 18:57]
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
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timmy
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Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13796
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Looking at Daley's performance in interviews, he appears to be a well adjusted kid who enjoys life AND his sport. But he also lives in a democratic nation without highly rigorous childhood selection procedures.
How many Chinese stars have the freedom simply to stop?
[Updated on: Wed, 13 August 2008 19:18]
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
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marc
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Needs to get a life! |
Registered: March 2003
Messages: 4729
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Ahhhh now is the crux of the matter.....
I don't like the olympics..... I believe they do nothing to advance society....
Life is great for me... Most of the time... But then I meet people online... Very few are real friends... Many say they are but know nothing of what it means... Some say they are, but are so shallow...
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marc
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Needs to get a life! |
Registered: March 2003
Messages: 4729
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That makes more sense.
Life is great for me... Most of the time... But then I meet people online... Very few are real friends... Many say they are but know nothing of what it means... Some say they are, but are so shallow...
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timmy
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Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13796
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I like them. I was, in my youth, 23rd away from selection for one of the UK sailing teams.
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
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Yes I have watched some of his interviews and he does seem to be well adjusted and seems to enjoy the sport. I think he has excelled because he wanted to. If he applies himself to his other studies he will do well in life.
If you stand for Freedom, but you wont stand for war, then you dont stand for anything worth fighting for.
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marc
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Needs to get a life! |
Registered: March 2003
Messages: 4729
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Roger wrote:
> Yes I have watched some of his interviews and he does seem to be well adjusted and seems to enjoy the sport. I think he has excelled because he wanted to. If he applies himself to his other studies he will do well in life.
True enough... But these same words can apply to the most maladjusted of youth...
Effort = progress, succes.
Life is great for me... Most of the time... But then I meet people online... Very few are real friends... Many say they are but know nothing of what it means... Some say they are, but are so shallow...
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unsui
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Likes it here |
Registered: September 2007
Messages: 338
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No Message Body
[Updated on: Fri, 24 October 2008 17:46] |
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Daer Timmy,
I wish I had been brought up by you. I can't think of how you could have done better.
Love,
Anthony
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timmy
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Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13796
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we gave it a huge amount of thought. And, most important, we checked with him of we were doing ok. When we were wrong we changed.
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
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Fingolfin
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Likes it here |
Location: Slovakia
Registered: August 2008
Messages: 265
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You know, sometimes you have to push a bit. My cousin is a proffessional ice-hockey player and he needed to be pushed once at a time, even though he has always claimed that he loves hockey.
Another case are the Chinese athletes, who may be even severely punished in the early age for unsatisfying results.
This reminds me of the old joke that was around everytime Czechoslovakia managed to beat Soviet union in ice-hockey:
A telegram from Soviet Union. "Congratulations to you for your sport success stop Oil stop Gas stop"
F.
P.S. I am a keen sportsman myself and I love what I do.
It is better to switch on a small light than to curse the darkness.
- Vincent Šikula, Slovak writer
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