“I don’t run away from a challenge because I am afraid. Instead, I run towards it because the only way to escape fear is to trample it beneath your foot.” --Nine-time Olympic medalist Nadia Comaneci
Too often, park and rec or youth-development professionals become inadvertently paralyzed by fear, and programs and participants suffer. While apprehension and fear are perfectly normal feelings, acting to alleviate what frightens us is the only way to ensure that we deliver on the promise we make to every young person enrolled in our programs.
Initially, when I sat down to write this column, I considered several titles; among them was a phrase I frequently use during training (and if I’m being honest, I “borrowed” it from another trainer, who “borrowed” it from another trainer, as frequently is the case), which is “You gotta punch the shark.” I love the phrase and analogy because much like the quotation above, it captures the raw emotion and challenge we are all faced with from time to time when confronted by something that causes all-encompassing anxiety and fear. In the case of an imminent shark attack, a swimmer is not concerned with stroke, water temperature, or anything other than not being “lunch.” And, as terrifying as it may be, the best way to remedy the situation is to stand your ground, face the shark, and punch it squarely in the nose as hard as you can.