From TODAY, Sports
Thursday August 7, 2008
Leonard Thomas
sports editor in beijing leonard@mediacorp.com.sg
Sports matters
More must show interest in sport for their kids to fall in love with it
Picture: James’ mother Gloria has played a crucial role in her son’s sporting career. GETTY IMAGES
THE most influential person in Michael Phelps’ life is his mother. LeBron James always acknowledges the crucial role his mum has played in shaping him and pushing him to achieve.
Both 23-year-olds are here in Beijing for the 2008 Olympic Games, experts in different fields but on the same path to sporting immortality.
One’s a multi-millionaire king of the pool, who could become the greatest of all time at these Games. The other’s a multi-millionaire basketball colossus who stars for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA and the Redeem Team here, with the world at his size 15 feet.
Unlike Phelps’ and James’ mothers, so many women in Singapore don’t have a drop of interest in sport. Most of my friends don’t. Most of my friends’ wives don’t. Most of my brother’s friends’ wives don’t. My sister-in-law is not interested.
All of the men are sports fans, while most of the women are mothers, but only a couple of their children are showing any genuine interest in sport.
And we wonder why the country’s talent pool is so small.
The United States have “soccer mums”, Singapore has too many mothers who allow their sons and daughters to pursue any interest they have in any particular sport, on their own.
Mothers seek out tutors carefully for their children, they drive or accompany the youngsters to class and back, but tennis lessons are a waste of time, hockey after school means homework has to be put off to a later time, and that’s also a waste of time.
I remember having lunch with Desmond Koh and his mum in the 80s. He was in his early teens back then, not yet graduated into the national swimming team, but tipped to be a star.
I marvelled then when his mother revealed how she got up early in the morning to fix her son something to eat, before ferrying young Desmond off to the pool for training. And then either back home, or straight off to school.
Singapore has maintained a steady pool of champion swimmers over the years because most of their parents took a keen interest in their sporting ambitions from the time when they were young.
In most of the cases, it has been the mothers who have been the main supporting cast.
There is little doubt the men must share the blame for helping to steer their children towards the single-minded pursuit of degrees, diplomas and doctorates. But the women, as mothers, know they have a stronger emotional link with their young ones, and thus greater influence.
Sports fights obesity.
It toughens the young mind and if a youngster is serious about it, then discipline is necessary.
It teaches us how to lose, and how to win.
It either promotes teamwork or teaches us how to think independently.
It helps us find a multitude of friends.
Most of all, it is just simply so much fun.
Many mothers in the West and in countries like Australia, New Zealand and Japan, show tremendous interest in their children’s pursuit of sport. Athletic events are a family day out, any trophies collected are celebrated and fussed over. It is puzzling so many mothers in Singapore don’t care for sport at all.
I wonder what Debbie Davisson Phelps and Gloria James would say.
Thursday August 7, 2008
Leonard Thomas
sports editor in beijing leonard@mediacorp.com.sg
Sports matters
More must show interest in sport for their kids to fall in love with it
Picture: James’ mother Gloria has played a crucial role in her son’s sporting career. GETTY IMAGES
THE most influential person in Michael Phelps’ life is his mother. LeBron James always acknowledges the crucial role his mum has played in shaping him and pushing him to achieve.
Both 23-year-olds are here in Beijing for the 2008 Olympic Games, experts in different fields but on the same path to sporting immortality.
One’s a multi-millionaire king of the pool, who could become the greatest of all time at these Games. The other’s a multi-millionaire basketball colossus who stars for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA and the Redeem Team here, with the world at his size 15 feet.
Unlike Phelps’ and James’ mothers, so many women in Singapore don’t have a drop of interest in sport. Most of my friends don’t. Most of my friends’ wives don’t. Most of my brother’s friends’ wives don’t. My sister-in-law is not interested.
All of the men are sports fans, while most of the women are mothers, but only a couple of their children are showing any genuine interest in sport.
And we wonder why the country’s talent pool is so small.
The United States have “soccer mums”, Singapore has too many mothers who allow their sons and daughters to pursue any interest they have in any particular sport, on their own.
Mothers seek out tutors carefully for their children, they drive or accompany the youngsters to class and back, but tennis lessons are a waste of time, hockey after school means homework has to be put off to a later time, and that’s also a waste of time.
I remember having lunch with Desmond Koh and his mum in the 80s. He was in his early teens back then, not yet graduated into the national swimming team, but tipped to be a star.
I marvelled then when his mother revealed how she got up early in the morning to fix her son something to eat, before ferrying young Desmond off to the pool for training. And then either back home, or straight off to school.
Singapore has maintained a steady pool of champion swimmers over the years because most of their parents took a keen interest in their sporting ambitions from the time when they were young.
In most of the cases, it has been the mothers who have been the main supporting cast.
There is little doubt the men must share the blame for helping to steer their children towards the single-minded pursuit of degrees, diplomas and doctorates. But the women, as mothers, know they have a stronger emotional link with their young ones, and thus greater influence.
Sports fights obesity.
It toughens the young mind and if a youngster is serious about it, then discipline is necessary.
It teaches us how to lose, and how to win.
It either promotes teamwork or teaches us how to think independently.
It helps us find a multitude of friends.
Most of all, it is just simply so much fun.
Many mothers in the West and in countries like Australia, New Zealand and Japan, show tremendous interest in their children’s pursuit of sport. Athletic events are a family day out, any trophies collected are celebrated and fussed over. It is puzzling so many mothers in Singapore don’t care for sport at all.
I wonder what Debbie Davisson Phelps and Gloria James would say.
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