Encouraging young sporting talent
JAIDEEP SHENOY
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Talent must be nurtured in sports.
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Photo: R. Eswarraj
GAMES ARE IMPORTANT: Developing abilities is a must.
All work and no play make Jack a dull boy, so goes a popular adage. However, in the present era of cutthroat competition in academics, all play and no work also would not bring in the desired results, unless one is an exceptionally gifted player such as a Sachin Tendulkar or a Sania Mirza.
"One has to draw a fine line between neglecting one's academics at the cost of pursuing a sports career," feels former international C.G. Krishna Bhupathi.
Possessing a keen eye for spotting a sports talent and nurturing them through his Tennis Village and the Nike-Bhupathi Tennis Academy in Bangalore, Mr. Bhupathi is of the firm belief that there is adequate sports talent in the country.
The only question, he says is to ensure that parents back talented youngsters to the hilt and keep them focused about their goals. They must also strike a balance between sports and academics, he says.
Cultivate skill
One must create the necessary facilities and opportunities to keep the talent flowing in a positively forward direction, observed Mr. Bhupathi during his recent visit here to inaugurate a summer tennis coaching camp for children.
"We see lots of cases of talent burning out at an early stage. This makes it all the more important for children to pay due attention to their academics so that they have something to fall back upon," he says.
At the same time, children who are talented in any game, be it tennis or cricket, for that matter, should be ready to put in "double shift" to hone their game skills as well as keep pace with their studies, he observes.
A child may have to put in at least five hours of practice each day to get better in the game and this can be taxing for most.
This would mean cutting down on a lot of other activities and focusing energies here, he adds.
Aptitude must be encouraged. If a child is indeed talented and parents and trainers feel that such a child can make it big in the chosen sport, then there is no point in them forcing him or her to get involved in a formal education set up. Special arrangements can be made to ensure that the child is tutored privately and that the child can devote most of the time to the sport.
The truly talented can take a sabbatical and pursue their formal education later, he opines.
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