ATHLETIC IDEAL

ATHLETIC IDEAL, Healthy Mind, Body and Soul

The enormous benefits for 46.5 million Child Athletes participating in Sport, Recreation and Exercise (SRE), while playing by the rules of the game, in safe SRE environments, with proper Athlete protection, coaching supervision and conduct, far outweigh the downsides when not participating.

• “Mahoney research suggested that participation in voluntary, school-based, extracurricular activities increases school participation and achievement because it facilitates:
  (a) the acquisition of interpersonal skills and positive social norms
  (b) membership in pro-social peer groups
  (c) stronger emotional and social connections to one’s school
• “In turn, these assets should increase mental health, school engagement, school achievement, and long-term educational outcomes 
• and should decrease participation in problem behaviors, provided that problem behaviors are not endorsed by the peer cultures that emerge in these activities.” [Mahoney et al]
• “Participation in extracurricular and service learning activities has also been linked to increases in interpersonal competence, self-concept, high school grade point average (GPA), school engagement, and educational aspirations” [Elder & Conger, 2000; Marsh & Kleitman, 2002; Youniss, McLellan, & Yates, 1999], 
• as well as to higher educational achievement, better job quality, more active participation in the political process and other types of volunteer activities, continued sport engagement, and better mental health during young adulthood [Barber, Eccles, & Stone, 2001; Glancy, Willits, & Farrell, 1986; Marsh, 1992; Youniss, McLellan, Su, & Yates, 1999].
• “Sports participation has been linked to lower likelihood of school dropout and higher rates of college attendance, particularly for low achieving and blue-collar male athletes (Gould & Weiss, 1987; Marsh & Kleitman, 2003; McNeal, 1995).

These studies provide good evidence that participating in extracurricular activities is associated with both short and long term indicators of positive development including school achievement and educational attainment. [Extracurricular activities and adolescent development. Journal of Social Issues, December 22, 2003, Eccles, Jacquelynne S.; Barber, Bonnie L.; Stone, Margaret; Hunt, James]

“How young people spend their time outside of school has consequences for their development.” Organized extracurricular activities, after-school programs, and youth organization recently have significantly escalated.

 Research reveals positive outcomes “of participation for academic, educational, social, civic, and physical development”. Combining this with the potential for safety and supervision provided by organized activities while parents are working has increased local, state, and Federal authorities to increase these opportunities.

• “(1) The primary motivations for participation in organized activities are intrinsic (e.g., excitement and enjoyment, to build competencies, and to affiliate with peers and activity leaders). Pressures from adults or educational/career goals are seldom given as reasons for participation;”
• “(2) American youth average about 5 hours/week participating in organized activities. At any given time, roughly 40% of young people in the US do not participate in organized activities and those who do typically spend less than 10 hours/week participating. Many alternative leisure activities (e.g., educational activities, playing games, watching television) consume as much or considerably more time. However, a very small subgroup of youth (between 3 and 6 percent) spends 20 or more hours/week participating;”
• (3) “Youth who participate demonstrate healthier functioning on such indicators ranging from academic achievement, school completion, post-secondary educational attainment, psychological adjustment, and lowered rates of smoking and drug use, to the quantity and quality of interactions with their parents.
• (4) Very high levels of involvement in organized activity participation (e.g., 20 or more hours/week), adjustment appeared more positive than, than youth who did not participate.
• (5) Participation is associated with positive developmental outcomes for most youth. “The well-being of youth who do not participate in organized activities is reliably less positive compared to youth who do participate.”[Organized Activity Participation, Positive Youth Development, and the Over-Scheduling Hypothesis, Joseph L. Mahoney, Angel L. Harris, and Jacquelynne S. Eccles, Volume XX, Number IV, Social Policy Report, 2006]

“The Olympic Games reached their Zenith in the 6th and 5th centuries BC. The Olympic Games in 2019 nowadays consist of 26 sports, 30 disciplines and nearly 300 events.”[Wikipedia]

“The ancient Olympics were based on a philosophy of balance between mental, physical, moral and spiritual development which were the cornerstone of Greek democracy.”

“The Olympic games became a link, a bond between people of a common blood. The Games were seen as a way of fostering friendship among the warring Greek city-states with the aim of forming a nation.”

“The ‘Athletic Ideal’ was the motivation behind the original Olympic Games in ancient Greece. The “Athletic Ideal” is the primary legacy of the Olympic games. It is an ideology and legacy unique in the history of the world.”

“The goal of the ‘Athletic Ideal’ was ‘a healthy mind, body and soul’. The ancient Greeks believed that the development of the mind, body and spirit were linked, and that a well-educated person was instructed in all areas.

 An athletic victory was considered a credit to an athlete’s mind, body, spirit and moral virtues. Physical training was valued for its role in the development of such qualities as endurance and patience.”

The United Nation’s International Day of Sport is an opportunity to raise the banner for the power of sport for development and peace.

“Sport is a way to include everyone.”[Irina Bokova UNESCO Director-General]

“Sport is a passion shared by women and men across the world. It is a force for physical well-being and social empowerment. It is an engine for equality, especially gender equality, for including everyone, especially the most disadvantaged.

“There is no more powerful platform than sport to nurture the values we all share i.e. solidarity, responsibility, respect, honesty, teamwork, equality motivation and self-esteem… Sport is a way to include everyone, including refugees and migrants, to fight against stereotypes, to strengthen the foundations for peace in healthy societies. 

“Everyone understands the language of Sports.” [Message from Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO]

“The motivations of international Sport competitions were the development of a disciplined, devout, virtuous citizen of the democracy. The philosophy was that the success of self-government (democracy) depended on the moral character of the citizenry. This was a large part of the motivation for the combined athletic and moral training.”

“This goal demanded a holistic training of mind, body, and spirit. In ancient Greece athletics were an everyday part of all areas of life religion, education, society, the arts, and politics. Physical disciplines wove themselves into the very fabric of society, leaving no area untouched. This phenomenon is completely unique in world history. Ancient Greece was the birthplace of this ideology, the Athletic Ideal.” [olympic-legacy.com]

 Children (<18) and Youth Athletes (15-24 U.N.) cannot maximally and properly execute assignments and duties and manifest their entire Athletic Abilities, if they smoke, drink alcohol and use drugs. In my high school PHS (graduated 1961) those rules violations were 3 strikes and you were out. 

Personally my own rules were NEVER for smoking and drinking alcohol at anytime and in those days there were no such detriments as the drug use nowadays. Think about that for a moment. How times have changed; and most certainly no use of detriments when playing sports throughout Paintsville, KY School and UK. 

Those dissipations compromise an Athlete's Endurance, Muscle Memory Reflex Arcs and Instincts. Please Don't Kid Yourself and Parents and Coaches don't allow it. Nothing good happens when smoking, drinking and drugging. [mbmsrmd]

   Johnson County Judge Executive Roger T. ‘Tucker’ Daniel was a dear friend and teammate. His administration of the Johnson County, KY government affairs were unparalleled. 

He directed our county during some of its most recent, unusual and difficult times. In particular, he was a staunch opioid adversary. Tucker was very personable, kind, honest and dedicated. His word was his bond.

Many younger citizens do not realize that Tucker was an avid baseball fan and an expert shortstop. He played shortstop and this reporter played 3rd base, though 3 years younger and a teenager, among, on average, older men, on the local semi-pro baseball team.

Unlike the great coal camps with plenty of resources, our team was not well equipped, not well supplied and our field was not well manicured by the coal company for whom most of our league opponents were employed. We received no resources and no jobs, but just loved to play. Players, who owned vehicles, bought their own gasoline or took up collections for gasoline purchase. We bought our own meal. This reporter was a high school student and was not seeking resources or a job.

Shortstop Tucker Daniel had a great glove, wide and deep defensive range, a strong arm, quick-speeded, strong left-handed bat, beautiful double-play footwork and superior knowledge of how to play the game of baseball. 

He was a quick study and taught many youngsters baseball fundamentals. His speed around the bases was remarkable. Tucker was intensely competitive.

He was a model Athlete and sport participant. Tucker was the quintessential 'good sport' i.e. he was graceful in defeat, humble in victory and respected by his opponents.

He advanced youth baseball and sports in general in Paintsville and Johnson County, Kentucky. We communicated often. Lately we conversed by cell phone when necessary about issues, because of both our physical issues.

 Judge Executive Roger T. ‘Tucker’ Daniel conducted his family and professional life like a quintessential 'good sport' would; with love, grace, dignity and humility and he was well respected by his family and friend.

I will miss Tucker and our enlightening and more confidential conversations like we have had over the past 65 years. We were close friends. I was very sad when I heard of his passing. This reporter offers his sincere, heartfelt condolences to Page, Roger, Scott and the family.