One of my favorite bloggers has shared another great story. This one reminded me a little bit of the feelings I shared in Jupiter Effect I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
One of those little league seasons when I was a kid , Bobby Devinney and I sat the entire time on the bench . By the end of the game , if our team was either winning or losing by a bunch , the coach would put Bobby and/or me out there in right field for the last inning . Often it happened to be the last half of the last inning . Big deal , eh ?
It was the old worst- case scenario of Little League coaching . The coach’s son was a pretty good athlete , but he was also a loud-mouthed arrogant jerk . He was the team star and his buddies played every inning of every game . Sort of a sports version of the spoils system . 
Neither Bobby nor I were friends of the coach’s son , and we were quiet boys …
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Luckily my kids had good coaches; however, the coaches who we played who had ‘winning is everything’ attitudes just ruined it for everyone. I feel for those kids who warmed the bench…
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I’m glad your kids had good coaches, it makes a world of difference. So few kids are going to have a career of any sort in any sport. The most important lessons are teamwork , respect and sportsmanship. when the coaches don’t exhibit those attributes, you’re exactly right, they ruin it for everyone.
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Finding a good coach seems so difficult sometimes… especially when you read on the news again and again that they caught a pedophile that was a kids coach, my blood boils!
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I hear such a range of stories. One thing that surprises me is the number of good coaches who quit because the parents want the team to win more than they want the kids to have fun.
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Unlike football that I don’t understand, I like baseball for the ambiance and … the outfit (the French speaking here). But the story you share is too sad! Things like that happen in all sorts of sports and other after school activities. Adults should see more than the winning aspect. Kids can easily be discouraged and get bitter when stuck on the sidelines.
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I shared Dan’s story with the hope of raising the awareness of the message you offered here, even if just a little bit Evelyne. I’ve seen coaches for Midget Football in our neighborhood yelling at little kids as if they were preparing for the Super Bowl. Adults should be trusted to nurture skills, keep these kids safe and make sure they emerge better off for the experience. They don’t all need to get a medal, but they all should be allowed to play. Unfortunately, too many adults are living out their own unfulfilled dreams at the expense of children.
Since you brought it up, do you follow any particular team in baseball?
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I don’t get crazy about baseball but I like it when The Giants and the Red Socks win!
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I don’t blame the kid one bit. Funny how it’s the kids that are supposed to be learning lessons, and yet it was the adult who got schooled in this situation. Big time. And the kid learned a valuable lesson about the unfairness of life and how you just have to deal with it. Glad that he took a stand. I don’t know, but I’m guessing it was beneficial to both him and the coach in the long run.
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I agree Paul. I’ve seen some coaches who are ‘win at any cost’ but I think eventually they get the message. Parents, on the other hand, don’t impress me as much.
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