EF lessons from the Super Bowl

Sporting events can sometimes provide a perfect backdrop for teaching and learning valuable lessons – for school and for life. Last week’s Super Bowl provided such an opportunity. While deflating for some, the dramatic, come from behind win was exhilarating and inspirational for the rest of us. In his article in last Monday’s Boston Globe, Kevin Cullen teased out a few life lessons from the game relevant to students and adults of all ages. While doing so, he hit on a few important executive function skills, too (flexibility, self-monitoring, and planning and time management). Mr. Cullen’s take-aways are great fodder for dinnertime conversations with your kids. “It was as if everything our parents, our teachers, our coaches had tried to teach us transpired in the last 18 minutes of this magnificent spectacle, this Super Bowl. In the end, it wasn’t about revenge. It was about not giving up, about perseverance, about not panicking, about having a backup plan if the original plan isn’t working, about believing in yourself and your ability and in one another.” Kevin Cullen, Boston Globe, February 6, 2017