Kids and play

The other afternoon I was watching my son, Dylan, play basketball for fun, rather than competitively, with kids of all levels all ability.  Watching these kids, I am even more touched by his service project to help raise awareness and funds for childhood obesity.

Let me tell you a little about Dylan.  He is a natural athlete and every coach at every level has said that to us and to him.  He wants to be a professional athlete which I'm confident that if he really wants that when he gets older, he will do it.  Much to my chagrin, many of his coaches have told them whole team that Dylan is the best player and they need to play like him and yet he maintains his humility.  He is and always has been a complete team player and makes sure everyone in his team has a chance to shine.

Dylan has never had a extra ounce of fat on his body and yet he picked childhood obesity as his service project.  His reasoning is that he loves sports and being active and while he knows that not all kids are interested in competitive sports he sees those who want to play but don't because of their weight or fitness level and feels bad.  He sees the kids who do want to play competitively (or did) but began to feel insecure, ashamed, and basically miserable because they couldn't keep up and would get picked last on the teams - or not picked at all.  He has seen how kids compare themselves to others (even to him) and give up because they don't feel "good enough" rather than always striving to be the best them they can be.

When this happens in childhood, we often bring those feelings of insecurity and lack of self-esteem with us. Once we've been carrying it for 30 years or more it becomes even harder to let go of, it's like that security blanket of days gone by that we hold onto for dear life. It becomes who we think we are. We may begin to look in the mirror with self disgust and self-loathing. We may forget to practice self-love and self understanding. When we don't love ourselves, we often find that replying to other people as well. We find ourselves more judgmental and misunderstanding just because were unhappy with ourselves.We identify with these traits and don't let go until something makes us!

While this happens to people who are not obese or overweight, by raising awareness and funds towards helping childhood obesity, we will get rid of one of the big factors of low self-esteem!

I am committed to making a difference in the lives of young people. In doing so,my life will be enriched beyond my imagination. And by getting fit myself, I will show myself that I can do anything that I put my mind to. I will be an example rather than someone who just has all the textbook knowledge and is not applying it to her own life. Please join me on my journey and let me know how I can help you on yours!