The NFL draft is one of the most entertaining and hyped up sporting event of the year. The hundreds of hours of preparation, filmed watched, interviews, follow-ups, Q and A’s, etc. So much goes into the multi-day event where NFL teams get to choose who will represent their teams at the next level.
In the midst of the lights, hype, excitement, and boo’s of the crowd there are always interesting facts that are dug up from analysts, reporters, haters, anyone and everyone. After the 2016 NFL draft, Trackingfootball.com reported, that an astounding 88.5% of all draftees were multi-sport athletes in high school, that’s 224 out of 253 draft picks! The article was later picked up by the LA Times.
In a sport culture that emphasizes specialization for athletes beginning as early as 10 years old, this data gives a significant push back to the coaches, parents, and media specializing their kids into one sport.
This data shows the value and importance of being a balanced athlete. Different sports focus on different muscle groups, force athletes to think and process differently, and increased capacity and athleticism. Creating, maintaining, and improving balance as an athlete can be difficult and somewhat mundane. But the value of it is essential!
Balance is a funny thing, you don’t realize how much you have of it, until you don’t. You can walk, run, train; and as soon as you lose your balance you instantly realize it. However, when you have great balance, you don’t have think I have great balance, you just have it.
For athletes, the need for balance physically, mentality, intellectually is essential, and, that same understanding is transferable to all aspects of life. If one gets out of balance, top-heavy, or uneven; you become out-of-whack and the simplest actions become hard.
Proverbs 11:1 states, “A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight!”
This proverb is referring to balances used in the market place to determine value and price. However, merchants would “cheat” by creating uneven balances to garner a higher value for their product. A false balance, or unequal balance, is an abomination-an outrage, atrocity, disgust.
There are parallels to take from the market place to the playing field and vice versa. As athletes, we need balance. And we can’t “cheat” our kids, the athlete. You are not gaining any advantage over other athletes by specializing in one sport. The opposite is true! The NFL Draft and other data shows that when you are balanced, and compete in multiple sports growing up, you will go on to be more successful within whatever sport one decides to specialize later in life.
This truth is played out within competition and outside in the “market place.” When you are out-of-balance you become prideful, arrogant, crooked, wicked, willing to cheat, winning at all cost. However, a healthy balance is demonstrated by humility, integrity, righteousness, honor, fairness, sacrifice.
How will you cultivate a lifestyle of balance?
What is one step you can take toward balance in your life today?
Live, Compete, and Play with balance and the value of those lessons will transfer to every aspect of your life!