A post by a friend/parent of athlete has got me on my soapbox. Not b/c it upset me, but b/c it reminded me of how utterly ridiculous youth sports have become in the past 20+ years. Her post was about an 8 and under youth basketball team who had 1 coach ejected & another Td up for what I assume was arguing with officials. Or at least I hope it was just that. How do people put up with this nonsense? Why on earth are little league coaches arguing with officials to the point they get Td up or ejected? Little league sports, whether it be baseball, basketball, volleyball, football, soccer, etc etc, should serve 1 purpose: TO DEVELOP THE INTEREST & ATHLETIC ABILITY OF YOUTH ATHLETES!!! Im not saying every participant should get a ribbon or medal for playing. We play sports to compete; we play to win the games. But winning/losing comes a distant second TO DEVELOPING THE INTEREST & ATHLETIC ABILITY OF YOUTH ATHLETES!!! There are several reasons that kids burn out & lose interest in sports, but the number 1 reason is they stop having fun. And what is less fun for a youth athlete than being screamed at by a hyper competitive jack wagon of a coach whos living vicariously through those kids? I can think of nothing. What is fun about those athletes enduring their parents criticism when they dont make a play that their parents saw a college or pro athlete make on espn the night before? Again, nothing. Youth sports should instill responsibility, good work ethic, the ability to work in a team setting, and above all else, a sense of belonging & fun. Youth athletes shouldnt dread practicing or playing. They shouldnt be embarrassed by their screaming coaches or insane parents. They should be coached to play the game within the rules & to respect their opponents & the officials. They should be encouraged by their parents & told that theyre loved & their parents are proud of them, no matter what happens in the games. You might ask why does this Athletic Trainer think his opinion matter? Let me tell you why: your kid that has been coached by assholes in little league, who sat piss poor examples of how to act during games, will become a disrespectful, uncoachable little prick by the time they reach high school. I see it every day. Talented high school athletes whove learned over the years that they can do/say/act however they please, because coaches along the way, beginning with little league, allowed them to be little shits, instead of teaching them how to play the game the right way. I work with great coaches who battle the egos of those kids every day. Theyre forced to choose between talented athletes with piss poor attitudes, or mediocre kids with great attitudes. And at the high school level, its hard to keep talent on the bench when your job depends upon wins & losses. Thats where I come in. Im happy to teach your punkass kid how to be respectful. It makes my day when some wet-behind-the-ears, teenage dipshit cops an attitude with me in my ATR. Because then I lose my filter & let your kid know exactly how little worth they have in the grand scheme, & how unlikely they are to do anything athletically beyond high school. Is that mean? Sure. Is it sometimes cruel? Yes it is. But is it honest, truthful, & exactly what kids like that have needed for far too long? Why yes, yes it is. Ive worked at higher levels & chose to be at a high school because I genuinely care about athletes. Im not stuck here. But I damn sure make the most of teaching these kids life lessons every day. And Im happy to do what their youth league coaches didnt do, and what some parents choose not to do; and thats put everything into perspective & drop a large dose of truth & reality on them. Now back to how this problem can be fixed: parents, dont allow your children to play on youth league teams coached by people who scream, stomp their feet, rant & rave, etc. Talk to those coaches & ask them why they feel the need to act that way. If they wont evolve, then take your kid elsewhere. Its youth league...theyre playing to improve their skills & develop a love for the game, nothing else. In closing, I hope this is read by as many coaches & parents of athletes as possible. If you agree, then were on the same page. If you dont agree, then youre part of the growing problem in youth sports, which leads to problems farther up the chain & into college & pro sports. You dont think all of these college & pro athletes became the douchebags they are because they were coached the right way & made to be respectful, do you? No, they were coached by the people Ive ranted about in this post. Dont be the coach or parent who helps raise a douchebag.
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 15:26:43 +0000
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