Editorial January 6, 1992 Issue

When the push to excel hurts: what can we do?

Michael D. Rissler

I had an older brother and a supportive dad, and as a result I started playing baseball just about as soon as I could find a baseball glove that would fit my hand. And living in Indiana, where basketball is popular, it wasn't long before a basketball became as normal an attachment to me as the glove. I loved sports.

Yet even by the time I was in the upper age bracket of little league baseball, it had become clear that the push to excel could be intense and unrelenting. While I was in high school, my life took a turn. School studies and my interest in Christian Science brought balance to my life, and sports became a pastime instead of an all-consuming drive. But for many young men and women, athletics are more than a hobby.

Sports can be many things: a healthy discipline, a means to finance an education, a path to a serious and productive career. There have been people who have devoted their lives to sports and have become respected role models—like Julius Erving, the former professional basketball player who is still known affectionately to millions as simply "Dr. J."

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