Childhood athletics have changed from an afternoon at the park to clinics and Little League games directed by coaches.
In March, ASU football will host a free youth clinic featuring the Sun Devils’ coaching staff and current players.
I’m not condemning ASU for doing this or any other organized sport for that matter. My brothers have all played Little League, and I take karate classes.
More and more, it appears children must be entertained and directed in their athletics for them to have fun.
My argument is that the most fun is found in unorganized adventures that happen when children have some outdoor space and imagination.
Build a tree house. Play kickball with the neighborhood kids. Dig in the mud after the rain. Or, because we’re in Arizona, dump water from your pool into the dirt and have a mud fight.
One reason clinics and organized sports have become more prominent is that childhood obesity has shot through the roof.
Some programs, such as First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign, try to directly target childhood obesity.
These programs alone will not work.
For real progress and real interest in sports, children should be encouraged to have spontaneous, self-directed athletic fun.
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