Stop the Madness

This post has been cooking at the back of my mind since the tournament Sunday.  The behavior I witnessed there has me stewing over a problem that we will all come up against if our children play any kind of competitive sports.  There is an appalling lack of good sportsmanship and common sense present in youth sports.  This is something that I've been aware of for a while now and it really bugs me.  When did it become okay for a coach to curse out an umpire?  When did it become okay for players to deliberately try to injure a player from an opposing team?  When did it become okay for a parent to throw things from the stands?   When did winning become so important that it becomes okay to do whatever it takes to win a game, even if it means cheating?  The answer to all of these questions is it becomes okay when we allow it to be okay.  When parents sit by and allow their children to be coached by a less than stellar coach, they are silently giving their permission for their child to be taught that cheating and playing dirty are more important than playing with class and good sportsmanship.  When a coach or parent does not model good sportsmanship and a positive attitude toward competition, kids will follow suit because they are not being taught any better.  On the flip side, I firmly believe that if a parents and coaches do model these traits, kids will, too.  It's a classic case of kids learning by example.   It start with parents.  We need to model these trait ourselves, and we need to make sure that the people coaching our children are doing the same.  Perhaps if parents started removing their kids from teams with bad coaches, the message would start to seep in.  I know there are great coaches are out there.  J plays for a great coach now.  Sadly, there are just as many not so great coaches out there.  So be aware the next time you sign your child up for a sport.  Don't accept anything less than the best.  After all, this person will be a role model for your child.  Make sure they're a positive one.