Intsha Iyabuza . . .

Imidlalo Yamaqembu—Ingabe Ingilungele?

“Ngiyayithanda imidlalo. Ngiba nomuzwa wenjabulo ngempela. Futhi ngiyakujabulela ukuba nabangane bami.”—USandy oneminyaka engu-14 ubudala.

“UKWENAMA!” “Ukwesasa!” “Ukunqoba!” Lezi ezinye zezizathu ezanikezwa yintsha yase-United States neyaseCanada lapho ibuzwa ukuthi kungani ihlanganyela emidlalweni ehleliwe. Ngokusobala, intsha eningi inentshiseko efanayo.

Ngokwesibonelo, cabangela i-United States. Ngokwencwadi ethi Your Child in Sports, kaLawrence Galton, “unyaka ngamunye, izingane zaseMelika eziyizigidi ezingu-20 ezineminyaka esukela kweyisithupha kuya phezulu zidlala, noma zizama ukudlala, emaqenjini emidlalo ehleliwe.” Futhi nakuba eminyakeni nje embalwa edlule amaqembu emidlalo ehleliwe ayengawabesilisa kuphela, amantombazane amaningi asedlala i-baseball, i-basketball, futhi ancintisana ngisho nasenkundleni yebhola likanobhutshuzwayo.

Mhlawumbe uthanda ezemidlalo futhi unomuzwa wokuthi kungaba kuhle ukujoyina iqembu elithile. Noma kungenzeka ukuthi uthola isikhuthazo njalo—mhlawumbe ngisho nokucindezelwa—kubazali, othisha, noma abaqeqeshi sokuba wenzenjalo. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi isimo siyini, ukuhileleka emidlalweni yamaqembu kudinga isikhathi namandla amakhulu. Khona-ke, kumane kunengqondo ukwazi izinzuzo nezithiyo ezithile. Okokuqala, ake sihlole izinzuzo ezithile.

Ezemidlalo—Izinzuzo

“Ukuqeqesha umzimba kunenzuzo encane,” kusho iBhayibheli. (1 Thimothewu 4:8) Futhi intsha ngokuqinisekile ingazuza ekuvivinyeni umzimba. E-United States, amanani ashaqisayo entsha ahlushwa ukukhuluphala, umfutho wegazi ophakeme, ne-cholesterol ephakeme. Ukuvivinya umzimba njalo kungasiza kakhulu ekulawuleni izinkinga ezinjalo. Ngokwesihloko esithile kumagazini i-American Health, intsha evivinya umzimba njalo “iba nezinga elihle kakhulu lokuphefumula nokuzungeza kwegazi kunezingane ezingenzi lutho [ezivilaphayo]. Abazivivinya njalo baphumelela kangcono nakwezemidlalo futhi bakwazi kangcono ukulawula isisindo.” Abacwaningi bathi futhi ukuvivinya umzimba kungaqeda ukucindezeleka, kunciphise ukukhathala, futhi kuthuthukise ngisho nokulala kwakho.

Ngokuthakazelisayo, incwadi ethi Your Child in Sports iyaphawula: “Kusobala ukuthi izinkinga eziningi zempilo zabantu abadala zaqala lapho besebasha.” Ngakho odokotela abaningi banomuzwa wokuthi izinzuzo zokuvivinya umzimba njalo zingase zidlulele nasebudaleni. Umlobi uMary C. Hickey uyabika: “Ukucwaninga kuye kwathola ukuthi izingane ezidlala ezemidlalo cishe ziyokhuthala kakhulu lapho sezingabantu abadala.”

Abaningi banomuzwa wokuthi kunezinye izinzuzo eziphawulekayo emidlalweni yamaqembu. Ubaba othile wathi ngendodana yakhe edlala ibhola likanobhutshuzwayo: ‘Kumgcina engekho emgwaqweni. Kumfundisa ukuzithiba.’ Abanye banomuzwa wokuthi ukudlalela iqembu elithile kufundisa osemusha ukusebenzelana nabanye—ikhono elingaba nezinzuzo ezihlala ukuphila konke. Imidlalo yamaqembu ifundisa intsha nokulandela imithetho, ukuzikhuza, ukuhola, nokusingatha ukuphumelela nokuhluleka ngendlela efanele. “Ezemidlalo ziyindlela enhle kakhulu yokufundisa intsha,” kusho uDkt. George Sheehan. “Zinikeza abafundi okuhlangenwe nakho okuqondile ezintweni abavame ukuzizwa kothisha: isibindi, ikhono, nokuzimisela.”—I-Current Health ka-September 1985.

Futhi, ukuba seqenjini elinqobayo kungathuthukisa ukuzethemba komuntu. “Uma ngifaka iphuzu,” kusho u-Eddie osemusha, “ngizizwa ngineqholo ngempela.”

Udumo, Ingcebo, Nokuthandwa

Nokho, okukhanga enye intsha ngempela emidlalweni yamaqembu ukuzuza ukwamukelwa nokuqashelwa ontanga. “Njalo lapho wenza okuthile okuhle,” kuchaza uGordon oneminyaka engu-13 ubudala, “wonke umuntu uhlala ekuncoma.”

Incwadi ethi Teenage Stress, kaSusan noDaniel Cohen, iyavuma: “Uma kubonakala ikhona indlela eqinisekile yokuzuza ukuthandwa, ikakhulukazi ngabafana, ezemidlalo. . . . Kuyaqabukela ukuthola umpetha webhola likanobhutshuzwayo noma we-basketball entula ukuqashelwa.” Okunye ukuhlola kwembula indlela abezemidlalo abadunyiswa kakhulu ngayo. Abafundi babuzwa ukuthi babengathanda ukukhunjulwa njengabadlali abadumile, abafundi abahlakaniphile, noma abantu abathandwa kakhulu. Phakathi kwabafana, ukuba “umdlali odumile” kwaphuma phambili.

Ukuthi umdlali webhola likanobhutshuzwayo noma we-basketball uhlonishwa kakhulu kunesifundiswa akumangalisi kakhulu lapho ucabangela ukugxila kwemithombo yezindaba kubadlali abakhokhelwayo. Okuningi okusakazwayo kugxila emaholweni abo ayizizumbulu nasendleleni yabo yokuphila ngokusaphaza. Yingakho intsha eningi, ikakhulukazi yasemadolobheni amakhulu, ingase ibheke ezemidlalo zasesikoleni njengendlela eya ekuchumeni—indlela yokubalekela ubumpofu!

Ngeshwa, amaqiniso awawafezi neze amathemba anjalo. Isihloko esithi “Bangaki Abadlali Abagcina Bengabadlali Abakhokhelwayo?” kumagazini i-Current Health sanikeza amanani asangulukisayo. Sabika: “Abafana abangaphezu kwesigidi [e-United States] badlala ibhola likanobhutshuzwayo ezikoleni eziphakeme; abangaba ngu-500 000 badlala i-basketball; futhi abangaba ngu-400 000 badlala i-baseball. Kusuka esikoleni esiphakeme kuya ekolishi, inani labahlanganyelayo lincipha ngokushaqisayo. Sekukonke abadlali abangaba ngu-11 000 kuphela abadlala ibhola likanobhutshuzwayo, i-basketball, ne-baseball lapho besekolishi.” Kusuka lapho, lezi zibalo ziveza isimo esidabukisa nakakhulu. “Amaphesenti angaba ngu-8 kuphela [abadlali basekolishi] athathwa amaqembu akhokhelwayo, futhi amaphesenti angaba mabili kuphela asayina isivumelwano sobuchwepheshe.” Khona-ke, lesi sihloko sinikeza lesi sikhumbuzo: “Ngisho nokusayina isivumelwano akusho ukuthi umdlali uzongena eqenjini.”

Khona-ke, sekukonke, “umdlali oyedwa kuphela kwabangu-12 000 esikoleni esiphakeme oyoba umdlali okhokhelwayo.” Lokho kufana namathuba okuwina umklomelo wokuqala emdlalweni wokubheja ngamathikithi! Kodwa ungase uzibuze ukuthi okungenani umdlali akanakuthola yini umfundaze wasekolishi ngenxa yawo wonke umzamo wakhe? Nalapho futhi, amathuba awamahle kakhulu. Ngokwencwadi ethi On the Mark, kaRichard E. Lapchick noRobert Malekoff, “phakathi kwezigidi zabadlali basezikoleni eziphakeme . . . , munye kuphela kwabangu-50 oyothola umfundaze wokudlala ekolishi.” Esinye isibalo esidabukisayo yilesi: “Phakathi kwabadlali abaphambili abathola imifundaze yezemidlalo ekhokhela ngempela njengebhola likanobhutshuzwayo ne-basketball, bangaphansi kwamaphesenti angu-30 abayophothula ekolishi ngemva kweminyaka emine.”

Kubadlali abaningi, iphupho lokuba umdlali ocebile nodumile limane nje liwukuzikhohlisa—ithemba elingasoze lifezeke.

Izehluleki

Lapho ucabangela amathemba empilo engcono, ukuvelela kobuntu, nokuthandwa kabanzi, ukujoyina iqembu lemidlalo ehleliwe kungase kubonakale njengento ewukuhlakanipha ukuyenza. Kodwa ngaphambi kokuba ugijimele ukuyohlungwa, cabangela lokho okwashiwo kuyi-Ladies’ Home Journal: “Izingane eziningi zingenela imidlalo ehleliwe namuhla kunanoma isiphi isizukulwane sangaphambili. Izindaba ezimbi: Zishiya phansi kulezi zinhlelo zemidlalo ngamanani aphakeme.” UDkt. Vern Seefeldt, uchwepheshe kulendaba, ucashunwa ethi: “Lapho sezineminyaka eyishumi nanhlanu, izingane ezingamaphesenti angamashumi ayisikhombisa nanhlanu ezake zadlala imidlalo zisuke seziyiyekile.”

Cabangela iCanada, lapho umdlalo we-ice hockey uthandwa kakhulu khona. Kwenye i-league ye-hockey yezimfundamakhwela, amaphesenti angu-53 abadlali bayo abangaphezu kuka-600 000 ayengaphansi kweminyaka engu-12 ubudala. Nokho, amaphesenti angu-11 kuphela ayeneminyaka engaphezu kwengu-15. Siyini isizathu? Intsha eningi isuke isiyekile lapho ifinyelela kulobo budala. Kungani eningi kangaka iyeka?

Abacwaningi bathi izehluleki ezinjalo zivame ukunikeza isizathu esilula ngokumangalisayo sokuyeka kwazo: Lemidlalo ayisajabulisi. Ngempela, ukudlalela iqembu elithile kungaba umsebenzi okhathazayo futhi odla isikhathi. Umagazini i-Seventeen watshela abafundi bawo ukuthi ukumane ungenele ukuhlungelwa iqembu kungase kuhilele ukusebenza “amahora amathathu ngosuku, izinsuku ezinhlanu ngesonto . . . isikhathi esingaba isonto noma amasonto amabili.” Uma unqoba kulenselele futhi ungene eqenjini, usalindelwe amanye amahora amaningi okuzivivinya nokuprakthiza. Isibonelo salokhu ilungu leqembu lamantombazane le-basketball elichitha amahora angaphezu kwamathathu ngosuku liziqeqeshela umdlalo. Leso sikhathi singasetshenziselwa ukwenza okuthile okuzuzisa ngokwengeziwe.

Yiqiniso, intsha eningi ayimelene nalenqubo ekhathazayo. Ijabulela ukwenama nenselele yokuthuthukisa amakhono ayo okuba umdlali. Kodwa kunezinye izizathu ezenza ukuba inani elikhulu lentsha lishiye imidlalo ehleliwe. Kudingeka ukuba uzazi ukuze unqume ukuthi kufanele yini ujoyine iqembu noma cha. Njengoba izAga 13:16 zisho, “bonke abaqondileyo basebenza ngokwazi.” Ngakho-ke isihloko sesikhathi esizayo siyoqhubeka nalengxoxo.

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 14]

‘Abadlali abaningi abaphambili baseyunivesithi abathola imifundaze yezemidlalo bayehluleka ukuphothula’

[Isithombe ekhasini 13]

Ukuthandwa kwabadlali kuhehela intsha eningi emidlalweni ehleliwe