| When Tommy Boone was eight years old his dad | | | | blogs, etc.) that he could single handedly prevent an |
| installed a pull-up bar in the doorway of the bedroom | | | | entire Department from perishing if he really wanted to. |
| he shared with his brother. For a full year afterwards, | | | | The American Society of Exercise Physiologists |
| Mr. Boone encouraged his sons to develop the ability | | | | He's also the co-founder and the first President of the |
| to do more and more pull-ups. "But after the first year," | | | | American Society of Exercise Physiologists (the |
| Tommy said, "pull-ups became a regular habit for both | | | | ASEP) an international group of over 500 Exercise |
| of us. Every time we walked into the bedroom, and | | | | Physiologists who are dedicated to rescuing related |
| every time we walked out, we did a couple of pull-ups, | | | | research from the ivory tower, and translating it into |
| and to this day I'm still relatively strong for my age." | | | | hands-on practicality in order to be implemented by |
| Pull-ups Translate Into Gymnastics and Long Term | | | | real people, in real families, who reside on real streets |
| Fitness | | | | in real neighborhoods around the real world. |
| The pull-up habit that Mr. Boone instilled into his sons | | | | Boone Warns Against the Dangers of Groupthink... |
| helped the boys develop more and more upper body | | | | In an insightful essay entitled Too Much Groupthink |
| strength, and related sporting interests as they grew | | | | Leads to Conformity and Failure, Boone chronicled |
| into adulthood. "In my case," Tommy said, "the pull-up | | | | eight deadly sins of groupthink including mindguarding, |
| bar translated into an interest in gymnastics, which in | | | | stereotyping, self-censorship, rationalization, direct |
| turn led me to Northwestern Louisiana State University | | | | pressure, the illusion of unanimity, the illusion of morality, |
| where I competed as a gymnast for four years while | | | | and the illusion of invulnerability; all of which work |
| majoring in Physical Education." To be even more | | | | against the odds of finding real solutions to real |
| accurate, Tommy Boone was an All American | | | | problems (i.e., childhood obesity) in today's world. |
| Gymnast in 1966, and the pull-up bar his dad installed | | | | Groupthink can be a major obstacle to creative |
| when he was eight served as a guiding light. | | | | problem solving when hierarchies, budgets, and |
| Dad Was An Attorney, But... | | | | individuals who are all being paid to think conventionally, |
| Occupationally speaking, Boone's father was an | | | | come together and actively avoid getting to far out of |
| attorney as well as a State Senator who worked with | | | | their own respective comfort zones. |
| legendary populist icon Huey (the Kingfish) Long who | | | | Comfort Zones Need Not Apply |
| cast a lengthy shadow in Louisiana politics. "My dad | | | | In Boone's own words, "The ASEP is not an |
| always wanted me to go to law school and follow in | | | | organization for researchers who want to stay in their |
| his footsteps, so he was a little disappointed when I | | | | own comfort zone. Exercise Physiology in our eyes, is |
| first announced my intention to study Physical | | | | all about improving quality of life for people around the |
| Education and to coach," Boone said. | | | | world. If we fail to accomplish that, we're missing our |
| "On the other hand," he continued, "my dad was | | | | target." So hands on practicality is a quality that's |
| always keenly aware of, and sensitive to the | | | | woven deep into the bones of Dr. Tommy Boone, and |
| importance of physical strength and health, and the | | | | odds are all that was given a major league jump start |
| doorway pull-up bar is a great indicator of that | | | | back when his dad installed a simple doorway pull-up |
| recognition. In any case, after a couple of years into | | | | bar, and encouraged his sons to learn the hands on |
| my studies at Northwestern, Dad pulled me aside one | | | | lessons of value created by regular work over a |
| day and confessed that he'd reconsidered, and | | | | period of time. |
| thought I may be onto something interesting after all." | | | | Practical Advice for Today's Parents |
| From an Undergrad to a Ph.D. | | | | Speaking of bringing the research down to street level, |
| As it turned out, Mr. Boone's speculative insight turned | | | | we decided to ask Dr. Tommy Boone what kind of |
| out to be prophetic as fitness developed into a | | | | advice he could offer 21st century parents who are |
| full-fledged industry in the seventies and eighties. | | | | wrestling with the issues such as childhood obesity and |
| Tommy followed his own teaching and coaching | | | | fitness in the face of TV, video games, computers, |
| dreams, by finishing up his Masters at Northwestern, | | | | cars taking them everywhere, and Physical Education |
| and promptly took a teaching and coaching position at | | | | curriculum being cut faster than you can say No Child |
| Northeast Louisiana State University, in Monroe, LA, in | | | | Left Behind? He offered the following advice. |
| 1968, then, acquired a teaching position at the | | | | "The most important thing parents can ever do for kids |
| University of Florida in 1969. He stayed for two years, | | | | is to model the things that you want them to do. |
| but despite being encouraged to hang on to the job, | | | | Actions always speak louder than words," Boone said. |
| Boone transferred to Florida State University to pursue | | | | "If you want your kids to eat right, show them how by |
| a Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology. | | | | eating right yourself. If you want them to be physically |
| Leapfrogging Into the Future | | | | active then you'd better be ready to walk the |
| Leapfrogging into the future, Dr. Tommy Boone has | | | | walk...literally. If you want them to avoid tobacco, |
| covered lots of ground since those Florida days. | | | | alcohol and drugs, then set the right example yourself. |
| Currently, he Chairs the Department of Exercise | | | | If you say one thing and do another, you'll lose all your |
| Physiology at The St. Scholastica College in Duluth, MN | | | | credibility. And when parents lack credibility, we all lose. |
| where he has been since 1993-94. He has also been | | | | It's about that simple," he added. |
| published so many times (articles, books, web sites, | | | | |