Courageous Kids

Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway.- John Wayne.

Every Tuesday I teach yoga to middle school students. Every week there is a different theme to the class and today's class is COURAGE. What does it mean to be courageous? One of my own personal favorite story of a courageous act from a group of kids is from my daughter MaryJane.
 MJ's soccer team was in the finals of the Waldbaums Cup  when she was in the 8th grade. She had been playing on this team for years. Same girls, same coaches, same parents. As she said they were all great athletes, (most anyway), but they played on the C team because although they liked to win there was still alot of singing and twirling and laughing out on the field at any given time. Not exactly a killer instinct. (which I like.)
 So MJ is in goal and its double overtime the girls had been playing their hearts out and with 20 seconds to go at the end of the second overtime the ball was kicked to the goal MJ was tending. It was a great kick she jumped up arms outstretched but the ball skimmed the top of her fingertips and sailed into the goal. They had lost. Everything was still for about 5 seconds and then MJ realized what had just happened and sunk to the ground her hands over her face, she was crushed. Her team mates who had been standing for those 5 seconds in their places with their mouths open ran over to her and knelt down hugging her. They were quiet for about 20 more seconds and all of the sudden you hear them start to collectively say something. One Dad looks over and says, "are they singing?" and sure enough they get a little louder and you hear that Chumbawumba song, "I GET KNOCKED DOWN BUT I GET UP AGAIN, YOU AIN'T NEVER GONNA GET ME DOWN." That same line, over and over until they all get up and start jumping up and down singing at the top of their lungs smiling and happy and laughing. Next thing you know all the parents on the sidelines are laughing at our beautiful, goofy, C team players. Proud of how far they came but so much more proud of how they were handling their loss. They lined up and shook hands with the other girls who had won who kind of stopped their own celebrating to look over at our singing girls. When the teams lined up to receive their first and second place trophies the other team clapped for our girls as loud as our girls clapped for them. All the parents left hugging all of their daughters team mates telling each girl, including the goalie, how well they played and how proud they were of them. We had the end of the season party at our house and we had so much fun.
We moved shortly after that so MJ didn't play with those girls again but she still talks about them and remembers that team as one of the most fun and happiest times on a team.

I like to open up each yoga class with a quote. So while searching for a courageous kids quote I found this great resource for parents about teaching kids to be courageous. Its called Lion's Whisker and its filled with inspirational stories for every age. They write about 6 kinds of courage physical, social, emotional, moral, spiritual and intellectual. it is a great website to look at by yourself or with your family with links to speeches about life that will provoke great family discussions. Check it out. And if you want some motivation at the end or beginning of your run, download that Chumbawumba song. You can't help but have a smile on your face when you hear it and it will remind you to get moving and don't give up.
Lion's Whiskers