Quote:
Originally Posted by PilotMan
When did winning become more important than raising your kids?
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Sadly it has been that way for a long time. It just gets more exposure now because everyone has a part time TMZ gig with their iphones.
I have been in coaching since '87 and there are incidents scattered throughout that entire time.
1-Officials getting punched by parents
2-Coaches and officials going at each other and then parents getting involved
3-A family coming on the field because their kid get hit too hard trying to start fights (I actually coached that game and the and had a one of them square up on me)
4-A parent went after one of my assistants because he thought he celebrated his kid getting hurt (Not true)
5-Full scale brawl at a Junior Jazz Basketball game (I was working security at that game - Which why would you need security for a fucking 10 year old Hoops game in a rec league?)
Beyond more serious stuff like that, untold numbers of verbal BS including racial slurs, threats of violence and throwing rocks. It seems worse at the younger levels where you have parents who are more out of touch with their kids abilities and/or the purpose of sports at that point in time. Which is learning the game and having a good experience.
By the time we get kids in High School things are considerably better in terms of physical confrontations involving parents, for several reasons IMO.
1-People have matured and put sports in a more appropriate perspective.
2-Parents who are over the top often drive their kids away from sports and those kids have quit playing by the time they get to High School.
3-These parents lose interest because they realize they are not going to see their dreams fulfilled through their kids. So they check out, quit coming to games, etc.
4-The modus operandi evolves with some parents becoming totally centered on their kids getting stats/schollies. So now they are more subversive, shopping their kids to different schools, focusing more on showcase camps than game results, etc. So instead of being disruptive during games they transition their disruption behind the scenes
And in terms of the crowd that feels not enough emphasis is placed on winning in youth sports anymore, which results in a kids growing up soft and entitled. Bullshit! You can instill character and toughness in kids without focusing on winning games. Demanding commitment, hard work, in game effort, execution and perseverance gives kids these attributes more than a fucking score.
I have rarely ever mentioned winning games over 30+ years of coaching football because those things take care of themselves if you put in the work. I coach to win, expect kids to play to win, but never use winning to define success. I want to see a kid 10-15 years down the road who is a good husband, father and citizen. Who despite a 4-6 record his senior year was molded by his time in sports by things that aren't learned in a win at all costs environment. I would much rather have the latter then go 10-0 with a team of superstars, that we let get away with murder because they are talented, instead of holding them accountable and building men. Just to get the dub.
And yes, I know there are plenty of coaches that do care about winning at all costs. That have different rules for different talents levels. Who allow the me attitude to fester because they cater to entitled parents and athletes because they look good in the end. Fuck them just as much as parents like the clowns in this video.
And I close with this disclaimer. These parents, thankfully are still the exception. The good, supportive parents far outweigh the idiots, but of course shit like this always gets the publicity.