My son plays baseball, Little League Baseball, this is the third year of the Southeast Volusia Little League (SEVLL), they are based in Edgewater at Hawks Park. They have a great group of volunteers that make it possible for our local children to play Little League Baseball.Sounds great right? My son has been involved in competitive sports since he was 4. I have served on the board of a rec sports league in another state. I am always amazed by some of the things I hear at the games.
Parents are the best. Most parents are really good, they encourage the kids, cheer for both teams and generally make it a positive experience. But there are always a couple bad apples, it never fails, you get parents who don't like the coach, their kid does not play enough, they think the umps are lousy..blah, blah, blah......
This weekend I observed one coach being berated by a parent, he was pointing in his face, he was just plain abusive about the amount of playing time his child got. A mother of a child on the winning team sat right behind the backstop laughing about the losing team. Wow what a great example she is setting for her children. This is not the first time I have seen things like this and I am always amazed. This morning I heard one of our board members car was vandalized with dead fish. Are you kidding me?
This is Little League folks, kids baseball. These coaches and board members are VOLUNTEERS. VOLUNTEERS, let me say it again in case you missed it the first time. They are not getting paid to spend countless hours coaching your kids, some (most) of the kids they coach are not exactly major league material but they make the best of it and everyone plays. It is supposed to be fun. FUN. FUN. One more time FUN.
Everyone is doing the best they can and I am certain that not one of the whiners and complainers can do a better job. In fact, I suggest that those spending their time being negative and sometimes just mean get out there and volunteer to help, get on the board, coach a team. Do something positive.
The item below appears on the website of Harrisburg Youth Sports Association and Odell Rec Sports Association in North Carolina.
I'm just a volunteer.........." "I'm just one of those unpaid people who have spent many hours making sure your child has a safe, competitive place to play. I've sacrificed time with my own family to insure you can have quality time with yours. When your child shows up to play, I'm the one that made sure everything was ready. When you go home, I am the one who cleans up after you. I'm the one that organized the facilities, the equipment, the officials, your coaches and teammates, the parties, and the trophies. I cannot control the weather, the outcome of games, or the actions of individuals, yet I take the blame for everything that goes wrong. My job would not be so difficult if more people decided to volunteer. We need more hands, good ideas, strong workers, and leaders with vision. Instead of pointing out our problems, become part of the solution and volunteer today! " ~ Michael Hart, HYA
3 comments:
Love to see your page Rox ...you're a great mom, volunteer & friend...pitch counter too :)
My 11 yr old daughter signed up for soccer (12 & under group) through the city and ended up on a coed team with 13 and 14 yr olds because there wasn't enough registration. I found that not only were the older kids far more aggressive, but there were some coaches and parents that were also encouraging the kids to be agressive. Long story short, my daughter ended up in the hospital with a concussion after being kicked in the head by a 13-14 yr old boy almost twice her size after being tripped. I wish parents/coaches would realize that this is supposed to be FUN and would encourage their kids to be respectful and play competitively but fair.
That is terrible, I hope she is ok. I agree, sportsmanship and fun is more important than winning. They grow up fast enough, they should have fun now.
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