Fred Bowen's "The Score" column,
July 24, 2008, Washington Post

Should Athletes Quit Their Quitting?

Two recent stories have me thinking about when an athlete, any athlete, should call it quits.

Brett Favre, the great quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, retired after last season. Favre set records for the most passing yards (61,655 yards) and most touchdown passes (442 passes) during his career. Favre was so good that even after he retired he was on the cover of the popular sports video game Madden NFL '09. The Packers started planning for the upcoming season with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who has played in only seven games in his three years in the National Football League.

Now Favre says he has changed his mind and wants to play again. The Packers don't want him back, but they also don't want to release him so that he can play for one of their division rivals, the Chicago Bears or Minnesota Vikings, who could use a good quarterback.

Some fans think the Packers should take Favre back or help him find a team that can use his passing and leadership skills. After all, Favre helped Green Bay win the Super Bowl in 1997. Shouldn't Green Bay help Favre after all he has done for the Packers?

The second story that has me thinking about athletes quitting is the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association about kids and physical activity. Scientists studied more than a thousand kids between ages 9 and 15 by putting a gadget on their belts called an accelerometer that measured their physical activity.

The scientists found that almost all 9-year-olds got at least an hour of moderate or vigorous physical activity every day, and some got a lot more. But by the time the kids were 15, most had quit playing and turned into couch potatoes. Less than a third of the 15-year-olds got at least an hour of moderate or vigorous physical activity. That's bad because kids who are not physically active are more likely to gain weight and can develop illnesses, such as diabetes and heart problems.

I think Brett Favre should keep playing. If football is still fun and he can help a team, why should he stop? But I think it's more important that kids keep playing. If kids are not good enough to make the high school teams, they should still be encouraged to take up sports that will keep them active for now and for the rest of their lives.

Walk or ride a bike instead of always getting a ride from Mom or Dad. Play tennis, ultimate Frisbee or touch football. Start a jogging club at school. Take up golf; carrying a golf bag around for nine or 18 holes is good exercise.

So when should an athlete call it quits? Never. Whether you are an All-Pro or just an average kid, it's important to keep playing.

Fred Bowen writes KidsPost's sports opinion column and is an author of sports novels for kids.

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