Leveling up.
Sponsored by Orgo
My single mom and I immigrated to the U.S. at age 9, with $8 in their pocket. We settled in Brooklyn, NY, mom went to work immediately as an engineer, while I taught myself English at a local library before the school year began. Growing up in the inner city, our financial and logistical circumstances simply did not permit access to after school athletic programming. And that was just fine - rollerblading 40 blocks along the bus lanes to visit a friend was far more my speed anyway.
It was not until we moved to the 'burbs several years later that I began to observe notable differences between my High School peers and I. The way they approached conflict, the way they took up space, their soft skills... all seemed natural, easy, innate. So I developed a theory that I believe to have been validated by a universal theme - participation in youth sports. Most grew up playing soccer, football. baseball, tennis, softball, lacrosse, running track, etc in a way that built those foundations early. And it showed. As a fairly competitive and athletic teen, I did walk onto the tennis and track teams to follow suit but honestly, it was a bit late and it just wasn't the same.
In hindsight, I did ultimately level up in my mid 20's, mostly shaped by the team dynamics and influences found within Corporate experiences to come. I went on to have a successful career, spanning 20 years of overseeing large tech initiatives primarily within Financial Services and Banks throughout the Northeast. I felt like I belonged and in a way, found my sport.
Fast forward to present day, I along with my husband of 15 years (an elite swimmer himself), are fortunate to be raising our own 3 athletic daughters. Sport is an intentional, early and formidable part that will shape their character in a way that mine did not have the opportunity to at the time. Watching them grow confident, collaborative, and responsible through athletic commitments is one of the most rewarding parts of the parental journey to date.
So much so, that our active family, like 30 million others in the U.S., is choosing to invest heavily in extracurriculars, recreational, travel, and now club teams. There are well-published developmental, physical, emotional, and academic reasons for why feel compelled to do so. Now more than ever, ensuring they maintain a focused yet balanced childhood will instill life-long foundational skills and equip them to grow into successful adults.
Us parents, though? Well, that full-circle moment is for part 2 of this story.
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