jump to navigation

Mom, Are You A Fan or A Fanatic? April 5, 2008

Posted by Darrell in : Just For Mom, What was I Thinking , 3comments

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

These days I get a ton of questions about what is wrong with youth sports.  I think to honestly answer that question we need to find out why that question needs to be asked in the first place.  I don’t want this blog to become a soapbox for what’s wrong with sports today.  Yet I think it is a fair question any parent should ask themselves when deciding what extracurricular activities your child should participate in.  With that being said, let me ask you a few questions.

There is always a reason for playing sports.  The reason you want your child to play and the reason they want to play might not be the same.  But don’t let that keep you from encouraging them to participate anyway. If you understand what you want and what your child is looking for you will be more focused on finding a sport that is fun for them. 

The Answer to what is wrong with youth sports is…..

THE ADULTS.

Thats right you and me!!

Listen I am all for competition.  There probably isn’t a more competitive person than me.  Believe me when I say I am writing this to me as much as I am writing this for you.  As I spend more time listening to my kids than I do talking at my kids I realize to be an effective coach or just my kids biggest fan I need to get my priorities straight.

For some reason competition brings out the worst in some people.  You see good people act like fools and good kids lose their mind.  To be honest I don’t know if it will ever change.  I use to think it was just us guys trying to prove our manhood or trying to relive our lives through our kids. 

But over the last few years of coaching I have seen more and more MOMS go absolutely BONKERS in the crowd. I understand a mother’s instinct to protect their child and they should. 

BUT it can’t happen in the middle of a sporting event. 

I can hear you now. What!!! But it’s the truth.  When no one else in the world understands, kids want MOM to comfort and support them.

Thats why you have the toughest job in the world and the most rewarding.  Moms get to share experiences with their kids that us Dads will never get to.  

It has been my experience that my kids take coaching better from me than they do from their Mom.  They want Mom to tell them it is OK no matter whats happens in the game.

Hey I know its tough. 

So please share your experiences.  I think we all can learn from each other.

I look forward to hearing from you all soon.

God Bless,

Darrell

Role Models and Youth Sports March 19, 2008

Posted by Darrell in : What was I Thinking , 1 comment so far

This has always been an interesting topic to me.  Growing up in a rural community and being a huge St.Louis Cardinals fan it was easy to remember who my role models were. Even through the 70’s when the Cardinals weren’t very good you still rooted for the home team and you had your favorite players. 

But today with the constant barrage of negative publicity it has become harder for our children to find role models in the sports world.  From steroids, alcohol abuse, sex scandals and various other incidents athletes today seem to have grown numb to the idea that young athletes and fans look up to them.  A lot of today’s sports superstars don’t want to be accountable to the very people who have made them as famous as they are. 

As much as I would like to blame them for the downfall of our society it just isn’t true.

We (mom, dad, neighbor, grandparent, coach, friend) should be the role models for our kids, the neighbors kids and all the kids in every community.  It’s time we quit making excuses and stop blaming everybody else for what we should be doing.  Children are listening to whoever gives them the attention they are seeking.

ARE YOU GIVING THEM THE ATTENTION THEY ARE SEEKING?

Most of the time our children are a pure reflection of who we are.  Look at them closely, they act just like us.  Please take the time to be the role model in your child’s life. 

They aren’t looking for perfection, they just want to know you care.

Sports isn’t life, but the lessons we learn in sports can change our life.

So tell me…  Are you being a Role Model in any Child’s Life?

God Bless

Darrell