Blog: It's OK to Be a Beginner

The other day, I was passing through one of the city's parks when I saw a group of people who had set up a badminton net and were teaching their kids to play. Badminton, like all sports, takes practice, meaning a lot of near misses, and not so near misses, were going on. Right on cue came some passersby who made comments that the scene belonged on America's Funniest Home Videos, and they kept yelling "A swing...and a miss!" and other rude stuff. You can pretty much guess what happened next: The kids didn't want to play anymore.

My first thought about this scene - to be honest, it was my second thought, but my first printable one - was that we need to reinforce in kids the fact that it's okay to be a beginner. Fortunately, the adults there were on the same page, and they took control of the situation. They moved the would-be spectators along, and coaxed their kids back onto the court.

Log in to view the full article
Page 1 of 469
Next Page
Buyer's Guide
Information on more than 3,000 companies, sorted by category. Listings are updated daily.
Learn More
Buyer's Guide
AB Show 2025 in San Diego
AB Show is a solution-focused event for athletics, fitness, recreation and military professionals.
Nov. 5-8, 2025
Learn More
AB Show 2025