“When I was a kid I used to be able to jump in a snap!”

“When I was a kid I used to be able to tumble like that!”

How often have you heard these comments? Probably quiet often if you are a coach or trainer. I hear these comments daily. I can’t help but find them comical, because often they are an excuse for lack of drive and fear. Often, you were better at doing these things as a kid because you held little fear to move. You were not embarrassed or worried about feeling stupid in front of others. Take my word for it, having fun and playing games, even as an adult, will go along way in enhancing your physical and mental well-being.

My young son and I ventured off for a hike in the our secret jungle (i.e. the wooded area behind our house). We were searching for “The Secret Kid’s Place.” While on our journey we had to conquer numerous obstacles. First we had to climb up a huge tree to escape the tigers! It was a close call, but we made it. Moments later we had to crawl underneath a gated fortress (fence) of doom. Beyond that reach, deeper into the mouth of the jungle, we had to walk across a gigantic tree that had fallen across the creek that blocked our path. My son found this very exciting, as there were crocodiles waiting to eat us below just as with tales of Captain James Hook. As our journey continued we had to overcome challenges such as volcanoes (which we had to jump) and lions, which we had to out run. After a treacherous battle we reached our ultimate destination “The Secret Kid’s Place.” Once there we sat down and had our PB&J sandwiches. “Yep we made it dad” my son replied. Then he said “this was a perfect day; think so?” I agreed this was a perfect day.

You see kids have something most adults lack with is imagination and the need for physically challenging stimuli. It is sad to say but most parents lack the physical qualities needed to play with their kids, they lack the ability to duck, dive, and climb through the battles of life into the laughter. Instead of worrying about what everybody else is doing, step outside the box into your own “Secret Kid’s Place.”

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Coach Jamie Hale is the owner of the site Max Condition. He has authored many works, his latest being Knowledge and Nonsense. You can find out more information by going here to his site.