risks & handstands

I see a fear of trying things and taking positive risks in the children & teens I work with... perhaps it stems from the pressure to "be right" or "the best" or "good" at everything. Whatever it is, it is sad to see and it breaks my heart. I spend a lot of my teaching time coaxing students into making the first attempt. I celebrate the joy of discovery and of trying new movements I see in students. I am saddened by how much time it takes to get to the comfort zone of the attempt. The refining process in the movement suffers as a result. Anyone else seeing this?

My initial thought is that students in this generation begin thinking about their collegiate success/careers much earlier than mine. And seemingly EVERYTHING counts for, or against them in that process. In a world with diminished risk, there is equally diminished reward. And little ownership of acheivement, large or small. Or, worse, bloated vanity about mediocre acheivements due to a lack of experience in risk vs. reward and energy input = result.

And risk need not be a word with negative connotation. What happened to positive risks? A dance student may not like the movement, may not particularly enjoy the result, but they can enjoy the process of learning something new & different with no negative risk; meaning they are not going to suffer for the effort in the attempt.

Here's my challenge - passed down from Ed Tyler: When was the last time you did a handstand? If it's more than a day... go upside down and check out the world from that perspective. It might even be fun.

Cheers!