December Children's Fitness
Be A HERO
One of my little Boot Kampers came up to me the other day and said; "Sarge, you're pretty fun for a grown-up. You are my hero." I, of course, thought that was the most awesome thing said to me in a long time, plus I now have a new status update for Facebook. Then, I started to think about it.
What does it take to be a hero to a child in this day and age?
Back in my day it was Luke Skywalker, Optimus Prime, and He-Man, but who are the kids looking up to today? Is it now violent video game protagonists, Fast Food mascots, and foul mouthed cartoon characters?
There does not seem to be a right and wrong anymore on children's TV, it is all about being gross, loud, and disgusting and there is definitely no moral of the story. When did "knowing" quit being half of the battle?
If we are going to get the youth of this nation motivated, off the couch, and away from fast food booths we need to be the example, we need to be the heroes of this generation. Fitness enthusiasts like us have a unique opportunity to work with children unlike many others in order to inspire and motivate. There is a drive in all of us that keeps us doing what we are doing and for most of us it's not fame and fortune, its feeling good and having a sense of self accomplishment that is unparallel by most other deeds.
Tell me if those characteristics are not something that needs to be hardwired into some kids?
For me personally, I created a program for area youth in order to introduce them early on into a fit and healthy lifestyle, but you as an individual do not need to go to that length. Invite a child to go to the gym with you (most gyms will let children above the age of 12 in with an adult), talk to local schools about doing a presentation about health and wellness; organize some games at a park, or even volunteer to help coach a T-Ball team. Of course, one of the biggest things about being a hero is to LEAD BY EXAMPLE. Do not get mad at little Timmy about playing video games and send him outside while you continue to park yourself in front of the television watching sports highlights. Do not force little Susie to eat her vegetables as you tally up all of your fast food receipts from lunch.
Then again, sometimes it is just the little things that make all of the difference to a child. Take a walk together, fly a kite, and get involved in their lives with more than just scholastic work and sports. There is a lot of competition out there right now for the attention and admiration of our children and trust me by no means is it positive. We have to become the role-models now more than ever and get the kids of 2011 on track to a long and healthy life and they are not going to learn that imitating some talking sponge.
Remember, children are our future and it is up to us to lead them on to the right path for a better tomorrow, because if we do not; you know who the other options are. To most children adults are just mom and dad, coaches, or school teachers. So to have a child call me "fun" and a "hero" was a big deal to me and now I can sleep soundly at night knowing that I am now Optimus Prime in the eyes of a child.
This is "Sarge" signing out from the frontlines.
Posted: November 29, 2011.
Written by: Jason "Sarge" Morgan
