Pure Greatness

I tend to be a Debbie Downer with all the achievement gap stuff. It's time to lighten the mood a bit again.

With the Winter Olympics underway, high achievement is on my mind. I'm always amazed at how good world-class athletes get at their sport, particularly Olympic sports. Not to take anything away from, say, an NBA basketball player, but there is a degree of fame in mainstream sports that isn't there in most Olympic events. Yet there are world class curlers and cross-country skiers, and they still completely dedicate themselves to being the best they can be. Without much fame involved, their dedication has a purity that mainstream sports simply can't have.

These people come from somewhere, and one of the most exciting parts of working with students is watching their potential, and what they do with it. For instance, the other day I was talking with one of the sixth grade band students I work with. She is one of the stronger players in the class, and already devotes lots of time each week to practicing. However, this weekend she is off singing in an honor choir. She squeezes this all in while playing volleyball and basketball too (though thankfully those sports don't overlap). Something tells me her grades aren't suffering either.

Oh, and she does it all with a smile on her face, and remarkable courtesy and respect. When she started talking about her sports involvement, I said, "Geez, what don't you do?" and she smiled/giggled for a few moments, then responded with, "They keep me active and in shape." It's not about standing out in a crowd; it's about doing what she wants to do.

Some kids are really driven, and even as they explore a bunch of directions, they never back off the throttle. Kids like that can go so many directions in life, and succeed no matter what path they choose. Watching their skills and interests develop, and maybe giving them a little wisdom as they make big choices, is totally awesome. It's kind of like that big present under the Christmas tree that doesn't really shake or rattle: You don't know what it is, but you know it is going to be great.