Why is there a football on the shelf?
Have you read The Gollywhopper Games: Friend or Foe?
If yes, you’ll understand the connection; Zane, the main character, loves football and wants nothing more than to be in the NFL one day.
But, you might ask me, ”You never played football, so why do you want a football on the shelf?”
I happen to love football. I happen to love all sports. As long as I have a person or a team to root for, I can watch any sport.
I grew up in a neighborhood where sports were at the center of everything we kids did. We played baseball. We made up our own version of football called Kickover. We played games we called Spud, Uncle Sam, and Red Rover. We rollerskated. We built snowmen and snow forts and, one time, a snow bench. I realize snow-building might not be a sport, but we sometimes competed to see who could build the best or the biggest; in a sense, we turned it into a sport.
And so, on this page, I wanted to cheer for anyone who has enough passion and persistence to become good enough to get onto that playing field, even if it’s not a sports field. Hooray, if you’re working toward being the best in art or dance or singing or signing or inventing or investing or sewing or cooking or sports or anything from saving the environment to discovering a new species to finding new ways toward peace. Believe it, and you just might achieve it!
HOW ?
Start here and make TRACKS!
Think
Which activity or occupation or sport or subject or field of interest do you love? What are you good at? What makes your heart beat a little faster? Gives you an extra burst of energy every time you think of it? List that here. Also write down why you love it, why it’s important to you, and what you’d consider your ultimate goal. (Remember, your goal can be as lofty as becoming an international expert or as satisfying as making videos you’re proud of.)
Read and Research
What books, magazines, websites, videos, or other resources can you use to learn more about your interest? List those here. Remember to leave room for more resources you find.
Act
What steps will you take to reach your goal? What will you do this week? This month? This year? List those, then get to it! Unless you act on your goal, it can only be a dream.
Connect
Do you have friends or classmates who have similar interests? What about a teacher, relative, family friend, or trusted neighbor? How can they help you improve your skills? How can you help them?
Kick it up
Hooray! You’re doing great! Maybe you’re starting at goalie or you got an A on your photography project or you’ve raised $200 for medical research. Celebrate! Then, in a quiet moment, if you’re still excited about this path, consider this: What steps can you take to improve even more?
Stay or stray: After you’ve been at this a while, take some time to think about how you feel. Do you still love this? Does it still make you excited? Or are you getting bored? If this is truly your goal, GREAT! But it’s equally great if you’d rather explore other interests. Just keep thinking and reading and acting and connecting and kicking it up, you’ll find exactly what you want to stay with!