Life Lessons: What Surfing Can Teach A Young Woman

For a young age parents often encourage their daughters to play sports not only because of their physical and mental benefits, but for the life lessons it can teach them. Besides a strong work ethic, they learn to be humble, are able to build self-confidence and let’s not forget, it teaches them an inevitable part of life, defeat.   Surfing, specifically the act of riding the waves, is analogous to the ebbs and flows of life. There are many surfing skills that a young, developing girl can transfer to everyday life.   Patience In surfing, one of the most difficult skills to learn is standing up on the board. A beginner’s first attempts will result in clumsiness and off timing. But as soon as she learns to stand on her board, the euphoria is so overwhelming that the time it took to learn to accomplish it becomes valuable. For an experienced surfer, even the act of lining up for the next wave teaches her to relax and wait their turn. The modern world is characterized by instant gratification and patience has become an all-forgotten virtue.   Living in the Moment An anxious or stressed child can benefit immensely from a sport like surfing because surfing is about living in the moment. As a surfer, she can shift her focus on the present, like finding proper balance while riding a wave. As she rides, it is crucial that her body is elastic and can bend with the movement of the ocean. As she allows her body to accept the flows of the ocean, she too can learn to accept the flows of life.   Girl Power! Surfing is a male-dominated sport and a girl excelling in the sport teaches her that gender roles are flexible. It teaches her that being a female should not hold her back from doing the activities she loves. As she exhibits passion and commitment to training, her opportunities are limitless. And her, and her alone, will propel herself to great places, removing limiting boundaries society can impose.   Author: Kathrine Ayers