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Recreation
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City of Roswell
P.O. Drawer 1838
Roswell, NM 88202-1838
(505) 624-6700
Fax: 624-6889 |
THE LEISURE INCIDENT
"President Gerald Ford On Lessons From Sport"
February 15, 2026
Kim Elliott, CLP
Recreation Director
City of Roswell
Sometimes our presidents do have good things to say! Take for example former
President Gerald Ford who said, "Of all the lessons we must learn,
few are more important than those we learn from exercise and sport. They teach
us and protect our health: to respect our own capabilities and those of others;
and to accept excellence as our standard of performance." Let us
take a closer look at what President Ford meant.
President Ford said that exercise and sport are educational in nature. We can
learn from them as we do any other academic subject. He first of all says that
we must learn the lessons they provide and specifically talks about lessons
pertaining to health, self-esteem and our relationship with others.
Do we need to learn how to get along with people? How many times do we see
workshops and seminars being offered on this topic? There must be a problem in
society in this area because so many people seem to have problems in getting
along with others! Or, at the very least, that is our perception.
Sport forces teamwork if the team is to be successful. By successful, we do
not necessarily mean that the team has to win the game. Being successful in a
sport setting means to work together as a team; to work toward the common good
of the team; to realize that when we try to do things on our own, without the
backing of the team, we are not successful. In other words, sport teaches us
that we need to take care of others first in order to be successful.
In today's society, what is being taught? I am more important than you. If I
can, I will step on you to get to the top. I want what I want and I want it now!
Being successful in a sport setting is in direct opposition to what the world
teaches.
Another lesson that sport teaches us is to take care of our selves. An
athlete who does not train for the competition is sure to lose, no matter what
type of ability and talent is possessed. At the same time, we know that proper
training produces many health benefits for the individual. Some of these are a
body that is resistant to disease and a longer and more fulfilling life. When we
feel better about our selves, we act accordingly.
"To respect our own capabilities and those of others" is of
major importance to an individual and community. When we feel better about
ourselves and have pushed ourselves to our limits, then we know and understand
exactly what we can and can not do. This carries over into the business world.
We can set more realistic goals for our lives. These are goals that are more
likely to be met by ourselves. By expanding the thought to respecting the
capabilities of others, then we also have a more realistic understanding of what
others can do. We realize that maybe there is someone else who can do the job.
The last lesson that President Ford says we can learn is, "to accept
excellence as our standard of performance." The athlete knows that he
or she will not win unless they do their best. Even as spectators of an athletic
contest, we get disgusted when we know the participants are not giving their
all, or doing their best! We want and expect the best when we spectate! Do we
expect the same when we participate?
It will take some convincing to say that the same standards of excellence
that were in place fifty (50) years ago apply to the present generation. That is
our fault for allowing this to happen, if in fact, it has!
In the meantime, we can learn our lessons from sport and exercise. Get your
kids involved in youth sports. Get involved yourself in a sporting activity
other than spectating. If you need some suggestions, do not hesitate to call the
Roswell Recreation Office at 624.6720.
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