At what age should your children start their sports training? This is a question many parents are really concerned about. There is no hard-and-fast rule when it comes to human abilities. Your kids can do wonders if they are given the encouragement that they need. Definitely, your child can reach the finish line of the race easily if you are in the front row to cheer them on before anyone else. Let’s hear some amazing stories of some young athletes who have accomplished bigger milestones at a younger age.
Little swing, big dreams
Rafe Cochran is an eight-year-old golf prodigy and a second grader at an academy in Palm Beach, Fla. He was first “discovered” at a golf clinic in 2011, where his performance was said to have “dumbfounded” the clinic’s pros.
Not long after, Rafe joined the U.S. kids’ tour, where he has routinely finished among the top competitors in every tournament he’s entered. In 2012, he competed in the European Open in Scotland with 40 of the best seven-year-olds in the world and finished in an impressive fourth place.
Skating into the height
Tom Schaar is a professional skateboarder who made headlines in 2012 when he became one of the youngest competitors in the history of the X Games at the age of 12.
In May of 2012, he became the first person in history to land a 1080 on a skateboard—a feat he first performed on a mini Mega Ramp in practise and later in competition at X Games Asia. He was also the youngest skateboarder to successfully land a 900 on a mega ramp in California in 2011.
Chasing victory with every kick
In the fall of 2011, Arkansas sixth grader Demias Jimerson made national news when it was officially ruled that he was too good at football. Many have found his talents reminiscent of Razorback legend Madre Hill, which makes it all the more fitting that he is now bound by “the Madre Hill” rule. The rule prevents Jimerson from scoring more than three touchdowns if his team has at least a 14-point lead in a game.
Serving up style and smashing the game
Nine-year-old Gabby Price has been described as a tennis “phenom” and “prodigy”. Price, who is only in fourth grade, is already training with a world-renowned coach in Rick Macci, who has coached Venus and Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, and Jennifer Capriati in the past.
Chasing dreams in the water
Maana Patel, a 15-year-old from Ahmedabad, is now a sensation in the pool. Her first major achievement was at the age of 13, when she broke three national records at the 40th Junior National Aquatics Championship in Hyderabad. Recently, she broke three national records in a swimming competition in Pune, records that she set herself. Her exploits have led to her becoming the first swimmer to be roped in by the Olympic Gold Quest.
What do you think? Can your kids also write such inspiring stories tomorrow? Give them that chance. Let’s be their motivation. We shall mould their talents and bring them up to their mastery. But how? Is that what’s concerning you right now? Stay tuned; we are coming back to you with answers on our next blog, Game Changers: From Little Athletes to Big Inspirations, Chapter 2, loading soon.