Stop forcing your kids to play team sports

[Anonymous]

Unless you're actually going to parent them about being a good teammate. When your kid is out there screwing around and derailing practices and games no matter what the coach does and you sit on the sidelines looking on disinterestedly, your kid is ruining for everyone else and all you're doing is confirming for him that it's okay to be a selfish, shitty teammate. Man up and parent or let them quit.

[Anonymous]

I couldn't agree more. I am always surprised by the parents that sit on the sidelines and watch their kids be awful.
I get that parents don't want to interfere with the coach. However, after I ask the kid twice to stop and the kid continues, then get up off your butt and stop looking at your phone and deal with your kid. I have had this happen SO many times as a coach.

[Anonymous]

Also, if the coach calls out your kid for not paying attention, distracting other players, etc., don't bad mouth him or her to the other team parents or complain that your child is being picked on. The amount of abuse that these volunteer coaches take from whiny parents is disgusting.

[Anonymous]

There is a 9 year old on my son's baseball team (kids are 9 and 10) who is absolutely terrified of getting hit by the ball. He stands in the back corner of the box and as soon as the pitcher releases the ball he backs out. He looks terrified and miserable. His first 20 at bats he never even swung the bat. He finally swung once with his eyes closed after his dad promised him $20 to swing. I heard his dad talking about signing him up again next year because this is the only sport he plays. Why, just why?

[Anonymous]

There’s a kid on my sons soccer team who shows up to practice in jeans and basically just picks grass all the time. I have no idea why he’s there or why his parents think it’s a good experience for him. It’s really sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s a kid on my sons soccer team who shows up to practice in jeans and basically just picks grass all the time. I have no idea why he’s there or why his parents think it’s a good experience for him. It’s really sad.

So you would prefer for them to have a son that does not play sports?

[Anonymous]

Pathetic. Theres a kid on my daughter's team who constantly cries and runs to the sideline to her disinterested babysitter derailing practice for 15 minutes. WHY?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is a 9 year old on my son's baseball team (kids are 9 and 10) who is absolutely terrified of getting hit by the ball. He stands in the back corner of the box and as soon as the pitcher releases the ball he backs out. He looks terrified and miserable. His first 20 at bats he never even swung the bat. He finally swung once with his eyes closed after his dad promised him $20 to swing. I heard his dad talking about signing him up again next year because this is the only sport he plays. Why, just why?

They're 9. They're learning. Sounds like he's made progress. I agree that parents should do something if their kid is misbehaving (what the pp describes is not that) but I disagree that kids who don't have it all together at 9 shouldn't even be there. Geesh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I couldn't agree more. I am always surprised by the parents that sit on the sidelines and watch their kids be awful.
I get that parents don't want to interfere with the coach. However, after I ask the kid twice to stop and the kid continues, then get up off your butt and stop looking at your phone and deal with your kid. I have had this happen SO many times as a coach.

As a parent, I honestly don't know if i'm supposed to undermine your authority by stepping in. Luckily my kid is pretty rule-bound. I once saw a kid come (with tears) to his parent and told his father that the coach asked him to step off
the field for 5 minutes and come tell dad he needed a break because he wasn't listening. I thought that was a pretty effective technique.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, if the coach calls out your kid for not paying attention, distracting other players, etc., don't bad mouth him or her to the other team parents or complain that your child is being picked on. The amount of abuse that these volunteer coaches take from whiny parents is disgusting.

+1 I have seen a parent be abusive to a coach, threaten with lawsuits, all because the coach called out their son's bad behavior in private. The coaches that we know are all parent volunteers. I really felt badly for this one coach because a parent was threatening this coach with a lawsuit -- the parent is a lawyer. I'm grateful for these volunteers because the bully parents or uninvolved ones certainly wouldn't step up to volunteer.

My son is hardly the best player on the team.. actually, probably the worst. But we make sure he cooperates and tries, that regardless of the fact that he's not a good player, his teammates still depend on him for something. It helps that some of his teammates are really nice to him even though he's not that good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s a kid on my sons soccer team who shows up to practice in jeans and basically just picks grass all the time. I have no idea why he’s there or why his parents think it’s a good experience for him. It’s really sad.

So you would prefer for them to have a son that does not play sports?

There are dozens of things that kids can take an interest in. It sports does not interest them, it does not interest them. Focus on what does interest them.

[Anonymous]

I just pulled my 6 year old from an activity that he wasn't enjoying and wasn't getting anything out of. He explained why he didn't like it and his reasons made sense. What is the point of forcing a child to do something (which is supposed to be fun) that makes him miserable?

Sometimes you have to stick it out but if your child hates baseball or soccer or whatever, take the time to find a healthy activity that he or she doesn't hate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a 9 year old on my son's baseball team (kids are 9 and 10) who is absolutely terrified of getting hit by the ball. He stands in the back corner of the box and as soon as the pitcher releases the ball he backs out. He looks terrified and miserable. His first 20 at bats he never even swung the bat. He finally swung once with his eyes closed after his dad promised him $20 to swing. I heard his dad talking about signing him up again next year because this is the only sport he plays. Why, just why?

They're 9. They're learning. Sounds like he's made progress. I agree that parents should do something if their kid is misbehaving (what the pp describes is not that) but I disagree that kids who don't have it all together at 9 shouldn't even be there. Geesh.

The kid hasn't made progress, his fear is cemented in now. Last game the umpire had to repeatedly tell him to keep both feet in the batters box because he tried to put one for outside to start with. The kid shouldn't be playing baseball. Maybe golf would be a better sport for him since the ball doesn't move. I think the parent is torturing his kid who clearly doesn't want to play baseball. If it were the first games of the season it would be one thing but the season is ending where we live. I have a fear of horses. I took 3 lessons and every lesson my fears grew. If I were made to go be near horses twice a week, I would be miserable.and no way would Inwant to do it the following year. Not every kid needs to play team sports

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s a kid on my sons soccer team who shows up to practice in jeans and basically just picks grass all the time. I have no idea why he’s there or why his parents think it’s a good experience for him. It’s really sad.

So you would prefer for them to have a son that does not play sports?

It seems like they do have a son who doesn't play sports, they just don't want to admit it. So, yes, I would prefer that they acknowledge their son's interests and find something he wants to do. Having a son who doesn't play sports is not something shameful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s a kid on my sons soccer team who shows up to practice in jeans and basically just picks grass all the time. I have no idea why he’s there or why his parents think it’s a good experience for him. It’s really sad.

So you would prefer for them to have a son that does not play sports?

It seems like they do have a son who doesn't play sports, they just don't want to admit it. So, yes, I would prefer that they acknowledge their son's interests and find something he wants to do. Having a son who doesn't play sports is not something shameful.

That sentiment needs lots of attention. Many boys are still under pressure to be macho athletes.