Just some 4am ramblings here......
DS is 9 and has been in T-Ball, Little League, Basketball, and (now) Football. For the most part, his coaches have been great. They have actually instructed the kids and losing was as much a part of the game as winning.
During the last football game (grades 4,5,& 6), the other team had an assistant coach that agitated. It was quite apparent that his primary goal was to insure playing time for his son. One of our players went out of bounds, into their bench, and this guy went wild, yelling that the play was not allowed in this league,....... yada yada, yada. The head coach tried to calm him down but the asst. actually went over to this elementary kid and pushed him back onto the field. We were all stunned! He pushed this kid hard in the chest.
He was immediately kicked off the field and both coaches united in their support of his removal. They also talked to the parent to let her know that this should never have happened (duh!) and what they were going to do about it all. Our coach happens to be the Elementary School Principal and this league is a school-sponsored league.
The kid's mom works for a child protective service agency and started quoting laws and such immediately. That (former) asst coach is really in for it now!
My ramblings on youth sports.......
We all see inappropriate coaches, mainly those that take the position just so that their kids can get better positions. In the past, we have resisted the urge to request certain coaches. I think that is now an issue with us. We want a coach that teaches the game and sportsmanship equally.
We don't want to be side-line coaches and DH's schedule doesn't permit him to fully participate as an asst. On the other hand, life isn't fair. We all have to learn to deal with inappropriate people/actions. DS will have lots of coaches but the time he graduates and needs to learn to deal with them. I just don't want a coach to hurt my DS, mentally or physically.
How do you teach your child to respect the position of a coach when the coach is not respectable? It is inevitable that he will have to put up with some crack-pot, just to stay in competitive sports at some time during his school career.
What do you guys do?
DS is 9 and has been in T-Ball, Little League, Basketball, and (now) Football. For the most part, his coaches have been great. They have actually instructed the kids and losing was as much a part of the game as winning.
During the last football game (grades 4,5,& 6), the other team had an assistant coach that agitated. It was quite apparent that his primary goal was to insure playing time for his son. One of our players went out of bounds, into their bench, and this guy went wild, yelling that the play was not allowed in this league,....... yada yada, yada. The head coach tried to calm him down but the asst. actually went over to this elementary kid and pushed him back onto the field. We were all stunned! He pushed this kid hard in the chest.
He was immediately kicked off the field and both coaches united in their support of his removal. They also talked to the parent to let her know that this should never have happened (duh!) and what they were going to do about it all. Our coach happens to be the Elementary School Principal and this league is a school-sponsored league.
The kid's mom works for a child protective service agency and started quoting laws and such immediately. That (former) asst coach is really in for it now!
My ramblings on youth sports.......
We all see inappropriate coaches, mainly those that take the position just so that their kids can get better positions. In the past, we have resisted the urge to request certain coaches. I think that is now an issue with us. We want a coach that teaches the game and sportsmanship equally.
We don't want to be side-line coaches and DH's schedule doesn't permit him to fully participate as an asst. On the other hand, life isn't fair. We all have to learn to deal with inappropriate people/actions. DS will have lots of coaches but the time he graduates and needs to learn to deal with them. I just don't want a coach to hurt my DS, mentally or physically.
How do you teach your child to respect the position of a coach when the coach is not respectable? It is inevitable that he will have to put up with some crack-pot, just to stay in competitive sports at some time during his school career.
What do you guys do?
