Teach your kids sports.

You don't have to be good at sports yourself to expose your kids to them. You may have been a klutz who couldn't catch or throw or kick a ball, but that's no reason to deny your kids the opportunity to give sports a try.

In the first place, you don't have to be the person who will train your kid. It's okay if you weren't good at sports yourself: there are coaches in all communities, and all schools, for whatever level.

Why should you do this? Because you never know what your kid may be good at. You may come from a family of intellectuals or couch potatoes, but you may have a kid who is really good at running or throwing or shooting baskets. You may wonder where he/she came from, but the fact that he/she spends hours doing something you never did ought to give you a clue.

But that's just about the budding athlete, who should be encouraged to pursue his/her dream of playing in the big leagues.

I'm talking about the average child who may or may not show any interest in sports. Encourage them! Why? Because it helps them develop physically, for one. When the schools eliminated Physical Education (P.E.), because of budget cuts, they did themselves, and us, a disservice. Kids need to be active. They need to run and jump and throw balls and compete. It's a big part of growing up. It's also a preventive approach to staving off the sedentary lifestyle that leads us to obesity in later life. Learn to be active when you're young, and you're less likely later to get fat later in life.

It's also helpful for kids to know the basics of our most popular sports. If your kid can shoot baskets or play softball or bowl or even run around a track, he or she is more likely to fit in with a later group of fellow workers or colleagues who do the same. I've been to company picnics that featured softball games or volley-ball tournaments or even just foot races, and there were always those who had to stand on the sidelines, not knowing how to do any of those things. They stood out, and not in a good way. Management notices who participates and who doesn't.

Learning the basics of our most popular sports, whether we're any good at any of them or not, gives us a leg up on those who don't. If you can join a group who wants to ride bikes, you may have the advantage over someone who can't. If you can hold your own at second base in a softball game, you may look better to your boss than someone who stands on the sidelines, cheering on the company team.

And, besides, sports can be fun! I learned to toss horseshoes and got pretty good at it. And once in a while, someone wants to throw them, and I'm right in there. Putt-putt golf? I can putt with the best of them! I'm thinking of taking up disc-golf, which I understand involves throwing those things we used to call Frisbees at targets on a course very much like a golf course. Why not? It's easy, it's fun, and hey, I may be pretty good at it!

Teach your kids sports, or at least expose them to sports. You don't have to do the work. All you have to do is let them do it. They may like some and not others. But if they know how to do the basic ones, they'll never be at a loss at the company picnic or even the family gathering. And, who knows, they may get really good at one!

Life is hard and often tedious. Sports -- physical activity for short -- is a diversion from all that. And it can be rewarding in its own right. Have you ever been to a driving range? You pay a few bucks, and they give you a bucket of golf balls, and you whack them as hard as you can. Very therapeutic. And good exercise to boot.

Your child may be a prodigy on the cello or the violin, or the computer, but if he or she knows the basics of baseball or who is playing in the Super Bowl, he or she will be better able to fit in with peers and the society as a whole.

Sports are not just about doing something with your body. They're part of the good life. Good for your kids. And you too.