The fear of falling.

All this while, in getting kids to play, I have been focussed on ensuring that kids get the right fitness and the right skills at the right age - and hence enjoy the playing experience - and hence play for life. All very logical.

Recently, I realised that we have missed a critical component.

Realised this when my 6 year old son insisted on going to the branch of the SPT academy that was a 20 minute drive away from home. And in the mornings on the weekend.

Not the one that was just a 5 minute walk away from home - that was using a school's ground on the weekend - and more conveniently, in the afternoon.

As a parent, it was very tempting to find a way to convince him to go to the place next door. Drop him off. Go home. Have some tea. Read a book. Pick him up.

So, I tried to convince him. But then he disarmingly told me: "Because the other place has grass"

And there it was. So clear for everybody to see. But I had missed it.

Grass.

The school nearby had a plain ground. Just plain mud. The typical Bangalore Red mud. Slightly sandy. Hard surface.  And the other place had green grass fields.

And then the penny dropped. He refuses to "dribble" in the apartment complex where we live. Fine with kicking the ball around. Prefers cricket to football in the apartment complex.

And I then realised that he was developing a fear of falling on the hard surface.

And I don't blame him.

My palms still have marks from the injuries I got while playing football on the hard grounds of IIM Bangalore back in 1993-95. Nearly 20 years ago!

Remember the Indian cricket team not diving while fielding - till recently? No wonder - as the grounds they grew up on were hard, rough and full of gravel. One full-fledged dive would have put them out of contention for a few matches due to the injuries!

And I just can't help wondering how much the fear of falling is impacting the way kids play. Making that extra effort, going for the less-than-half-chance and then making it happen is what you remember from a game. And in the process, you hurt yourself.  I keep telling my son "Well done!" whenever he comes back with a bruise after a game.

For a 6 year-old, falling on a concrete surface or a rough ground can be quite an un-nerving experience.

So, if our kids have a fear of falling, are they really playing to their potential? Are they going after the half-chances? Will they really experience the "magic of sport"? or have such an antiseptic version that it is just not exciting enough?

Just helping them find a small spot of grass to play on can remove the fear of falling.

Now, how difficult can that be? :)

Why do some countries fare better in some sports?

Why do some countries fare better in some sports?

I looked at the London 2012 medal tally - http://www.london2012.com/medals/medal-count/ . Here are some of my  findings - some not surprising:

1. Most Eastern nations have won medals in Individual Sports (weightlifting, badminton, judo, archery, wrestling, shooting) - and not many in Team Sports.

2. Most Western nations have won medals in Team Sports. And also in Individual Sports.

3. Of the Individual Sports that Eastern nations have done well in, the predominant sports are those that have minimal infrastructure requirements (weightlifting, boxing, judo, wrestling..) and the athlete can largely train by themselves - with minimal state/external support.

4. The Individual Sports that Western nations have done well in have infrastructure requirements (Cycling, Rowing, Sailing, Equestrian, Sailing, Fencing....). These sport require state/external support for the athlete to train - relatively speaking.

5. Team Sports is largely dominated by Western nations.

Some thoughts:

1. Is the higher team sport orientation in the Western nation due to the industrial revolution & a religious ethos that emphasised working with the community ("Work is Worship")- as against "looking inward" and a more individualistic approach to salvation? And hence the sports they played ensured that they built the community/team spirit. Most Eastern "sports" actually started out as "arts" - and have a very high level of inward focus. Take any martial art as an example.

2. Most team sports originated in the Western hemisphere. Most Eastern sports are individual in nature.

3. Most "Western" sports require a playing field/court (e.g. Basketball, Football, Tennis) that is much larger than the space that most Eastern sports/activities need (e.g. Judo, Wrestling, Boxing). I find it hard to believe that Western nations had more natural open play areas than Eastern nations. The society must have encouraged team sports and playspaces for the same.

4. For Eastern nations to counter this infra advantage (for whatever reason), they should add sports that do not have high infrastructure requirements. E.g. The move from grass to turf in Hockey (apart from other factors) has destroyed the natural advantage that Indian hockey had.
Am sure if Kabaddi gets added, we will win for a few Olympics and then it will be played on Astroturf!

For India, as we talk about how to win more medals, the choice of sport and the infrastructure related "liability of origin" (a phrase coined by IIMB Professor J Ramchander) has to be accounted for.

Else we will end up fighting a battle on someone else's field - literally!