I thought about entitling this post "Everything I Needed to know, I learned from Skaters...and Bikers...and Scooters," but that title was growing a little cumbersome and felt like there would be some major disclaimers that I had to offer. However, I will say that as you watch the Joel's Place youth use the park, there are some clear cultural priorities that come through. They are never spoken or taught, there are no posters extolling the 10 Virtues of skating...but they are present and they are powerful insights into life. So allow me to share what I have observed from the dozens of daredevils that frequent our facility. One quick side note: I have observed these attributes in the skaters, bikers, and scooters. Several of them crossover. However I do not want to have to write "skaters, bikers and scooters" every time I reference the youth. From here out I will simply refer to them as skaters and you, the mindful and intelligent reader, will know that there is more than one form of extreme, wheeled destruction that I am referring to. Moving on...
Lesson #1: Risk
Everything about skating is a risk. The sport requires leaving the safety and balance of your own two feet and navigating uneven terrain at high speeds in ways that you have not done before. New skaters always hesitate at the lip of the ramps before they drop in, doubt and fear screaming through their minds. Will they crash? Will they get hurt? Will others witness their failure and laugh or belittle them? Is this worth it?
The reality is that every skater falls. Every skater gets hurt. Often these wipeouts happen with others watching. Sometimes the skaters are laughed at. The question that each one has to personally answer is the final one: is it worth it?
Some people carry with them an immense fear of failure, a debilitating perfectionism. Skating will never be for them because even the best skaters in the world fall. Some people are immersed in what others think about them and die inside when someone laughs at them. Skating provides lots of potentially embarrassing moments. What our skaters come to learn is that every other skater watching has been in that position and is responding out of a deep understanding and empathy. They may still laugh, but they have been there before.
Is the risk worth the reward? Is the chance of injury or embarassment worth the chance of success, achievement, growth and pure fun? In almost every case, our skaters answer a resounding yes. They take a deep breath, throw their weight forward and launch down the ramps, beginning a new run. They come back over and over again to try out new tricks and techniques. They push themselves beyond where they have been before and find new and creative ways to abuse the park, their boards and themselves.
The hardest risk to overcome is the very first one. When I played Ultimate in college I tried to dive early in the game. Once I got over that initial fear, I was free to give my all through the entire game. When I was in large group discussions, I tried to speak early on in the conversation. Again, once I conquored the initial fear of speaking, I was free to contribute during the entire session.
Fear of risk either grows in intensity or dissipates. The more you hesitate, the more it grows. But once you decide that the benefits are worth the risk and take action, fear seemingly evaporates. This is true in skating. It is true in life.
Life is full of risks. Not all are worth taking. But for those that are worth it, we need to lean in and begin our run, knowing that there is a community who has been where we are and are eager to support us on the off chance that we fall. Risk is not a barrier, it is the gateway to an exhilerating ride.
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