by Pierrette Komarek

Created on: December 28, 2008

Many years ago when my son Jay was starting High school he asked me whether it would be alright if he joined the School Football team. I told him an empathic NON (I'm french!) further explaining that there was no future in it for him,since he did not intend to use it as a career,and that all he could get in the end were broken bones,if not worse.! I thought it was the end of that! Was I wrong!

Some months went by until one day a neighbor asked my husband and I , why it was that we never went to the Football games, when our own son was the Star of it? Well needless to say I could hardley wait to have "The football Star" come home! But when he did, I decided to let him off easy, having been caught in this lie was punishmen enough! he further explained that on the days he had to play he would go and suit up in his friend's house. Anyway, the year ended and Jay was satisfied that he had proven his point. he never joined anything else during his High School or College years. He was learning to be a Chiropractor as his dad was, and as his own son Austin is now. But when his boy was of high school age I once asked now "Dr Jay" if he would allow him to play football? and not surprisingly he answered me: " Are you crazy mom, why would I take this chance when there's no future in it for him! " Especially since now in his profession, Jay gets to see the many illnesses and pain resulting from misaligned bones and vertebraes.

I have never understood being European born I guess, the emphasis put in Colleges Sports in the U.S. I would think instead that young people go there to be educated. Is it no wonder then when now we have to import young men from India and China to fill many jobs that require knowledge of Math and the Sciences. In his excellent book "The World Is Flat" Thomas Friedman explains how exciting this new world order is, being interconnected, by commerce, the Internet etc..but he further warns that if we don't keep up with it, we might well get trampled over..and it is my opinion, however humble that we will not get there by having our sons and daughters excell in sports at school -unless they need a scholarship from it, but then what? How many young man make it in the sports world? We read almost everyday how some of them, can only achieve high scores by using steroids. A few become Millionaires, but they are the exception. In those times when the whole world is looking to us for guidance, I think it would be important to heed the words of Thomas Friedman, yes! the world is flat... and we better prepare our children to be part of it..and I don't mean with a football in their hands.

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