Chantal's first piano recital

A few weekends ago I went to watch my oldest daughter Chantal participate in a piano recital. She has only been playing the piano for three months so I wasn’t expecting anything great from her. I was pleasantly surprised however, at how few mistakes she made and how her fingers seemed to naturally grace the keys at each stroke. Was it really that easy for her, or did she put extra hours of practice in that I wasn’t aware of? Or maybe learning came easy to her because she actually enjoys playing the piano? I tend to think it’s probably the latter reason.

I think most things in life are done better when there is an element of enjoyment involved. And playing a sport is no different. It makes sense, at least to me, that a child is going to perform well, or at least persevere in a chosen sport, if that sport is perceived as an enjoyable activity. Just like schoolwork; some subjects may be more enjoyable than others and therefore easier to attain higher grades in, while other subjects, which may seem tedious and difficult to comprehend, are perceived as less enjoyable. But despite the complexity of such subjects, it is still necessary to try and produce a reasonable level of competency in order to successfully complete a high school education. 

The point I am trying to make, is that some kids are really averse to any kind of sport or physical fitness activity, yet it is so important. For some kids, it may be that genetically they’re just not programmed to be good at sport, or perhaps they have the ability and simply lack the desire. Whatever the reason, regular exercise in some capacity, whether it’s participation in a sport or performing some type of daily physical activity, is just as essential as pushing through those difficult high school subjects. Why? Because it’s no secret these days that kids who are active are more likely to keep their weight under control, have a greater sense of self esteem, and perform better academically. 

So how can young girls, who have no interest in exercising or playing a sport, be motivated to do so? A lead researcher from the State University of New York at Albany, Katie Haverley, M.S., suggests that such individuals are introduced to a wide variety of fitness activities. She also suggests that the emphasis be placed on the health aspects of physical fitness, as opposed to the promotion of athleticism and competition. Based on the results of her studies, she believes that young girls who feel they are not skilled at sports will be more inclined to take up a sport if they understand how it will serve them in terms of actual rewards ie. better health, controlled weight, improved self esteem, greater ability to concentrate and do well academically.

I also believe this to be true as I have witnessed it with both of my daughters. Granted, five year old Jade doesn’t fully comprehend the health benefits she is gaining from playing sports, but she does understand to a certain degree that sport is “good for her.” Chantal on the other hand, is fully aware of the health benefits and chooses to be active for exactly those reasons. She just happens to have the added blessing of having inherited a natural love of sports, which lucky for her, seems to enhance her sports ability, just as her enjoyment of playing the piano seems to have resulted in a more rapid rate of learning.

So girls, get out there and take the time to find what works for you. And remember, the more you enjoy the sport or physical activity you choose to do, the more likely it is that you will progressively increase your skills and more importantly, make exercise a routine part of your life!