Written and media by Andrew Sharp.
When you think about the next generation of children, what do you think of? Do you picture a strong and independent working generation that accomplishes great things, or do you see a generation of slackers that are so caught up in the newest technology that they have driven society to a standstill, accomplishing nothing?
Heather Patton gives her take on the direction our generations are moving. She says, “The more and more the country moves away from God, the more and more the family unit begins to fall apart.”
The crazy thing about the newest generations is that we have the power to shape and mold them into something amazing, and we can help them to create a great foundation for the generations to come. We have to be intentional about the things that we teach them, as we all know young individuals are like sponges, and they retain a lot more of what we say than we think. One of the big problems with teaching a new generation is that we can only teach them as much as we have learned. This causes a limitation of success and can lead them to failure. Fortunately for us, we use the things that we learn to grow as well as learn new things looking back on how we grew up.
What can we do to save the next generation, you ask? We can teach those generations about some of our great past-times and how to use them. Some of our greatest past-times are sports, and not only do they help us teach the younger generation, but they create amazing platforms for us to teach our children about playing the Christian way. This could be a huge advantage for the generations to come, by teaching them how to play sports and to follow God all at the same time. The next generations will not only develop their skills on the court but also with their people skills. People all around the world say that athletes have some of the best relationships with each other because of the struggles and problems that athletes are able to conquer together. That being said, we should raise the next generation with both God and sports in mind.
As you can see, athletics and self-improvement go hand in hand. Something that people do not realize is that being active can make a huge difference in a very little amount of time. The athletic side of the next generation is something that we cannot take lightly, and as time continues to tick on, the obesity rate and laziness level rises. Even with the hard work that we do to combat this, it has not been enough in recent years. As we grow closer to more advanced technologies, we see people growing less and less active, something that often seems outside of our control.
Brian and Heather Patton comment on the societal issues in relation to raising and motivating their own children, “I feel as though we have to give everyone a medal and everyone feels that they have to be accepted.”
Hope in the new generations is not lost, and as the time goes on society has to put in motion new ways to get the young generations involved in outreach programs that help them learn and grow. Physical work is a huge thing we can use to teach newer generations how to be more self-reliant. Athletics has played a large role in this, as it helps young athletes develop new goals, learn life skills, and grow alongside others as a community. Despite all that athletics has to offer, it is ultimately our responsibility to help the younger generations learn and succeed at it.
It is our duty to foster the next generation and ensure they are participating in healthy physical and spiritual activities. As clearly evident, sports can be both and has proven time and time again to be one of the best places to bring Christianity onto the playground.
