In response to coolade2's comment:

 

Thanks Coolade.

 

"sports are metaphors for life in many ways.  Taken in rational doses (hmmm...key word there) it is a great activity , period.  And while talking about kids, what else do you want them doing...?"

 

Good pick up on the "metaphor for life".  For me, a light bulb kind of went off one day when I was feeling bad about one of our teams losing and I thought to myself - How's my game going?   What is more important to me, my game or the Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins game?  Where are my priorities at?

 

On the subject of kids and sports, I am amazed that there is a need for the NFL's "Play 60" to encourage kids to go outside and play for 60 minutes a day.  When I was a kid, we played outside all day.  Of course, we didn't have computers, Ipads, Iphones and video games to play with.  Actually we were lucky if we had one telephone in the house and a small black and white TV with three channels that all went off at midnight.    Of course  technology has allowed us to do and accomplish things unimaginable.  But I also think there has been a trade off of some good things that are gone forever.    

In response to NCPatsFan1971's comment:

Wow, NC...  is that a blast from the past statement!!  When I grew up, staying IN the house was insufferable!!  Get me outside all the time!  Growing up in NH, even in the winter, it was trudging down to the playground, where the local city plowed a circle and flooded it with water, so we can play hockey all day.  No matter how cold it was, you were dripping wet when done! Summers, it was street hockey.  I also remember when kids from different play-grounds would challenge each other in baseball in the summer, football in the fall, then hockey in the winter.  Ask a kid today where a playground is?  You'd get a "stumped" look, wouldn't you? 

In response to agcsbill's comment:

 

Yep.  I watched these changes with my own Grandkids.  For the most part,  I think they don't even call their friends much because they can text them.  Everything is Texting and Facebook.   Personal communication is done through Cyber Space.  Don't get me wrong, without Cyber Space we would not be having this converstion now.  But these kids take technology to an extreme to where not only do they not go outside and play, but they don't need to talk much to  each other either.  Most communication is done through texting.   No need to talk.  I can't say for sure but I don't think this is a good thing.  

Amazing how fast it has changed.  Growing up in central ma.  I walked or biked to elementary, Jr high and high school, played 3 sports bb, fb , bab , lots of street hockey.  We also played gym hockey with a hollowed out puck wrapped in athletic tape.  As a kid we had school basketball league,  church basketball league and a separate town league .  I had 3 different sets of socks with the different color stripes to match each team uniform.  One season carried  to the next. Summers we had sports camps at schools and summer camps at the cape.  Went by that camp in Brewster back in 04 and it was boarded up and grown over.  Its just different now. people are paranoid . Oh well.  I know I'm better off having had the athletic upbringing, healthwise and I've done my share of partying.