Monday, October 3, 2011
Cara:Be A Sport
Posted by
Cara
I have complained before about youth sports. It's never the kids, they are always good. It's always the adults behaving poorly.
I was reluctantly going along with Mike playing football. I was nervous about the roughness of it, things I heard about the coach, and to tell the truth his self esteem.
After a not so pleasant experience with another sport, and coaching that I, let's just say didn't agree with, I had a lot of damage control to do. It will never cease to amaze me how not matter what we do to build our kids up (by that I don't mean telling them they are better than everyone) sometimes all it takes is words/actions from someone else to knock them down.
So putting myanger feelings aside I have been trying like hell to build him back up. Lessons were learned. We have talked about "things" til the cows came home. I have had to let him in on some adult things that a little boy should not have to know, particularly about how adults he liked or respected are not what we thought they were. That was probably the hardest lesson to learn. Maybe for both of us.
So when football season rolled around let's just say I wasn't too excited. It seemed like it was going to be deja vu. And I wasn't in the mood honestly. I decided to go into to it with a smile and expect the worst and hope for the best.
I am happy to report I do have a renewed faith in youth sports and my adult peers. After several weeks in, my little athlete has learned: team work, the importance of practice and listening to the coach, how it's important to eat right and get in shape for your sport. His self esteem is through the roof. He is retaught if he doesn't get something right. He is praised when he does. He is made to feel like he is important to his team and that he matters. He gets phone calls from coaches after a game to tell him "great job!"
I am not looking for my kid to be the superstar. I am not looking for him to get any special treatment. I thought maybe there was something wrong with me for awhile just wanting my kid to learn to play the sport he loves, learn teamwork with some positive reinforcement. I am happy to report this time I am not nuts. He should get all those things. And when they do, well it's a whole different ball game. "(pardon the pun)
I am sure in what seems will be the long haul as a "sports mom" I will encounter some more of the less pleasant side of sports as he moves on. But for now I am glad we got a little taste of good so we know all is not lost.
I was reluctantly going along with Mike playing football. I was nervous about the roughness of it, things I heard about the coach, and to tell the truth his self esteem.
After a not so pleasant experience with another sport, and coaching that I, let's just say didn't agree with, I had a lot of damage control to do. It will never cease to amaze me how not matter what we do to build our kids up (by that I don't mean telling them they are better than everyone) sometimes all it takes is words/actions from someone else to knock them down.
So putting my
So when football season rolled around let's just say I wasn't too excited. It seemed like it was going to be deja vu. And I wasn't in the mood honestly. I decided to go into to it with a smile and expect the worst and hope for the best.
I am happy to report I do have a renewed faith in youth sports and my adult peers. After several weeks in, my little athlete has learned: team work, the importance of practice and listening to the coach, how it's important to eat right and get in shape for your sport. His self esteem is through the roof. He is retaught if he doesn't get something right. He is praised when he does. He is made to feel like he is important to his team and that he matters. He gets phone calls from coaches after a game to tell him "great job!"
I am not looking for my kid to be the superstar. I am not looking for him to get any special treatment. I thought maybe there was something wrong with me for awhile just wanting my kid to learn to play the sport he loves, learn teamwork with some positive reinforcement. I am happy to report this time I am not nuts. He should get all those things. And when they do, well it's a whole different ball game. "(pardon the pun)
I am sure in what seems will be the long haul as a "sports mom" I will encounter some more of the less pleasant side of sports as he moves on. But for now I am glad we got a little taste of good so we know all is not lost.
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