This story sort of makes me glad our 4 kids got out of school when they did. Overall we had good experiences through youth soccer, volleyball, basketball, baseball and track & field. My kids and us knew they were not going on to college sports except for intramurals but it was about teamwork and seeing the benefit of hard work. Two stori…
This story sort of makes me glad our 4 kids got out of school when they did. Overall we had good experiences through youth soccer, volleyball, basketball, baseball and track & field. My kids and us knew they were not going on to college sports except for intramurals but it was about teamwork and seeing the benefit of hard work. Two stories that are now funny:
- I once had to fill in for a soccer referee who didn’t show for the next U-7 game after coaching my team’s game. I gave a kid a yellow card for a very hard slide tackle into the goalie, which was not allowed at this level (nor was a red card allowed). The offender’s mother started swearing and yelling at me, by then the head referee of the league had showed up and said it was the right call. After the game, the mom followed me to the parking lot, swearing all sorts of foul words at me and my six-year-old daughter. Fortunately, we can laugh about it now, ha ha.
- At a CYO basketball game while sitting next to parents from the other school. A dad started yelling swear words at the youth referee who did not hear him. I said to the dad, “Do you realize we are in a church building and you’re using that kind of language?” I was half expecting a fight, but to the man’s credit, he apologized to me and everyone sitting around him for the language and anger. Sometimes it takes some of us to stand up and say something instead of just ignoring bad behavior.
Thanks for the article, John, another good one with good thoughts
Karl, I believe the word you are looking for is adversity. One of the great lessons from playing youth/ hs sports is how you deal with adversity. There will always be calls that go against you, there will always be coaches decisions that you disagree with. How do you deal with the adversity?
If you don't have the tools to deal with it at a youth sports contest, how are you going to deal with it as an adult when the consequences (say who gets a promotion) are much larger?
“Adversity” is a good addition to learning teamwork and the benefits of hard work, (and in sports the payback of hard work was more immediate than in a classroom when you had to wait until the end of the grading term)
This story sort of makes me glad our 4 kids got out of school when they did. Overall we had good experiences through youth soccer, volleyball, basketball, baseball and track & field. My kids and us knew they were not going on to college sports except for intramurals but it was about teamwork and seeing the benefit of hard work. Two stories that are now funny:
- I once had to fill in for a soccer referee who didn’t show for the next U-7 game after coaching my team’s game. I gave a kid a yellow card for a very hard slide tackle into the goalie, which was not allowed at this level (nor was a red card allowed). The offender’s mother started swearing and yelling at me, by then the head referee of the league had showed up and said it was the right call. After the game, the mom followed me to the parking lot, swearing all sorts of foul words at me and my six-year-old daughter. Fortunately, we can laugh about it now, ha ha.
- At a CYO basketball game while sitting next to parents from the other school. A dad started yelling swear words at the youth referee who did not hear him. I said to the dad, “Do you realize we are in a church building and you’re using that kind of language?” I was half expecting a fight, but to the man’s credit, he apologized to me and everyone sitting around him for the language and anger. Sometimes it takes some of us to stand up and say something instead of just ignoring bad behavior.
Thanks for the article, John, another good one with good thoughts
It's getting worse...
Karl, I believe the word you are looking for is adversity. One of the great lessons from playing youth/ hs sports is how you deal with adversity. There will always be calls that go against you, there will always be coaches decisions that you disagree with. How do you deal with the adversity?
If you don't have the tools to deal with it at a youth sports contest, how are you going to deal with it as an adult when the consequences (say who gets a promotion) are much larger?
“Adversity” is a good addition to learning teamwork and the benefits of hard work, (and in sports the payback of hard work was more immediate than in a classroom when you had to wait until the end of the grading term)
100% agree. Hard work, dedication, self sacrifice, team work. learning to deal with adversity/ disappoint, etc. List is in no particular order.