Friday Night Arena

Friday Night Arena

Watching high school football Friday night, I wanted to tune-up a number of adults sitting around me.  Somewhere in time, society lost perspective in regards to high school sports and extra curricular activities.  Too many people forgot that athletes under the helmets, musicians under hats, and cheerleaders behind pompoms are kids.  The students participating in high school extracurricular activities average age is 16 years old, which by every definition defines them as children.

We should be celebrating kids for participating in activities.  They’re learning that success takes preparation, endurance, perseverance and a sense of personal pride.  A kid strapping on a helmet or picking up an instrument is taking a risk to do there personal best in front of peers, family and community members.  I am confidant in stating that no high school student purposely plans on dropping a pass, missing a tackle, or being out of step.  They are just putting forth their best effort and should be applauded for their effort regardless if the effort is successful or not.

Idiots shouting at a kid from the stands because he dropped a ball might want to remember that it wasn’t long ago that same kid was playing with toys.  How many adults perform/work in front of crowd that will applaud their success and ridicule their missed opportunities? 

Fans and families of high school students should remember the following words of wisdom from President Teddy Roosevelt:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Our high students deserve our affection and appreciation for putting forth effort to do their best regardless if they are successful or not.  They deserve our admiration for being in the “arena” instead of sitting in the stands pointing out how others have failed.