A number of years ago I worked closely with cadets at the U.S. Military Academy. From time to time, I would counsel first year cadets who were considering resigning from the academy. In many cases as these discussions unfolded the cadet revealed that he/she had never really been all that interested in attending West Point but had been pushed into it by a parent. Invariably they resigned. And most likely, both the individual and the institution were better off as a result of those decisions.

Working with youth athletic teams from time to time, I sometimes saw a similar dynamic at work. That is, some of the kids seemed to be participating mainly to satisfy their parents more so than themselves.

At Sportademics we seek to advance the notion that the decision to participate in athletics at any level should come first and foremost from the young person him or herself. While we don’t discourage parents from encouraging children to try out sports that may interest the child, ultimately the young athlete’s motivation must come from within. Arguably, athletic activities for children of elementary school age (5-10) serve a number of purposes which probably don’t demand a full blown commitment to the sport itself. These can include social contact, desire to be a part of a group or with one’s friends and a desire to be doing what they do.

But as the child enters the junior high and high school years and athletic competition gets more and more serious with training typically handled by paid sports professionals, a lack of intrinsic motivation by the athlete can leave everyone disappointed or worse.

During the ongoing Winter Olympics, NBC carried a lengthy interview with speed skater Apolo Ohno. Describing his commitment to the sport and the role of his father, he explained that following a terrible showing a number of years ago, his father took him to their cabin by the sea and left him to sort out his level of motivation toward the sport. After eight days alone, Apolo determined he wanted to be fully committed to pursuing the Olympic dream.

While few families have a cabin by the sea or might employ the Zen approach pursued by Apolo's father, letting kids find their own level with respect to athletic participation represents responsible (and loving) parenting. Not only does this approach convey a level of freedom to the young person, it also communicates a respect for their person by the parent. It also models responsible parenting to the young person against the day when they too may become a parent of a young athlete. And we think that is a pretty good thing.