Athletic Dreams and Realities  

Boys and girls today aren’t that much different in some ways from the Baby Boomer kids of the 50s and 60s. Many youngsters become aware of talented high school, college, and pro athletes, and they dream of emulating the successes of their sports heroes. I certainly did.   

There were few sports or physical activities that I didn’t try from about age seven to my early college days. My brother and I even organized a neighborhood mini-Olympics and made fake gold, silver, and bronze medals for the winners. We also badgered our father into constructing a rough pole-vaulting pit made from sand, and we used large bamboo poles or aluminum conduit to vault only as high as 11 feet. Poor landings in the jump pit resulted in several trips to a chiropractor for me. One Christmas, we got a smaller-than-regulation size pool table, and we competed against one another or friends in our family garage.   

Some sports offered me a little hope. I wasn’t terrible at baseball and softball and made grade-school and junior league teams.  I even played in a baseball league until almost college age, but by then I was batting ninth in the order. I loved the sport and was a decent defensive player, but I couldn’t handle curveballs and pitches with much movement.  

I could use the excuse of my parents not being able to afford lessons for golf, tennis, or other sports. My real problem, though, was not having high levels of hand-eye coordination or just the fluid, natural grace of many top athletes. I tried to make up for this by being a “grinder” or putting in extra time and effort, but slowly I accepted the fact that I would never be any kind of sports star. Like many other boys, I didn’t play varsity athletics in high school, so I had to take required physical education (PE) classes. 

Junior and senior high school PE teachers usually get a lot of grief and complaints from their students. Not that many students enjoy directed exercise or calisthenics sessions. At West Monroe High School where I attended, most of the PE instructors were bestowed insulting nicknames. One PE teacher stood out for me and many others. Coach Bobby Wilson was a tough disciplinarian and by far the most demanding P.E. teacher of those I encountered.  

As much as I was no fan then of Coach Wilson’s ex-Marine, taskmaster style, I confess that his advice about physical fitness has had a strong influence on my life. I still remember some of his remarks to his PE students. He would repeat something like the following: 

”Those of you in this class aren’t varsity athletes, for one reason or another. You won’t get the attention or acclaim that they receive, but you can become better athletes and have a higher quality of physical health later in life than our star players. Most gifted high school athletes won’t be in great physical shape after their glory years. The exercise and conditioning that help them excel on the field of play now will be abandoned in a few years.” 

He urged his students to commit to at least a moderate level of exercise and fitness routines that they could sustain over a lifetime. Sports such as tennis, basketball, and golf (played without riding carts) were recommended. Vigorous outdoor activities like hiking, canoeing, and swimming were touted also.  

Coach Wilson’s recommendations made sense to me back then (and do even now). A major benefit of regular physical exertion seems to be an improved quality of breathing, moving, and even thinking. I can accomplish more work or play with less fatigue. Of course, the huge challenge is the discipline to devote time on a regular basis for staying “in shape.”  

About a year ago, I mentioned my memories of Coach Wilson to my musician brother Rod. He surprised me later by saying that Coach Wilson was still alive and that he had passed along my comments about his influence and my trying to follow his recommendation of being a life-long athlete. I’m glad that Rod got that chance to talk with Coach Wilson. He died in late December 2022 at the age of 97.  

In the spirit and memory of Coach Wilson, I’ll offer a few fitness suggestions. The first is to try to participate in multiple sports or recreational activities to avoid boredom. Tennis is my favorite, but I also bike, hike, kayak, and play golf on occasion. I also work with dumbbells and do core exercises three times a week. Completing this simple fitness routine while watching a TV program or an old movie at home helps me.       

Also consider creative alternatives to traditional sports or games. You don’t always have to be very competitive with others or stick to the formal rules of a particular sports activity. You can accommodate your own personality, interests, or fitness goals. If typical workout sessions seem boring, you might try to experiment with variations of conventional physical activities.  

Playing tennis or pickleball using your less dominant arm will not lead to your best result, but there might be as much of a competitive match if your opponent switches arms also. Since very few of us can win against top competition, why be serious all the time? Why not modify fitness routines from time to time, have a little fun, and laugh at our athletic shortcomings?