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February 13, 2012
Binyamin Rose: Back to the Bunker: How a life-risking act by a Christian family during the Holocaust saved a family and built a thriving community a world away
Menachem Wecker: Business Schools Teach Real Estate Despite Troubled Housing Market
February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
Feb. 18, 2010
/ 4 Adar 5770
One-trick athletes
By
Michael Smerconish
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Kids today think varsity sweaters are just props from the TV show "Happy Days." That's not a statement about sartorial change so much as an observation as to how the multiple varsity letter winner is fast becoming an extinct species.
It's largely a function of sports specialization — high school, middle and even grade school kids focusing on a single sport to maximize their chance at the big time. This approach is ruining the vintage concept of the well-rounded student athlete. And the movement now has a new poster child.
David Sills is a seventh-grade wunderkind athlete from Delaware. So bright is his future that the University of Southern California has offered him the opportunity to be a Trojan. If he stays on track, he'll graduate in 2018.
Sills already has a personal quarterback coach, Steve Clarkson, who has worked with Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Leinart and current Trojans QB Matt Barkley. Clarkson reached out for newly hired USC coach Lane Kiffin, who checked out YouTube video of Sills' performance. Impressed, he called the soon-to-be Pride of Bear, Del., and made a (verbal, nonbinding) scholarship offer.
Sills accepted. And suddenly, while he was out celebrating with an ice cream sundae at Friendly's, his name was scrolling across the Bottom Line on ESPN.
I hope Sills stays healthy, succeeds in his athletics and academics, and even goes pro should be choose to do so. But right now, he's only 13. And he already has the weight of the world upon his shoulders. It seems like an inordinate amount of pressure to put on a kid who won't be able to drive himself to a game for years. Sills' father, also named David, told me last week that his son is ready to handle the expectations that come with such a high-profile commitment.
"He really doesn't react very poorly to pressure. I mean, he doesn't feel it at all. People have always told him that he's really good at playing quarterback, and it kind of just rolls off his back," the elder Sills said. "It never has bothered him in the past and I don't expect it will bother him in the future. Right now, the only difference between what he was last week and this week is he's got a little bit of media attention."
More than a little media attention, actually. Delaware's News Journal newspaper called the commitment "out of line" and used Sills to make the case for restricting NCAA coaches from even talking to kids younger than 17. Sills' name made the topic list on ESPN's most popular talk show, Pardon the Interruption. Appearing on another ESPN show, Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan called it a case of "bad parenting."
Maybe I shouldn't judge the senior Sills' decision. But I can comment on what it says for all of our kids. By putting David on a pedestal at his young age, it makes him a role model at a time when teens should be relishing the opportunity to play multiple team sports for the only time in their lives.
At age 47, I can attest to the difficulty in rounding up 21 other guys to play football, 17 individuals for some baseball, or 9 guys for some hoops. But instead of encouraging kids to go try everything, we're letting the David Sillses among us write off other sports before they're even close to signing a letter of intent. Let alone a pro contract.
To an extent, even the elder David Sills agreed with me: "Whether it's good, bad or indifferent, kids are focusing on certain sports earlier nowadays than they did when we were young. You kind of look at kids that are going to the Olympics right now. We're going to look at them as heroes, and they are."
He continued: "There's pitfalls any way you go. If you play three sports and you don't focus on one, you may never reach your potential in one. If you play one sport and you don't reach your potential in that particular sport, then you didn't have the opportunity to play others. It goes both ways."
Maybe so. But the fact remains: Olympians and All-Pros are the exception, not the rule. And no matter how dedicated single-sport athletes become, chances are they'll join the already overwhelming percentage of high schoolers that don't play in college. Maybe if they're among the most fortunate of athletes, they'll become one of the millions of college players who don't advance to the professional level.
The NCAA advertisements that roll around each March Madness have it right: "There are over 380,000 student athletes, and most of us go pro in something other than sports." And even those athletes are the standouts. The question is, who should the rest of the students emulate?
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
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Previously:
02/09/10 Active, retired law officers should be able to carry guns on planes to help stop terrorists
02/04/10 How to bring tech up to speed
01/28/10 Campaign donations must be fully and immediately disclosed online
01/07/10 The flying emperor still has no clothes, and no one is willing to say so
12/24/09 A law to mandate college football playoffs?
12/17/09 Cheney's abuse of freedom of speech
11/26/09 The true cost of freedom from anxiety
10/27/09 If GOP wants to win in 2012, it must reshape its primary process
10/08/09 It's time to get smarter on extended school day
09/03/09 What a summer of eulogizing flawed public figures reveals about society
08/12/09 It's time for cyclists and motorists to reconcile
08/05/09 Faces have changed, but vitriol remains
06/25/09 Fair comment or foul? Warm up the Muzzle Meter
06/08/09 Believability is key in crime-hoax villains
05/14/09 Did Hollywood inspire the meltdown men?
04/20/09 Let's give killers their due: Anonymity
03/12/09 Uninsured who can't afford medical care lose a lot more
02/06/09 My debate with Musharraf on hunt for bin Laden
01/29/09 Torture must remain an option
01/15/09 Making a case for suing Madoff
12/22/08 A difficult but rational chat about plans
12/17/08 Facebook epidemic: More than 120 million have joined, many too old for this nonsense
12/01/08 The high price of downsizing the news biz
11/14/08 Prescience on greed, arrogance of a system
09/29/08 Closer look at party lines
08/26/08 Obama's pick creates GOP opportunity
08/21/08 Fishing with the Angry Everyman
07/31/08 The perils of e-mail: Ponder, then click
05/22/08 Two very different sides of the Internet
02/12/08 Sublimely ridiculous suits
11/28/08 Cell phones cut out secondary circle of kinship
09/26/07 What do we owe those who have died in Iraq?
08/30/07 A Navy SEAL's gut-wrenching tale of survival
07/30/07 First it was a faux pas, now it's a new word
© 2008, The Philadelphia Inquirer Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services
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