Parents

I know that it has been awhile since my last post. I have been back at work for two weeks now. As I sit and relax on this Friday night before our Softball team's first games tomorrow my thoughts turn to going to watch their first game at 8:30am.(Yawn!!!). I truly enjoy sitting in a lawn chair and enjoying kids playing ball.
This summer a lot of my time in a lawn chair was sitting enjoying my own sons Baseball games. It is one of the most excruciating things that an old coach can do. Even though the majority of my career was as a Football coach, I did coach some Baseball. The hardest thing in the world is to sit and not "morph" into a yeller. It is the one of the greatest challenges that I am sure that I will encounter as a dad. In retrospect, I should enjoy watching my kid progress and learn about the various sports that he participates in. It is only natural for you to want your kid to do as well as he possibly can. I can't think of a parent alive that doesn't feel that way. I do think that there is an awful fine line between wanting that success and then actually being embarrassed that your son, or daughter is not the best kid on their team, or on the field. I think in retrospect the best thing that you can do for your athletes is to be a constant encourager and to remain in an advisory role.
I have seen hundreds of parents who have hung on fences and paced and screamed tips and "coached" their kids from the sidelines. In essence, they were probably discouraging their son, or daughter from truly developing a love for the game that they started participating in for the true fun aspect. The toughest thing for a parent is to see their kid "fail". It is a bit of true compassion, but also a bit embarrassing.
Thus, many excuses come about. Many reasons why this may have happened. Many reasons why that happened. This transfers to the student-athlete when they get home, or worse yet, while mom, or dad are leaning over the dugout fence during the respective contest. Kids need to learn to accept responsibility. There will be failures! It's how you deal with those failures and what you do to get better that is the another great lesson learned from interscholastic competition. The best analogy that I can draw is that of the mother bird who pushes her young out of the nest teaching them to fail. Sometimes that needs to happen, eventually the bird and our young athlete will take-off and fly!
So, as we start another school year, enjoy your kids. Appreciate their coaches, appreciate their teammates and most of all appreciate that they are able to participate in games and learn lessons that will help them. They will fail. Be quick to offer them support and constructive suggestions, not excuses to overcome their mistakes. I am looking forward to a great fall and will stay in touch and share some of the things that I encounter along the way. Enjoy the games!!!