I have always loved sports since I was a kid. I remember watching and enjoying all types of sports as a child, from football to all events in the Olympics including the less popular ones like archery. At some point, I was even a football fanatic but had no option than to make a conscious effort to cut my interest in it when it started affecting me academically during my university days. At that time, the fear of my parent’s wrath for mediocre performance in school just because of sports was the beginning of wisdom for me. As a child, I participated in as much sports as I watched them. I recall being involved in the middle-distance races (including relays), long and high jumps while in secondary school. During my university days, the focus was football, volleyball came in while completing the compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). I was called to join the Edo State female volleyball team. I had been posted to Lagos for my NYSC but had to camp in Okada, Edo because of the limited bed space in the Lagos camp. Unfortunately, because I was posted to Lagos and not Edo, I eventually did not make the team.
After my university days, my focus on sports was less. My priority at the time was to get a good job and make a decent earning. It has been over 10 years since and my love for sports in general never waned. I used to joke with my sisters that my alter ego would give the Williams sisters a run for their greatest of all time status, they were one of my sports Idols (I have lots of them across different sports). When Kobe Bryant died, I cried like a baby, the emotions were unexplainable for weeks. He was my basketball Idol, I had started watching basketball because of him and followed him through his career, his basketball retirement and his venture into writing, animations, and business. In 2019, after so much procrastination, I decided to learn how to play lawn tennis. While I still consider myself as an amateur player, it is something I love doing and it keeps me well balanced physically, mentally and emotionally. I would encourage every parent to get their kids involved in one or more sports at an early age as it has several benefits.
One benefit of participating in sports is that you can take it up as a career. Gone are the days when our Nigerian parents believed that the only part to having a successful career is through academics. We currently have a Nigerian, Tobi Amusan as the world record holder in the 100m women’s hurdles. We have the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo of Nigerian descent as one of the top basketball players in the US National Basketball Association (NBA). What is more is that many universities in the US and Canada offer sports scholarships to students who either have demonstrated interest in sports participation in the past or are willing to develop their sports potential while studying. Currently, a considerable number of Nigeria parents including within the middle class send their children abroad for university education. Obtaining a sports scholarship therefore presents a fantastic opportunity to fund such studies.
In conclusion, engaging in sports helps us become well rounded individuals by improving our physical, mental and emotion wellbeing. Also, the sports industry could be very lucrative, children can take advantage of this to build successful careers as athletes.
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