High school football is about to start and I am amazed by the dedication of these young athletes. I was a team physician for more than twenty years and know what a commitment the game is! Two of my grandsons play for the local school; it has been a pleasure watching them build their muscles, determination, and confidence.
During the last school year they are in the school weight-room around 5 AM building strength and the muscle that goes along with it. Then during the season they have after school football practice. This summer they were again in the weight room early in the morning and had only a couple of weeks off before formal practice began. Now they are handsome, muscled machines!
I read a recent article saying teens should start school at 9:00 because their biological clocks won’t let them get out of bed early enough to go to school at 7:30 or 8:00! This kind of hog wash is so popular that some schools actually start high school later in the morning, and there is an effort by psychologists and others to make that a general school policy! The article also said high schoolers stay up late at night watching TV, playing video games, texting, or phoning their friends. They concluded that these kids were not getting enough sleep so school should start later! Talk about the tail wagging the dog!
Imagine what my dad would have said if I told him I couldn’t get up at 6 to help with the farm chores because I stayed up late the night before!!! Better yet, don’t imagine it; it’s too painful. I can’t think that a new boss will accept that excuse either. Boys and girls build the habits which make the man or woman. The time to get started on these habits is before high school.
It’s time parents get back in control of their households and get TVs, computers, and cell phones out of the hands of teens before 8 PM so the whole family can get adequate sleep. In will pay off in the long run as well as immediately.
If my grandsons and their team mates can get to bed in time to get up rested at 4:40 AM so can the other teenagers. After all, athletes aren’t different, but they have developed more self-decipline.