In a world beyond the constraints of conference schedules and matching polyester jerseys is a magical place free of concession stands and booster clubs. Accessible year-round virtually everywhere, silent sports – from kayaking, biking, skiing, rock climbing and orienteering – are gaining popularity in the mainstream recreational sports world. And for children, enthusiasm for silent sports can be attained by exposure to the outdoors at a young age.

For a child of parents avid about the outdoors, memories of canoeing and hiking come before even those of losing a first tooth. But fast-forward 30-some years, add a couple more children, their need for naps and countless emotional meltdowns – by the kids and their parents – and it’s amazing we even venture beyond the backyard. One has to wonder how adults with needy, expensive smallish people manage to pump their own bike tires, let alone strategically arrange enough gear to climb Mount Everest in the back of a dirty minivan. How did our parents stand it? And without GPS and the iPhone, didn’t they get lost all the time?

And yet families like ours, and before ours, have participated in silent sports and lived to talk about it. What are their motivations, their inspirations and their secrets to success?

Well, meet the Skillicorns, Mitchells and Knudsvigs. Each family has a slightly different story and a slightly different approach to balancing jobs, school schedules and all the other demands of daily life. The common thread: a commitment to uphold the benefits of silent sports as a way of life.

The Skillicorns

If opposites attract, Brad and Kelly Skillicorn, of Winona, Minnesota, have an advantage. Brad likes to wake up early and “get his workout in before most people start their day.” Kelly finds time to exercise and even belongs to a local women’s riding group. While either of them is on the road, Anni, their 8-year-old daughter, gets some alone time with her other parent.

Besides divvying up their time for exercise, the Skillicorns rely on other parents and baby sitters to help watch Anni during their individual races and time as a couple on the trails. And as Anni’s athletic skills develop, so does her ability to keep up with her parents. The Skillicorn family uses events like the City of Lakes Loppet as a way introduce Anni to the fun inherent in silent sports, which is what such events are all about.

The Mitchells

Greg and Julie Mitchell, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, are especially into kayaking and sailing. Living in a house directly across from a lake, they spend summers on or in the water as much as possible. And when the lake turns to ice, the Mitchells make a hockey rink for pickup games involving the entire neighborhood. They watch very little TV.

Having spent his formative years in Montana, Greg has come to observe that kids rarely fight outside. “Outside everything is part of a game,” he explains. “When dueling with sticks, kids are pirates not siblings vying for screen time or slamming bedroom doors.”

At first the Mitchells’ kids, Ellen, 9, and Isaac, 5, traveled as cargo. But now everyone in the Mitchell family is outfitted in their own kayak. Last summer involved lessons and practice in shallow water and an increase in self-sufficiency and enthusiasm for the sport in both kids.

Like the Skillicorns, the Mitchells still rely on baby sitters and the neighbors in order to paddle together at an adult pace. (Greg, too, is a morning exerciser.) While Ellen and Isaac have yet to compete in either silent or organized sports, Ellen will play volleyball at school this year. Like team sports, silent sports value both individual performance – improving times or scoring points – and working as a team toward a common goal – not to mention sportsmanship and learning to accept with grace winning and losing.

The Knudsvigs

Beth and Dan Knudsvig were high school sweethearts amidst the bluffs and rolling hills of northeastern Iowa. Now raising a family in St. Louis Park, Minnesota – Henry is 6, Wyatt is 3, and there’s a baby girl on the way – Beth and Dan still manage to keep outdoor exercise as a priority in their daily lives. In order to maintain endurance and still have family time, Dan bikes for over an hour each morning and Beth hits the gym with the kids before Dan gets home from work. She’ll even workout after the kids and Dan are home in bed.

Beth and the kids travel with Dan to mountain bike races most weekends during the season. Having kids has changed the way Dan perceives competition, placing more emphasis on how he competes than the results.

“I focus more on working well with others, having a good time and finding the fun in overcoming a challenge,” he says. “It’s important for me that my kids see me having fun and staying positive in the face of adversity.”

Henry has participated in a couple of bike races for kids. Recognizing Henry’s early interest in mechanics, Dan and Henry work together in the garage to maintain their bikes. This is demonstrating to Henry that a well-maintained bike performs better, goes faster and lasts longer. A core value to the Knudsvig family is that the exercise gear, tools and equipment are earned, and should be treated with care and respect.

What all three families teach us is that 1.) there’s no right or wrong way to get started in silent sports, and 2.) the sooner kids learn to swat a mosquito the better. The key to enjoying a lifetime of fresh air is getting one foot, then the other, out the door. Bring a Frisbee and you may just have a new family pastime on your hands.

Julie Henning lives in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, where she is a mother of three and is the “Feed Me Editor” for the online travel site Road Trips for Families, www.roadtripsforfamilies.com.

top of page