I coached a girl's youth basketball team a few years back and I must say we were really good. As a matter of fact we went undefeated...not that we were keeping score...wink wink! I really enjoyed getting to know the young athletes; they were easy to coach and really mastered the fundamentals. We moved the ball on offense always hitting the open player. On defense we swarmed the point guard and created massive turnovers. There was only one aspect of youth athletics I didn't enjoy...the parents!
The parents of at least half of all youth athletes are living vicariously through them! They are willing to put them on travel teams, drive all over the place, and pay top dollar for private coaching. Paying for coaching for children...with no guarantee of success. If you're lucky they will make their high school squad. Parents are aiming for that ever elusive college scholarship.
I understand investing in your children and wanting them to be successful. I understand getting coaching and hoping that it all pays off in some monetary way down the road. But I really hope that these parents take the child's wants into consideration. This isn't about your frustrated youth sports career; it's about your child...having fun and enjoying the sport they love. Don't forget that!!
this is kinda an interesting subject for me...i've played, coached, and given private lessons in the sport of softball...i've watched numerous games from the sidelines with no ties to anyone on either team and i have to tell you...parents are straight up terrible!! from what i've seen--there are 3 different kinds...you have the parents that are there for the kid only...they support the coaching staff and the other members of the team...they're cool :) you have the parents that are so busy kissing your ass to get their daughter more playing time...they're alright---pretty harmless...except when they try to talk smack about another girl or her parents...then there are the kind---and everybody has seen them...nasty nasty nasty...yelling at the coach...yelling at other players...yelling at their own kid (eh--sideline coaching) nevermind the umps...they get absolutely no respect..i could go on and on...point is...this is not how you need to raise your children...and these parents wonder why their kid has issues later on in life.....
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