--- title: SuperBowl Champ on What Kids Can Learn From Watching the Game description: Kids can learn important lessons from sports as spectators canonical: https://time.com/4201028/superbowl-champ-on-what-kids-can-learn-from-watching-the-game/ author: Carey Wallace article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-02-01T13:58:10.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:02:24.226Z og:title: SuperBowl Champ on What Kids Can Learn From Watching the Game og:description: kids can learn important lessons from sports as spectators og:url: https://time.com/4201028/superbowl-champ-on-what-kids-can-learn-from-watching-the-game/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbb768beb2955ce23/69887b5fe20a8767cfa8f4a4/superbowl-1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3906 og:image:height: 2197 og:image:alt: Pittsburgh Steelers v New England Patriots og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: SuperBowl Champ on What Kids Can Learn From Watching the Game twitter:description: kids can learn important lessons from sports as spectators twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbb768beb2955ce23/69887b5fe20a8767cfa8f4a4/superbowl-1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # SuperBowl Champ on What Kids Can Learn From Watching the Game > Sponsored content. 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It is a free newsletter available at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: The Halftime Show That Transformed the Super Bowl [Watch (HLS stream): The Halftime Show That Transformed the Super Bowl](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/ZkcZlc5f.m3u8) (1:51)  _Published 2016-02-05_  by [Carey Wallace](https://time.com/author/carey-wallace/)  ## Carey Wallace Feb 1, 2016 1:58 PM UTC  FOXBORO, MA - SEPTEMBER 10: General view as fans hold up cards to celebrate the New England Patriots Super Bowl championships at the start of the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium on September 10, 2015 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images) FOXBORO, MA - SEPTEMBER 10: General view as fans hold up cards to celebrate the New England Patriots Super Bowl championships at the start of the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium on September 10, 2015 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images) Mike Lawrie—Getty Images  by [Carey Wallace](https://time.com/author/carey-wallace/)  ## Carey Wallace Feb 1, 2016 1:58 PM UTC The Superbowl might be the country’s biggest entertainment event of the year, with one out of every three Americans glued to the screen as the game unfolds. But between the commercials, and the pop stars, and the non-stop action of the game, is there anything that kids can really learn? Chad Hennings, a three time Super Bowl champion with the Dallas Cowboys, and author of _Forces of Character: Conversations About Building A Life of Impact_, says yes. “To me,” Hennings says, “sports is probably the best leadership laboratory or character laboratory that there is.” Much of what sports has to offer, Hennings says, has to do with “actual hands on experimentation”: teamwork, overcoming adversity, being a good sport, learning follow through, self-discipline, and self reliance. But kids can also learn important lessons from sports as spectators. From the time kids are **_elementary age_**_,_ Hennings says, parents who watch sports with children can focus not just on the skill of an athlete, “but watch how they handle themselves from a character perspective: How do they interact with teammates? How do they react when they strike out?” In **_middle school_**_,_ parents can start to encourage kids to compare the behavior of athletes they see on the field to the way they’d like to act themselves, Hennings says: “How should we do that when we have the opportunity? How do you want to react?” Parents can also ask kids questions that help them to choose mentors and heroes based on more than raw skill, says Hennings. “Don’t just choose a role model because they’re a great athlete. Choose an athlete of character that handles themselves the right way.” **_High school_** _kids,_ says Hennings, can begin “taking those life lessons and making analogies to real world situations.” Once they’ve observed a player’s character, says Hennings, they can begin to ask questions like “Can I rely on that individual? When the stress levels rise, are they going to cheat, compromise, head for the hills when adversity hits? Who are good teammates who you can trust?” And, Hennings says, kids can start to ask themselves whether they are acting as a team player in all walks of life: “someone that lives to be their best self every day, and encourages others to do the same.” ## Transcript [ NOISE ] So even though today we think of the Super Bowl half time show as a huge showcase for superstar pop musicians when it began it was just a break for fans sitting in the stadium or watching at home. So it could be something as simple as marching bands or dance troops like Up With People. The true turning point in Super Bowl halftime history came in 1993 when Michael Jackson performed. The year previously, 1992, Gloria Estefan had performed as part of a tribute to the winter Olympics. It was both a little bit uninspired And was counter programmed against Fox, which put up the sketch comedy series In Living Color. 22 million people tuned away, and the NFL realized, they had to get a major, major star, to keep fans watching and entertained. Michael Jackson made perfect sense as a booking. He was a little bit up against the ropes, in terms of his private life And he needed a really good PR opportunity. His fans tuned in by the millions rather than tuning out. And they made it one the most successful Super Bowl halftime shows of all time. They also set the template for what it would look like in the decades to come, with truly iconic music acts. From U2, Bruce Springsteen, to Prince and Paul McCartney. So based on the fact that this year Coldplay is performing with Beyonce and other surprise guest to be announced. We've run short on icons who can truly carry an entire show by themselves. Look at Katy Perry teaming up with Missy Elliott. If I had to bet, I'd think future years will feature more and more medley, Of stars, each bringing their own individual fan bases together, so that we can all celebrate, no matter what genre of music we like best. 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