98 SIDELINES DECEMBER 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
e
Sports Psychology
By Ann S. Reilly, Ph.D.
The holiday season is a time when people experience many
different emotions, from great joy to sadness and depression.
The following story is my holiday gift to
Sidelines
readers. It is an
inspirational story that can boost one’s spirits during the holiday
season. This story teaches us that giving a little bit of ourselves
each day can save the world and make us feel better and
worthwhile. It is through giving back that we feel the best about
ourselves. I hope that through the holiday season, and upcoming
year, each and every reader can do something every day to give
back to people, animals, the environment or all three. This story
was inspired by the writing of Loren Eiseley, a scientist and a poet.
Happy holidays, love and light, Ann.
The Star Thrower Story, by Joel Barker
Once upon a time, there was a wise man, much like Eiseley
himself, who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had
Ann S. Reilly, Ph.D. is a sport
psychologist and author of “A
Sport Psychology Workbook for
Riders,” available from amazon.
com. Questions for Ms. Reilly’s
column can be addressed to
.
My Holiday Gift
a habit of walking on the beach
before he began his work. One
day he was walking along the
shore. As he looked down the
beach, he saw a human figure
moving like a dancer. He smiled
to himself to think of someone
who would dance to the day. So
he began to walk faster to catch
up. As he got closer, he saw
that it was a young man and
the young man wasn’t dancing,
but instead he was reaching
down to the shore, picking up
something and very gently
throwing it into the ocean.
As he got closer, he called
out, “Good morning! What
are you doing?” The young
man paused, looked up and
replied,”Throwing starfish into
the ocean.”
“I guess I should have asked,
Why are you throwing starfish
into the ocean?”
The young man replied, “The
sun is up and the tide is going
out. And if I don’t throw them in
they’ll die.”
The wise man exclaimed,
“But young man, don’t you
realize that there are miles and
miles of beach and starfish all
