Competition? Have you taught your child this
essential tool for how to pull away from the crowd like an Olympic athlete? Beyond competition, the world recently watched in awe as USA swimmer, Katie Ledecky, pulled away from the crowd to set a world record and earn another gold medal. (Interestingly, she is always looking to better her own time, not beat somebody else.) Furthermore, there was no subjective opinion around her performance. It was thrilling and we shared in the celebration of her personal excellence! Katie Ledecky
How do you coach young people to pull away from the crowd, out of the “shark infested waters” into the cool “Blue Ocean?” Here is where the “competition” no longer exists. How does a yo
ung person become inspired to be the best they can be and swim in their own “Blue Ocean?”
A Blue Ocean is a business strategy that has its roots in forgotten ancient wisdom and spiritual truth; go beyond the competition. Simply, when you develop who you are, with all of your own gifts and talents (here is the essential part) IN JOY, rather than fear, you will pull away from the crowd as consistently as gravity. It is a universal law.
Competition is everywhere. For today, I am going to paint a picture for the pre-professional ballet dancer, although this can be applied to every young person who is pursuing their personal best. We all have the capacity to be super-stars of our own gifts. (Identifying those gifts may be the real secret, a discussion left for another day)
Worthy Comparisons…
Theoretically speaking, lets take two identical, genetically gifted, passionate ballet dancers who are training to become legends. It is their dream. One has 
parents who are in fear. It can appear as if they want this for their child even more than the child. Why? Because they love them so much. They can’t imagine their child’s disappointment if there dreams didn’t come true…
And so they begin a journey to find the best teachers. It is a trial and error process that wastes time, promotes injury, and is deadly discouraging. In fear of not “becoming,” the child and family become more machine than human. The “Ballet Mom” is born and the heART of ballet is lost. The family continues to sacrifice and invest thousands and thousands of dollars. Especially relevant, they are unaware of how the chronic stress “turns on” the sympathetic nervous system, creating a continuous unhealthy, cortisol drip.
She enters competitions and even wins. Then at 17-years-young, in the ballet company of her dream, she finds herself unsatisfied. She has “peaked” incomplete, before her time. This childhood of intensity, propelled by fear, makes the student unable to develop the necessary emotional intelligence along the way. As a result this extraordinary, technically proficient dancer is unable to translate the art and collaborate with the company at large. Consequently, her world has become shark infested, competitive, superficial, and down deep she is miserable and confused. Everything that ballet really is, she is not.
The second child whose parents did the necessary homework to provide 
all that was needed, in a nurturing environment, filled with joy, has a completely different experience. She has been swimming in her own “Blue Ocean” – and pulled away from the crowd from the very beginning. Here she was able to focus on becoming all that she can be. The curtain rises the audience in awe, and together they share the thrill of who she really is. Scripps Ballet Theatre
At Scripps Performing Arts Academy our nurturing and talented faculty will teach your child how to pull away from the crowd and swim in their own “Blue Ocean.” We are committed to helping your child to discover how to live their dreams, whatever they may be.