To go far back for a moment, the very first ancient Olympic Games was in 776 B.C. at Olympia, Greece and the very first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896 in Athens, Greece. There are those who do not like to participate in sports and those also who do not like to watch them, haven’t got time to watch or those who simply have no interest in sports. Each to their own. Our children were always in some sport or another and personally, I found that there were many life lessons that could be learned through participation, as a young person finds out. They learn much about the social aspect of it, the competitive nature that grows, especially as they get older, for many sports the team aspect of it and the discipline of what it takes to be successful. Of course not to mention the good healthy physical aspect of participating in sports, especially as a regular part of the cycle of life.
When I was much younger, for me it was a social gathering, just wanting to be part of a team, however, you usually find that the more you do something, the better you get at it, which usually grows into something that you want to do more often. We all need boosts in our lives to give us the want to achieve more. Sports took me through some of the toughest times in my life and the people closest to me were usually team mates, coaches – who were like parents with whom I had great faith in. My all time favourite Sports mentor was a man by the name of Alex Barbier, at George Brown College and George Brown College’s Athletic Director. I was going nowhere pretty fast in my life and he taught me life lessons through sports and I trusted him and he put me back on the right track. He was an amazing man, one who could bring out the best in anyone and he did so with many people that I knew.
I am a proud supporter of our city sports teams, men, women and youth. I know that with sports in their lives, increases the chances of not getting into trouble as you become so preoccupied with what team you will be playing that week. As a young person, you must keep that healthy mind going hand in hand with your education as it compliments your character and remains always, the tool that you will need most in the shop.
Personally, I much prefer playing sports, than watching sports. I am totally addicted to Pickleball as I have been for the last almost 3 years, although Soccer remains my number 1 and the ink on my arm exclaims this. Im like a lot of us out there, I get glued to the TV when our Pro Sports teams are in the playoffs and the excitement is in the air. However, watching sports sometimes bring back the thrills of when we were younger, the life lessons learned, the friends we made and being a part of a team where we learned how to be competitive, all things that helped to carry us through life, to where we are today.
To the coaches who volunteered when we were younger and gave the time in their lives to help others, the team Managers and all others who make sports possible, thank you.
Dedicated to the best Coach Alex Barbier, Director of Athletics, George Brown College. RIP Alex.