My 7-year-old doesn't aspire to play in the NFL or NBA or NHL; he wants to be a ninja warrior.
Raptly watching Monday night's season finale of "American Ninja Warrior" on NBC, he pleaded for an extension to his bedtime so he could watch it all the way through.
My second-grader plays a number of sports -- soccer, basketball, flag football -- but given the option at recess, he would rather fling himself across the playground bars specifically to hone his ninja skills than play foursquare or anything else.
For his upcoming 8th birthday, all he wants is a backyard pull-up bar contraption to work on his "grip strength," the north-star physical quality for would-be ninja warriors -- like "40 time" for a football player, "velocity" for a promising pitcher or "length" for NBA prospects.
He obsessively follows his favorite ninjas: No different than his geography-infused love of other teams and athletes based in DC, his favorite is sports-TV cameraman Geoff Britten of suburban Maryland, who last season became the first official "American Ninja Warrior." But he also loves Joe "The Weatherman" Moravsky (an actual meteorologist), Drew "The Real Ninja" Dreschel and
My kid is hardly alone. Throughout school, kids enthusiastically discuss the show and universally respect the sport. When I
Why do kids gravitate toward this activity? I think it is mainly three factors:
Simplicity: Climbing, hanging, sliding, jumping -- these are basic physical moves virtually any kid can do. "It appeals to a raw primal instinct for moving, adapting and surviving," Chris Wilczewski said. He is an "American Ninja Warrior" 2016 national finalist, owner of
Accessibility: Drawing inspiration from its philosophical partner, parkour, kids doing ninja "workouts" require very little beyond the physical space around them. Any equipment found at a school playground or neighborhood park can work, but I have also learned to refrain from auto-scolding my kids when they hop on (and off) a random sidewalk bench or propel themselves under (or over) railings. "Other sports depend heavily on mastering different pieces of equipment," Wilczewski said. "Ninja Warrior relies so heavily on utilizing one's own body."
(A note on safety: Like any parent, I often cringe when my kid climbs on the playground equipment -- or plays any sport where there might be contact, either with people or objects. As with every activity, being taught proper techniques when appropriate and proceeding with a commensurate level of caution are paramount to the experience.)
As much as anything, the competitors are normal-sized (although as in the case of Britten, they often have "Popeye"-sized forearms); the kids can see themselves in the pro ninjas far more easily than they can in the goliath athletes of traditional pro sports. Also, the sport is still small enough that you can still connect with top competitors on social media. Britten
Fun: Even when you watch the elite level on TV, the competitors are cheering each other on and marveling at new displays of technique or fitness. Kids are naturally competitive, but the obstacles are challenging enough that "personal best" is largely the standard. Kids can push themselves without pushing others around, and playground credibility is earned just as much by designing a challenging new obstacle pattern as it is from successfully navigating it.
When ninja competitors on TV fail -- and virtually everyone inevitably fails -- they smile and appreciate the process, rather than focus on the outcome. Plus, the pop-culture phenomenon of "Ninja Warrior" has put just enough structure around the sport to legitimize it for kids while still encouraging free play.
I always imagined my first travel sports experience as a parent would be to some far-flung AAU basketball tournament. A month from now, I will be driving my 7-year-old two hours away to a Pennsylvania gym for an 8-and-under regional competition for the National Ninja League. I couldn't be more thrilled that he has found a sport he loves, but for the moment, I am equally happy to lean on the advice that Wilczewski had for any parent whose kids are similarly ninja-obsessed but can't necessarily truck to some obstacle-course warehouse or regional competition: "Just take them to the playground."
Dan Shanoff writes about parenting for espnW. You can connect with him