To not feel inspired by sports stars

[SEmyarse]

Mostly, people don't take enough exercise, and sport's a great way to do it. I have always enjoyed running around like a loon, but don't get the opportunity often. Especially since I love team sports and since I have not an ounce of talent it's pretty hard to find things I can participate in at a very low competitive level.

But I keep hearing sports people interviewed all over the place about 'the olympic legacy' and 'inspiring a generation'. I know this stuff is supposed to be aimed at kids, not me really, but I just don't see anything inspirational about these super talented, super fit people. I bet they never had to endure the humiliation in PE lessons, in fact they were probably dead popular, the sporty ones at my school were. And although they no doubt put in enormous effort and commitment to reach the highest level, the reason they are so successful is because they are very driven people anyway, and coupled with this they get to channel their energies into what they love doing the most.

I also don't think top level is something to aspire to anyway. They have to train to the detriment of their longterm health, and to the exclusion of all else, which I wouldn't want for my kids.

TBH I think professional sport prob puts off more people than it encourages, it's just so far removed from their reality. I guess there will be some talented children who follow their stars and have a genuine chance of making it, but they're the ones who will have been active and sporty from a very young age, and are inherantly competitive. They don't really need inspiring, it's where their natural talents lie, and I'm sure they'll be spotted at school if they're really good enough for the top.

But the other 99%? I don't think watching someone get a gold medal will make someone think they could do that. I'm not anti-competition at all, but there's plenty of stuff for that already.

I'm inspired by middle aged people taking stuff up for the first time, having the balls to give it a go. I'm inspired by kids trying despite not always being good at stuff. People can be competitive with themselves, with others, improve their fitness co-ordination, teamwork etc, and I don't think sports stars are relevant to hardly anyone.

they have to justify the zillions of pounds spend on the olympics and the 'legacy' fits the bill perfectly

sad they had to cut so many grass roots organisations doing stuff that encourages kids to get out and about to fund it

an interesting view.

my kids are more interested in football and had been swimming since being babies.

they loved watching the Olympics with me and got excited by certain sports, but hasn't taken up any of them.

I'm not sure if YA BU or not.

they benefited no more than having watched the Great British Bake Off soon after

I work in a tennis club, when Andy Murray won Wimbledon the number of new children taking up the sport was massive. As an unfit old sod it would take a lot to get me off the sofa, but if big sporting events inspire even a few kids then that's great.

It does inspire - look how popular cycling has become since wiggins won the tour de France. My dh works in sport and his organisation has had loads more enquiries since the Olympics. What is great about sport is that it doesn't require academics and there are such a variety of sports to try. The Olympics shows that you can excel at something seemingly random. It's not all about football, rugby and tennis.

Not inspired over here and no one I know or their kids are... Kids would much rather just play out that play tennis or high jump...

Its never the disabled winners who earn the cash who really are inspiring in their story's about the fact they have over come having no legs or a massive illness oh no just the ones who run fastest

most sports people didn't ask to be stars the media did that to them. They do though do media work as it helps pay the bills, as the money in sports isn't great and even worse if you are female).

Having grit and determination I think is something to aspire to and for children to realise that they to can try hard and reap rewards - whether it be get a to ten position in a race or work as a team and get third place instead of fifth place.

or cycle the 100, which was the olympic course, just to achieve that is awesome. Look at how many people have applied to take part again this year. Look at the amount of people taking part in local triathlon and park run

My dd went out last week with a junior world champion (actual she went out with three),one a girl who is a double world champ, just a normal person - but no doubt she will represent GBR at Rio. Dd also used to train with a girl that will also most probably appear at Rio but i a different sport.

So I guess I see these girls, as normal girls who I just happen to see at training - and yes they train a lot, but also sports helps you focus and achieve in others areas of your life.

and yes there were a lot of children that went to a lot of local clubs due to the olympic, most will drift of but a lot will stay and enjoy the sport for what it is a sport they come to enjoy.

I think there is a massive legacy. There are very few sports that are mainstream in this country. Hilighting that there is other stuff out there has to be a goot thing. Children will have seen sports they had never even heard of before.

I will never forget they excitement on a little boys face when he came out from watching the wheelchair basketball.

Fwiw. I will be taking dd to see the next wheelchair basketball game I can find. It is an icredible, exciting and fantstic spectator sport and dd and I enjoyed watching it immensely.

the work and determination along with natural ability - i'm in awe and find it inspiring.

I'm involved a bit in basketball and football myself. And I know of people who run cycling and judo clubs. And it's true, more kids have become involved. But almost always its kids who are already sporty, trying something new. That's fantastic, but absolutely not hitting the problem of people who either are uninterested or feel completely alienated.

There needs to be a cultural change where you don't have to feel like you're aiming to be amazing to participate. And it should be by far the primary aim to have fun, get fit, improve your own particular skills. I'm totally pro competition when it comes to sports days etc, people should be able to shine where they can, but that's never been a problem. From a very young age kids always want to be the fastest kid, the best at football, and if you're that way inclined then you do it all the time and get good. But very few inactive teenagers are signing up for stuff because of the olympics. They know they're not going to win medals and prob don't care, but if they find something that's fun and makes them feel good, then they might give it a go, and they're not going to be inspired by people who've always found it easy.

We don't teach kids to read by telling them to aspire to be shakespeare, we just show them it's important for life (and enjoyable). Surely the same should go for physical education.

I was sad the other day when a colleague said - oh my 6 year old daughter would not do some sport as she is not sporty.

I wonder how you can right your child of any sport at 6 and just because you are not sporty doesn't mean you might like one particular sport.

i think it has more to do with parents having an open mind and encouraging their children to try something to see whether they like it.

63 thousand woman took up cycling last year after the olympics last year