I may be biased, I believe educated athletes make amazing leaders.*
I’m concerned. With a record total of almost 7.8 million high school athletes in the US[1] and with the number of kids taking ADHD meds or digestive support meds on the rise[2]…I’m afraid that we are fleecing our pool of future leaders for this country.
I’m seeing strange ‘trends’, student athletes taking acid blocking medications, gobbling medications to help them focus, and popping medications to help them deal with pain way too often…I’m not convinced this is a winning game plan.
We run to the doctor for aid for these ‘ailments’ with little to no consult/direction from our trusted primary care physicians on food, sleep and over scheduling being the root cause of some of these ‘conditions’.**
The pharm companies are fat and happy, literally, with these choices. I am not.
So, this year I am heading back out to lecture halls, church youth groups and maybe a podcast near you to ‘retrain’ our brains on dealing with the root cause, the foundation of ‘needs’ our student athletes and busy sports families require and hopefully start to demand.
You with me!?!!
If so, share this blog, tell a neighbor or grab a teammate and join me in creating a #SportsFamilyRevolution
Don’t worry I’m not going to get all ‘no sugar-no medication-no pizza-ever’ on you.
Since having my own kids, I’ve been brought back into the ‘real world’ and I understand that pizza happens; there’s a middle ground, not a secluded island, I’d like to lead you to what’s sustainable, powerful and not all that hard to find!
I want to help shape the next generation of leaders within junior high and high schools around the country, and this effort starts with you, at home, on the practice field, at church and wherever we all gather to support each other as Sports Families.
So who’s with me!?!!
Tweet or Facebook post “I’m in” or “We’re In” with #SportFamilyRevolution, let’s see how big we can make this team!
My posts this year will all be dedicated to this mission…hope to see you there!
*Disclosure #1: This information is for athletes of any age, skill level and sport (along with their parents if students, families and coaches) who want to up their game and health.
**Disclaimer #2: I love physicians, they save people everyday – God bless them! I have many trusted super smart nutrition and lifestyle minded physicians; we just need way more of them; the kind that will ask the hard questions like “how much do you sleep” and “don’t you think you are just way to busy?” before writing a script for the latest and greatest focus med or indigestion pill.
References:
- High School Participation Increases for 25th Consecutive Year, NFHS News, October 30, 2014, http://www.nfhs.org/articles/high-school-participation-increases-for-25th-consecutive-year/
- ADHD Data and Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/data.html