The biggest thing I noticed growing up when I was doing BMX racing or playing rugby through to secondary school level, was seeing the parents who were so desperate to see their kids do well that they were almost living their lives through their kids and putting huge pressure on them to the point they weren't enjoying it.
Interpretation
Parents' pressure on children can hinder their enjoyment and success.
In this quote, Chris Hoy reflects on his observations from his youth in sports, noting that some parents exert excessive pressure on their children to succeed. This pressure can transform the experience from one of enjoyment and personal development into a stressful obligation, ultimately hindering the child's passion and love for the activity.
In practice
In a talk about youth sports, you might use this quote to illustrate the importance of fun over competition.
Someone like Jessica Ennis-Hill having her first baby then bouncing back to become world champion in the space of the year. I maybe wouldn't have appreciated just how big an achievement that was until I had my own child. It's an incredible thing.
Today we read books 'extensively,' often without sustained focus, and with rare exceptions we read each book only once. We value quantity of reading over quality of reading. We have no choice, if we want to keep up with the broader culture.
Universities think people come up with great ideas by closing the door. The academic tenure process, where you have to publish to journals which are very narrow, stands in the way of great research.
True scholarship consists in knowing not what things exist, but what they mean; it is not memory but judgment.
I was looking at making a shift in my career. I've been so blessed I'd like to be able to give that back. If I could find young artists, young performers I can nurture to have a career I would really like that.
The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future life.
Acquire new knowledge whilst thinking over the old, and you may become a teacher of others.
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