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Dear Parents
The start of term 3 has not been without challenges, the severe storms having left many families with challenges. Sport and interschool fixtures have had to be cancelled, and our boys have spent many breaks indoors. It has been wonderful watching them back on the fields, and even playing a few matches this week. We look forward to Interhouse rugby at Lutgensvale on Saturday.
During the school holidays, I came across a wonderful article written by John Gloster. John is a renowned physiotherapist and the man who ‘physically shaped’ Indian cricket. He has over 25 years of experience working with elite sportspersons at the highest level.
John writes about the connection between failure and potential and shares the following:
Parents need to realise that everything in life is neither rosy nor a bed of thorns; children must be exposed to failure and pain at an early age, as that is where real learning happens. Over-protective parents do not allow their young children to take a knock. As a result, these children never get to know the difference between ‘good’ pain and ‘bad’ pain and do not build resilience.
Shane Warne, the legendary Australian leg-spinner and one of the greatest cricketers of all time, often speaks about failure and its positive outcomes. He says that if you want to be a successful person, then you must never fear failure. Young kids never know what their limits and capabilities are until they fail.
Warne explains it as ‘going to the edge of a cliff and falling off’. He explains that until you go to the edge of that cliff and fall off, you never know where the edge is – you never know where your limits are and where your abilities lie. So, kids must be encouraged to go to the edge of a cliff and fall off – fail either physically or mentally. But, importantly, you can fall off only if there is somebody there to catch you. And, this happens when you are surrounded by a good team or support network – who will catch you when you fall off that cliff and throw you back up onto that edge so that you can get back up and start again. You then know where your limits lie!
This is extremely crucial because otherwise, they are never operating at their full potential; instead, it is always submaximal potential. And, most kids never know what their full potential is because they never experience failure.
A note to parents; remember, schools and team sports are the perfect safe spaces for children to fail and in turn reach their full potential.
If you are interested in reading the article, please click on this link "How sports can help build resilience in children: Physiotherapist John Gloster".
Kind regards,
CHRIS GROOM
DEPUTY HEADMASTER:SPORT
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