Devon Berry, PhD, RN, is a nurse and a leader who has served in academic settings for over 10 years. Serving most recently as the executive associate dean at the OHSU School of Nursing in Portland, Oregon, he has also led as a Director, Executive Director, and Senior Consultant at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Earlier in his career, Dr. Berry functioned as both a nursing faculty member and nurse researcher at the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, OH. As a nursing leader, maintaining balance in life is a priority. One of the main ways Devon Berry accomplishes this is by spending time with his family as a husband and father. For many families, this means being involved in organized sports.
Sports play can play a large role in family life. In the U.S. three out of every four families have at least one child involved in sports. Some sources indicate that more than 45 million children play sports in the U.S. Given sports’ prominence in American life, finding opportunities that are appealing to different families and different children is not difficult. At times, the greatest challenge is deciding which sports to be involved in and limiting the amount of time committed to sporting activities.
Involvement in sports leads to many secondary benefits beyond the fun of participation. Many children learn teamwork, self-discipline, confidence, perseverance, and tolerance for discomfort. In addition, families get to experience the camaraderie that can form among the many diverse families that are often drawn by sports. All of this can lead to rich family time that offsets the stresses of the workplace and keeps the leader balanced in their mindset when approaching their work.
Devon Berry 