Kids' Sports

Since the age of eight sports has played a huge role in my life. I fell in love with the competition aspect of football and baseball during recess at Flagpole School and playing baseball on my Dad's farm. We worked very hard on the farm, however, I was always watching the clouds in hopes it would rain so we could start a baseball game behind the cotton bends. This love of sports has followed me all my life. I always wanted to build my life and reputation around being a good student in school, working hard at every assignment and challenge my life encountered and being respected as a person of character and integrity. I enjoyed a wonderful high school and college sports tenure having played college football for three years at Ole Miss until my knee injury that I sustained in high school forced me to give up football. That was a very sad day for me in that I felt it was my first major failure in life and I did not like to fail at anything. Sports teach you to never give up on yourself or any mission you have set your sights upon to succeed in. Never start a new goal for your life that you are not willing to put your heart into to succeed. Sports always gave me a desire to be the best and practice, practice, practice until you were the best your talents would allow you to be. Sports also taught me to always be mindful to keep my body in shape and condition my body with daily and weekly workouts to be healthy and remain strong. I still go to my health club for 45 minute workouts 4-5 times a week. After having triple bypass heart surgery, my surgeon said the probable reason my surgery was a success was because my body was in good condition at the age of 80. I can truly say I have had four passions in my life, sports, my business career in the hotel and hospitality business, my three children and now my grandchildren. During my life time my Dad was a tremendous mentor for me to always respect the principles he built his life around and passed on to me. I can also say the coaches I had in the sports I was involved in had great influence on my life. My freshman coach at Ole Miss, Coach Wobble Davidson, was the person who inspired my life more so than anyone in coaching. He made you believe you could move mountains if you prepared yourself well enough. My coaches in high school and college probably prepared my life to take on the challenges that we all encounter as we mature into our working career. This is why kids should gain the benefits of sports and great coaching at the earliest possible age. Both will give any kid in America a foundation to build their life upon. I am so proud my grandkids are all involved in sports and gaining at an early age what sports can mean to their lives forever. John Carson, A Proud Father and Grandfather.