Life lessons, or “head fakes” of sailing

by Joe Kirk, Point of Pittsburgh Sailing League

When Carnegie Mellon University computer science professor Randy Pausch faced a diagnosis of terminal pancreatic cancer, he decided to deliver what he called his Last Lecture. In the lecture, he talked about what he called the “head fake.”

This was an idea that life lessons are intertwined into all forms of learning. The video of his lecture is available online. Pausch also published a book entitled “The Last Lecture.”

It’s not a reach (excuse the pun) that sailing may represent one of the better examples of this life-lesson “head fake” idea. The challenge for all sailing programs is not this idea but instead to make sailing accessible in terms of cost and location.

Here are a few of the “head fake” life-skills young sailors can gain from our sport:

• In many cases, sailing takes young people far outside of their comfort zone introducing them to something entirely new. This increases the potential that they will consider other challenges in life.
• Youth sailing is a sport of equality where performance is not tied to physically superior attributes. This is especially important for students who do not excel in other sports.
• Youth sailing can bring together young men and women who participate on an equal basis breaking down gender stereotypes.
• There are numerous studies that point to the mental health benefits of being close to or on water.
• There are also studies that point to increases attention span from sailing. This is based on the need for continued focus on a range of variables including ever-changing wind conditions while sailing.
• Sailing is a team building and leadership development activity that builds confidence and independence.
• STEM principles can be incorporated into a sailing program including the physics of sailing and a water quality awareness.
• Young sailors learn to take full responsibility for rigging and derigging and maintenance of sailboats. This builds a sense of responsibility.

Yes, there are other sports that include a number of these head fakes, but sailing has the potential of meeting many more. And, unlike most youth sports, sailing is a life-long sport that can be pursued in a board range of forms ranging from day sailing on a local lake, to flying across waves while wind surfing, to completing in regattas, or sailing across an ocean.