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3. - Posted July 15, 2009 9:53AM
mykidsmom106
I want to say thank you to whoever posted the "Two Choices" story. But unfortunately we are living in a society where too often the meaning of youth sports is lost. It is often the adults (coaches/parents) that forget the true meaning and positive things like friendship, sportsmanship, hard work, leadership and learning to win and lose with dignity. Maybe we should just let the kids play and there would be more Shay Days.
But adults always know what is best, right? Organization of our games by them became far more important than our mere pickup games. Kids became highly organized into teams and leagues and it all got really serious. Couldn't play without uniforms, umpires and of course parent-coaches. And winning became really important along with all-star teams. Somehow these games were not nearly as much fun as those we organized on Mr. Wilson's vacant lot. Now we are having serious practice three days a week and play games three days. We are getting yelled at and it seems Mom never fixes dinner anymore. My friend, James isn't very good but we always found a spot for him in our games. Now he sits on the bench and never plays. He also doesn't laugh as much as he once did.
My younger sister has started playing softball. Mom tells Dad that with all the practices and games all over town, she needs a new car - a minivan. I never really liked the green beans or cooked carrots that Mom would serve us at dinner, but McDonald hamburgers and pizza eaten in the car are getting pretty old. We get coached on the field and now when I get home after a game, my Dad feels he should go over every play and tell me what I did wrong. When playing on Mr. Wilson's lot he never knew when I messed up and no one really cared. We always just had a good laugh when somebody screwed up. No big deal.
At our game last Tuesday, our left fielder, Eric, threw the ball to the wrong base after a hit by the other team. It allowed them to score a run. Our coach, Tommy's father, and people in the bleachers started yelling at Eric. He started to cry. It all sort of frightened me too. Later Tommy's father started yelling at the umpire and then he and the other team's coach yelled at each other. That all made me very nervous. I have decided this is not very much fun. Adults tell my Dad that I am a future high school star, but I think I will give up baseball after this summer. I also think my Mom was much happier before my sister and I started playing on real teams. She seems to be tired all the time and she never takes us on picnics or to the zoo any more. She and my Dad argue about how much it costs for us to play and how tired she is of washing our uniforms three times a week. Mr. Wlison sold his lot to someone and they are building a house on it. Why do I have to grow up?
If you are a parent/coach, ask yourself some questions: Have I ever called in sick or lied to my boss to miss work in order to see my kid's game? Is my mood based on the outcome of these games? MUCH WORSE: Am I guilty of withholding physical or emotional affection from my child if they don't perform well? Do I tease, put down or avoid speaking to them? Do I make comments (in front of my children) about how bad the coach is when the team loses?
A Pennsylvania policeman gave a young pitcher $2 to hit a fellow 10-year-old with a fastball during a game.
We are all aware of the hockey father in Reading, Mass. who beat another Dad to death when an argument between the two erupted.
A dentist in Albuquerque, MN, sharpened the facemask of his son's football helmet so he could slash opposing players. Five players and a referee were hurt.
There are horror stories about youth sports parents/coaches all over America every day. What are we teaching the kids? |
2. - Posted July 7, 2009 12:42PM
Coaches4Kids
Two Choices
What would you do? You make the choice. My question is: Would you have made the same choice?
At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection..
Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do.He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?' The audience was stilled by the query.
The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay,who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes
in the way other people treat that child.' Then he told the following story: Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?'
I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.' Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.
In the top of the ninth in ning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again..
Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.
At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?
Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball. However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball
in softly so Shay could at least make contact.
The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed.
The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay...
As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow gr ound ball right back to the pitcher.
The game would now be over.
The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily
thrown the ball to the first baseman.
Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game. Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.
By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball . the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team.
He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head.
Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.
All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third! Shay, run to third!'
As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!'
Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team
'That day', said20the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'
Shay didn't make it to another summer.
He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy,and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.. |
1. - Posted July 7, 2009 6:41AM
cm_web
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