King Richard is in Search of The Williams Sisters
How a splendid movie can launch a new approach to the culture of youth sports
There was a movie released in 1993 called Searching for Bobby Fischer. It is rife with symbolism of the growing phenomena of the overwrought prevalence of youth sports and the overbearing parents on the sidelines. The Steven Zaillian-directed film centers on a young chess-playing prodigy and the tugging and pushing of those around him. It is those characters, the mother, father, hired coaches, and friends, that should be protecting the young chess player, Josh, and yet they seem to be the ones doing the most damage to the child’s psyche.
I couldn’t help but be reminded of this film as I was watching the brilliant “King Richard” on HBO Max. In an “I can’t believe it will be his first Oscar” performance for Will Smith, the star channels a time, place, and feeling of a dotting parent with a plan. Smith’s performance is more a dead-on portrayal of a real person. Especially when compared to the fictional character played by Joe Mantegna in Searching. In that role, the overbearing father lacked self-awareness of the impact on his impressionable son. Richard Williams, for all his faults, knew exactly what he was doing. It should also be an educational tool for vicarious parents throughout the youth sporting world.
The story of Josh in Searching, leans in heavy on the influence adults have on a child who possesses a certain mastery of a skill. Be it chess, tennis, or any sport or instrument, a child’s initial interest is so often convoluted by adults who immediately have visions of national championships and Carnegie Hall appearances. From that moment of realization that your child might be someone special, a vast majority of parents kick into a singular focus mode at the expense of their child’s personal feelings.
A general need to provide the opportunity for them to blossom begins to take over and even level-headed individuals turn into single-minded vipers seeking superstardom for their child regardless of their offspring’s own desires. This tends to create burnout at the very least and far worse outcomes in many cases. It’s a phenomenon that appears to be bookended by these two movies. King Richard is a success story whereas Searching was a harbinger. They can be seen as a “How to” and a How Not To” do it.
Shortly after Searching came out, I was attending a T-ball game being played by kindergarteners. The atmosphere was jubilant for the most part as a large section of fans that had gathered were enjoying the beautiful sun-filled afternoon, while they had a break from tending to their children who were participating in nothing more than supervised play. However, there was one father that thought it was so much more. Verbally and physically he emphasized to his child and some of the other kids playing the urgency of the moment. He was trying to stress the attention needed to succeed in the game. My friend Rosie seated next to me just said “He is in search of Bobby Fischer.” I knew what he meant right away. It was a keen observation of the time. Bobby Fischer, the American-born Grandmaster chess player who shocked the world with his brilliance, was a symbol of a youth prodigy who succeeded behind one's imagination. For a generation of Boomer parents, he symbolized what was possible for their own superstars. Starting at the tender age of five years olds.
It might have been art imitating life or the other way around but for those involved in child-rearing between that 1993 movie and today, searching for Bobby Fischer was an innate sickness that clouded the value of youth sports. Parents put undue pressure on the youngest of psyches while hoping that their pressure and attention would create the next American hero. For most of us, it was a losing battle. Adults’ singular focus on a child and his or her innate talent was often times overexposed and turned into a divisive stake driven between parents and child versus bonding them.
That’s the lesson that hopefully comes out of King Richard. A more tactile approach may be warranted. The Williams’ sisters' success is unparalleled in all of sport. Certainly in tennis where their records are confounding. Take the Serena Slam in 2002. The younger Williams won the four Grand Slam events in a row. Her opponent in EVERY final was her sister Venus. Enough said. The interesting and thought-provoking point made in King Richard regarding their success was the plan and the execution by their father Richard.
It’s potentially a model of what hopefully future parents will take heed. This movie is an obvious love letter from the Williams sisters to their father. His oftentimes harsh personality, as the sporting press likes to harbor on, is softened in this movie to a man possessed alright, but possessed for all the right reasons. He sees tennis for his girls as a way out. A chance to escape the downtrodden and crime-ridden ghetto. He sees the future clairvoyantly according to the script and he knows the commitment of all that it will take. And as far-fetched as his dreams appear on the surface, he sees the reality of their execution. It can not be a singular drive to perfection, but rather a measured approach with lessons along the way. I am hopeful this becomes the new way for parents to act on the sidelines of their kid’s lives.
I know this isn’t much of a review of the movie King Richard itself; however, that’s not the point of the essay. Let it be said this is an engaging movie with spectacular acting. One of the hardest acting jobs I believe is to portray real people who are still with us and have played such an integral role in the public sphere that we feel we know their mannerisms and personalities. Think Impeachment: American Crime Story and how well Edie Falco, in a limited role, handles Hillary Clinton and how much depth Beanie Feldstein brings to the Monica Lewinsky role. All those feats are more than duplicated here in a story of a famous family. Let it be said, the movie is well worth viewing. In fact my friend Anne said, “I just wished it keep going on and on.” Which is about the best review I could ever give it.
The point I’m trying to make is a generation of kids grew up playing sports or blowing into instruments for countless hours. Parents along the sidelines or in green rooms constantly prodded them verbally and sometimes physically into pursuits they maybe were not so well adjusted for. King Richard shows us another approach. Sure you can run them ragged through drills and practicing in the rain as long as it is complemented by a general caring for their well-being, a positive mission for their success, and always a deep sense of safety for the child both physically and mentally. King Richard displays a dedication to all those ends and his kids reward him with loyalty and unsurpassed success in sports, business, and life.
We should all be so engaged as we search for our children’s success and try to teach them well.
