Are you as repelled as I am by the clueless behavior of certain world-class sprinters?
I was particularly put off by the actions of one sprinter at a recent Diamond League meet.
When a young female helper tried to hand him a bouquet of flowers after he won his race, the sprinter repeatedly turned his back on her. It was a demonstration of flawless self-absorption.
Athletes need to learn that peak sports success has an extremely important heart component. The conclusion to be drawn is that their coaches are clueless. The rude Diamond League sprinter is still young and life will surely be his teacher. Meanwhile, mommas, don’t let your babies grow up to be sprinters.
Coaches who aspire to help young people should be concerned for their souls as well as their bodies. Coaches should be licensed (okay, a joke) and required to watch John Wooden speak about Values, Victory, and Peace of Mind. Wooden led his UCUCLA basketball teams to 60 straight wins and 10 national titles in the 1960s and early 1970s. He’s the model for coaches in any sport who want to mentor the whole person.