Comments on: Tweens Club Sports http://www.blisstree.com/articles/tweens-club-sports-119/ Family, Health, Home and Lifestyles Thu, 24 Dec 2009 02:33:08 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Angela http://www.blisstree.com/articles/tweens-club-sports-119/comment-page-1/#comment-78997 Angela Sun, 05 Oct 2008 15:33:58 +0000 http://www.wearyparent.com/tweens-club-sports/#comment-78997 Club sports can be brutal. DD has been in some form of sport since she was 4. She quit soccer at age 8 because of the parents. (She loved her coach, as did I.) I think she heard one to many parents screaming "Take that little b**ch out!" from the sidelines. Yep, they were 8, and that kind of thing had been going on since they were 6. Maybe if every game was a "silent sunday" game, she'd a stayed in. (Not that I mourn being able to sleep in most Saturdays and Sundays.) Now she's in love with volleyball, and we have travel tryouts at the end of the month. CYO volleyball parents are pretty good for the most part, here's to hoping that travel folks are just as cool! Club sports can be brutal. DD has been in some form of sport since she was 4. She quit soccer at age 8 because of the parents. (She loved her coach, as did I.) I think she heard one to many parents screaming “Take that little b**ch out!” from the sidelines. Yep, they were 8, and that kind of thing had been going on since they were 6. Maybe if every game was a “silent sunday” game, she’d a stayed in. (Not that I mourn being able to sleep in most Saturdays and Sundays.) Now she’s in love with volleyball, and we have travel tryouts at the end of the month. CYO volleyball parents are pretty good for the most part, here’s to hoping that travel folks are just as cool!

]]> By: Christine's Mom http://www.blisstree.com/articles/tweens-club-sports-119/comment-page-1/#comment-79524 Christine's Mom Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:49:49 +0000 http://www.wearyparent.com/tweens-club-sports/#comment-79524 I agree that teaching is the primary goal for the tween ages (actually for all youth sports!), but I think that learning how to win or lose gracefully is an important lesson to learn. I agree that if you are keeping score, then the teams are going to be interested in knowing if they have won or lost. Even if you are not officially keeping score, the kids and the parents count the goals - I've seen that when your kids were younger :-) So, I think that part of the role of the "parent/coach" is to help kids learn that they won't win every time that they play and that feelling "disappointed" and wanted to do better next time are good feelings after losing. But, that yelling, cursing, etc. at the opposing team is inappropriate behavior. Likewise, when they win, they need to learn to be gracious - to not gloat, to not call the other team losers, etc. While it is okay to feel happy, to feel a sense of accomplishment, they should also remember what it feels like to lose and encourage the other team where possible. And, they should still take the time to learn from their mistakes in their winning game - there are always some. And, yes, I know I am living in a dream world :-) Even the parents on the sidelines need to learn about graciousness in winning / losing. Mom I agree that teaching is the primary goal for the tween ages (actually for all youth sports!), but I think that learning how to win or lose gracefully is an important lesson to learn.

I agree that if you are keeping score, then the teams are going to be interested in knowing if they have won or lost. Even if you are not officially keeping score, the kids and the parents count the goals – I’ve seen that when your kids were younger :-)

So, I think that part of the role of the “parent/coach” is to help kids learn that they won’t win every time that they play and that feelling “disappointed” and wanted to do better next time are good feelings after losing. But, that yelling, cursing, etc. at the opposing team is inappropriate behavior.

Likewise, when they win, they need to learn to be gracious – to not gloat, to not call the other team losers, etc. While it is okay to feel happy, to feel a sense of accomplishment, they should also remember what it feels like to lose and encourage the other team where possible. And, they should still take the time to learn from their mistakes in their winning game – there are always some.

And, yes, I know I am living in a dream world :-)

Even the parents on the sidelines need to learn about graciousness in winning / losing.

Mom

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