“The fact is that 98 percent of all student athletes are not going on to the next level in their sport. But with 18, 22 and 23-year-olds, sometimes education is only a backup plan” — Darin Meeker,athletic counsellor at Ohio State University

When I was a kid, one of the sports I played was baseball. As a baseball player, I learned how important it was for me and my teammates to see ‘the big picture’, when we were in the middle of a crucial game. The pitcher needed to be constantly aware, not only of the hitter in front of him, but also who the next batter was, who was currently on base, how many outs there were, and so on. Batters, outfielders and basemen also needed to be aware of these things. Failure to see the big picture could lead to costly errors.

Irrespective of which sport we played as kids, seeing the big picture helped us become more effective players, win matches and enjoy competition. Children who did this most effectively would guide the course of the game, take better decisions on the field with regard to substitutions, attack/defence strategy or batting/ fielding issues.

Athletes can be great at seeing the big picture when they’re on the field or court. But when they leave the sports arena, they often succumb to tunnel vision in which school becomes a very low priority. What they don’t see is that even if they do realise their dreams of becoming professional athletes, life isn’t going to stop there. Only about five out of every 100 sports-persons who make it to the professional level will earn enough to provide for the rest of their lives. Everyone else will have to work once their sports career is over.

Therefore it is crucial to ensure that sports-minded students become aware that there is a larger benefit to participating in sports than aiming for professional status. Very often, children who cannot make the cut professionally give up sports completely. Also, parents and coaches often discourage children from playing sports for the fun of it. In the process, children lose out the positive values that sports teach. With so much emphasis on the end-result, is it surprising that children don’t see the big picture of sports education and find it difficult to use its lessons off the field?

When it comes to life off the field, what does ‘getting the big picture’ mean? It means:

• Being aware of what’s going on in the world around you

• Knowing what is and isn’t important to your long-term happiness

• Using this information to make decisions that will have a positive impact on your future

This awareness can be achieved by keeeping abreast of the latest developments in the world and in your specific field, understanding how they affect you and your family and be able to plan accordingly.

As a teacher or parent involved in the lives of children, what can you do to ensure that young athletes get the big picture when it comes to making responsible decisions about life? You can:

• Encourage children to participate in a variety of activities and experiences besides sports

• Encourage children to read newspapers or watch the news. Ask them how the events they read about and watch affect them

• Direct children to use the visualisation techniques they learn in sports to imagine what they see themselves doing five, ten, or 20 years from now. Ask them what they will need to do to get from here to there?

Asking the right questions can help children “connect the dots” in the various activities and experiences they undergo. One fun game is to get children to make a prediction based on news or information they have — and see how much of that comes true on a regular basis. This can be a great way to help children understand how different events and happenings around the world affect their daily lives. It can also give them a good perspective on decision making and leadership — as projections based on trends are a critical aspect of leadership roles.

Unfortunately, examination systems worldwide tend to focus on marks and grades rather than the intrinsic strengths of children. But while academic education provides children with workplace tools and techniques, sports education teaches them to develop attitudes and philosophies which will stand them in good stead in their jobs as well as their personal lives.

Success in adult life is the outcome of a combination of academic and non-academic qualities (like visualisation, team work etc). Very often people with excellent academic credentials fail miserably in the workplace. Usually this is because their narrow focus on academic success has not prepared them to work with a team, deal with failure, follow a leader and help team-mates. These skill-sets are critical for success in adulthood and in highly competitive corporate environments.

(Dr. George Selleck is a California-based sports psychologist and advisor to Sportz Village, Bangalore)