Tuesday, November 28, 2006
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This blog will serve as a place to comment or to ask questions about personal experiences as parents of kids that participate in community and school sports. We will discuss rules, crazy parents that over react because their son or daughter doesn't get enough playing time or is not the starting shortstop/pitcher/point guard. We will also offer advice, address questions about why coaches make some of the decisions they do and try to make sense out of the "unwritten" politics of youth sports
About Me
- Team Mom
- I am the parent of three very athletically-minded kids and the wife of a very very athletically-minded husband (a.k.a. my fourth kid). We both currently coach our children in various community leagues and my husband also coaches girl's softball at the high school varsity level. As a lover of all sports, I have been a participant, coach, mother of players, and wife of coach. Whether I am on the field or sitting in the stands, I have heard and seen it all in regards to parental expectations and behavior of their children's participation in youth sporting activities.
Blog Archive
- November (11)
4 comments:
When Ben did not make his league's all star team because the coaches pulled all of the league officials and coaches kids it did not leave room on the team for some of the just regular players that were much better on the team. This was disputed by several coaches at the same and higher levels. But because the league will only take the the first list, and will not give any chance for changes before posting the list many kids were left behind for the political side of the league. It cost Ben a big heartbreak. In order for him to take his mind off things. We paid late fees and put him into a long church camp at the last minute. The camp focused on all kinds of sports except baseball. By pulling into the church Ben had the opportunity to gather support of kids his age that did not know him in baseball. At his age he is what he does, at least in his mind. We helped him try other sports (basketball, tennis, bowling, skateboarding, swimming, just to name a few) to show him he can be something besides baseball. We are not sport nuts in our home, but we give Ben healthy ways to better himself. His schooling is not the best so his selfesteem comes more from his activities. Even playing the violin helps keep him grounded to what is really important. You are who you are from the inside, not what you can do from the outside. This has strenghened Ben to do the right things not the easy things. He has grown to understand that no matter what you are O.K..
I have just ran a fabulous book by Brooke de Lench with a full chapter on the controversy over cutting. It is called Home Team Advantage: the critical role of mothers in youth sports. This lady knows her stuff and can really help in this topic,
I am so tired of all the"clicks" that consist of certain parents whose kids are the ones who are chosen.Also, a lot of these parents are coaches too. My son loves to pitch in baseball and I would say he is average, but consistant. He was so eager and willing to give his best, but most of the time he was picked over by the coaches son. Year after year, you can see that it beats down his confidence and enthusiasm and as a parent, you just tell him to keep his head high and too get use to it because this is the way it is unfortunately. Yes there are adults out there who do not set a good example as coaches and play favortism and stay within their "clicks". Today my daughter did not make the cheerleading squad. It was her first try out and she was so let down and of course the coaches daughters, and these two sisters who are their friends made the squad. My daughter read the list of names, she knows who made it. How do you explain that ? I want my kids to be involved in sports and activities, but this is the reason I don't a lot of the times.
My fifth grade son went to a tryout where 13 kids vied for 10 spots on a basketball team. The coaches (whose sons were 2 of the ten) ANNOUNCED the names in public right after the tryouts - the kids found out who made it by hearing their name! One kid left early before results, the other boy who didn't make it left the gym crying, and my son waited to cry till he got to the car. What is the matter with these people???? Can you think of a worse way to share this news?
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