It’s the same in every sport and other activities like cheer
by 801stlouis (2019-06-21 10:07:44)

In reply to: More on youth baseball ...  posted by BIGSKYND

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If competition is involved, there are going to be situations where people behave poorly. It’s not really anything new either, and it’s not specific to kid sports. Are there people behaving badly in competitive business situations? You better believe it.

Organized kid sports have only been in existence since around the end of WW2. People act like George Washington used a Louisville Slugger to chop down his cherry tree. They also act like youth sports were some bastion of purity until 10 years ago (or more likely when they became parents of kids who were now participating). It hasn’t changed much, we all just have so much more information shoved into our face that makes us think it was so much better before people got crazy.

My parents bit the bullet and bought me a pair of Dr J converse hi-tops in 197whatever when it probably meant the family couldn’t go out to Shakey’s Pizza that week because of it. My parents believed in competition through organized sports and all the good and bad that come from it. I’m a better person today for having experienced the winning and the losing and the witnessing of the good and bad behavior of coaches, parents, players, referees and bystanders.

If you don’t like it, then either get more involved and change it or quit (as this guy and his kid have chosen to do). Have your kid take up golf, as one of mine chose to do when he decided to quit organized team sports at 14. You will still find parents behaving poorly in junior golf tournaments, but probably less so than baseball.

I just get a little tired of the whining of guys like this. Life isn’t fair...why should kid sports be fair. If you think it’s over the top, get your kid to take up the french horn. I’m sure the parental behavior at music recitals is splendid.

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