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COLUMN: Coach John Reid a man of character who taught me so much

'If you have kids in sports today, are you modeling the character traits you want your kids to develop? What will your legacy be?'
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Columnist John Liston

As we head back to school, back to work, and the late summer return to activities and sports, let’s be reminded of how blessed we are to have them again.

The documented history of sports goes back at least 3,000 years. In the beginning, sports often involved training as a hunter which explains why so many early games involved the throwing of spears, stakes, and rocks. These were games to help develop life skills and character needed for survival. While sports are, and should be, a means of staying fit, having fun, and forming friendships, they also have a plethora of advantages when it comes to instilling skills that will prove essential in education, employment, and daily life.

I love sports. Allowing me to play was an incredible gift my parents gave me. Everyone deserves the chance to experience multiple sports — both team and individual. Being on a team, in the dressing room, the dugout, on the bench, and in the field of play is one of the greatest tools for learning skills and character for adult life.

I would like to share a bit about a gentleman who taught me a lot about helping kids develop skills and character through sport. His name is John Reid.

When we were 10, John and I played against each other and then became friends. We played against and with each other into the older ages, went to high school together, and hockey was a big part of that connection. We went our separate ways after high school, but our paths reunited us when we both moved to St. Albert, now with wives and kids. We coached together in multiple sports, helped run a hockey school, and went to church together as families.

In 2003, John Reid lost his battle to a pre-leukemic condition at the age of 41, the same year his nine-year-old son, Casey, and Liam, my 10-year-old son, were playing against each other — the circle of life.

John epitomized the premise that sport is just a vehicle, the real goal is skill and character development. It is what John experienced as an athlete, being raised by folks who led by example. Ernie and Noreen were exceptional role models and involved in so many of the sporting activities John took on.

John always said sport helps us learn tenacity, resilience, leadership, accountability, respect, patience and so much more. 

If young people are taught the benefits of sports and hone the ability to work towards a greater reward, evidence shows they are less likely to suffer from depression and experience greater life satisfaction.

Sport teaches tenacity and resilience. The ability to fail and learn from the setback and move forward is a vital life skill. Learning that failure is not the end, but part of the learning experience has far-reaching implications, affecting our self-esteem and our mental agility. This includes getting cut from a team. As parents, it is extremely difficult to watch your children experience setbacks, but these are key life lessons.

So how do you measure success of skill and character development through sport if it is not the win/loss column of a season? The answer is who the players become because of the sports experience.

John and Darcy Reid raised three great kids who are now adults applying the skills and character traits they developed through sports and from the role modeling of their parents. Janelle, Brady, and Casey are the real legacy of John and Darcy Reid.

If you have kids in sports today, are you modeling the character traits you want your kids to develop? What will your legacy be?

John Liston is a St. Albert resident involved in the business and charitable communities.

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