Why School Will Kill Your Creativity

As a high-level athlete you need some creativity.  Going through high school trying to become an Olympic athlete always came with a lot of criticism. My teachers didn’t know what to do with me. I didn’t fit into the norm.

This interview is an amazing case for why creativity is taught OUT of students. I love it. I know most teachers try to do a good job of this, and I don’t mean to criticize all teachers, this is just s fantastic interview and I’m sure you’ll agree. I’d love to hear your comments. Please post them in the comment box after the interview. Thanks.

Sir Ken Robinson is an expert on creativity and educating children.  He has two of the most popular TED talks in history and highly recommend you watch them.  I’ve embedded one o the videos below.  Please have a watch and let me know what you think.

Creativity And Athletes

As lacrosse goalies, or athletes, in general, we are creative beings. I will schedule time into practice for athletes to try something they wouldn’t normally do.  The best is when those creativity sessions end up manifesting itself in a game.  I practice between the leg shots with a group of attack men once and the majority of the kids were laughing wondering, “What the hell are we doing this for?”

In North America we have practiced the creativity right out of our athletes. Wouldn’t you know it, when one of my attack men scored a between the legs shot in a tournament, everyone thought I was a genius.

Take some time to practice creativity.  I guarantee you that you will, at first, have some difficulty trying to find interesting and creative things to do.  But once you do, your mind will find itself with just a little more room to be creative in a game time situation. The best athletes find ways to be creative and they show that creativity in the toughest of competitive times. Are you a creative athlete?  (The answer is Yes by the way.  You may just have to shake off the layers of over-practiced “silt” that is covering it up.

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