Perhaps you will see the parallel nature of Part I and Part II. Perhaps not. Nevertheless… I wish you all well… Here is…

52 weeks later… Part II : Getting out of your Comfort Zone

If you know anything about David Goggins, Wim Hof, or Tony Robbins, you may know where I’m going to go with this. Legends in my motivational mind. Frequenters in my early morning routine earbuds. No they are not all household names but they live and operate in Bold Territory. They all exude principles of wellness, mindfulness, taking control and my latest rant, they all preach, Getting out your Comfort Zone!

So so many of us have gone beyond ‘sheltered in place’. We may have taken on new hobbies and rewarding habits but let’s also be honest. We’ve become cozy and snug, albeit more safe and secure, yet glued to distractions with the news and our smartphones and relatively complacent in terms of true growth throughout this lock-down. It is clear that the transition to normalcy will be difficult for many of us.

For adults, yes, even some of you extroverts, definitely, for many of us anti-social introverts, those who have been inactive, those who have bathed and soaked in privacy of these past 52 weeks… good for you and I too feel a higher level of safety and security. But at some point we need to get out there and Get out of our Comfort Zone. So, guy, where or how does this have to do with our kids and AKASPORT?

Let’s be clear. As much as we may have our own issues and hardships going on and coming out of this pandemic, our Kids need our help.

Pre-School and Elementary Students need our help in find ways to be active and social but not force-fed programs and electronics just to keep them occupied.

Parents are telling me how sensitive their kids have become recently. Teachers witnessing how kids have little to no experience in conflict resolution or coping skills in difficult situations. Grades are pass/fail, free expression and fun filled Recess is down and Bullying is up.

AKASPORT has always provided active sport and fitness programs loaded with (lead-up) games and activities that create a fun environment, not stressful structure. When we do engage in younger programs, for 4s & 5s, we get parents involved, load them with silly games, and get to know kids on a personal level (as you would see in our recent Soccer Saturday Series).

And then there’s our Middle Schoolers. Going through a sizeable transition phase, one where they’re probably ready to get a little further away from mom & dad, matched with the stresses brought on by a difficult school year and an over-bearance of screen time and and new found social media platforms, we really need to help the teenagers out!

Coming up on our 10th full year of the AKA Speed of Play : Leadership through Fitness program, we are enhancing operations to give pre-teens and teenagers more opportunities to experience more life lasting memories and leadership characteristics. They will experience additional “What If”/Dream Big”/Leadership Giving Back projects and Field Trips along with all the other confidence boosting programming already in play. This is your time Middle Schoolers…AKA is here for you.

To bring this Part I & II of the 52 Weeks Later Blog, full circle...

We have all gone through hardships this past year. The ripple effects continue and uncertainty and pandemic fears may linger for many more months. However, as we look at returning to normalcy and getting out of this massive funk, namely in our arena of Sport, let’s bridge the gap, get out of our comfort zones and Do what is Right, Not what is Easy.

Younger kids… be free and creative. Parents help them out… not by force-feeding them structured programs every night of the week, rather take time to play with them or introduce them to new social circles at the park or in the neighborhood.

Older kids… this is your time. Let us help you all out and take part in activities, like Speed of Play, where sports, games, fitness, leadership principles and life long skills can really take hold.

Parents… we need you. Re-engage with your kids. Play with your young ones and please don’t rely solely on fee based programs to get your under 5 ahead in sport. And please assist and encourage your older kids to get moving. Go for longer walks and bike rides and try out a new program or sport.

And for all of you others :) …. you can do quick research and find lists of things to get out of your comfort zone. But may I make a suggestion … #1. Go out and Play with your Kids or Volunteer to Mentor or Coach. It’s easier than you think.

Whether or not you are daring enough to brave icy waters like Wim Hof or push yourself to an run a 100 mile ultra-marathon on blistered feet like David Goggins… or in terms of simply being a standup parent or citizen, just be a decent human being and get out there. Give Back, Be Kind, Enjoy the Moment and Help these Kids and the Future and Get out of your Comfort Zone!

Thanks and Well Wishes, CS

chris@akasport.org