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Friday, October 29, 2010

A Letter To The Editor

Its Not Always About Winning
Hi Joe,
Laurel middle school football coaches should be ashamed of themselves. What ever happened to the sport being about the kids? The same kids play over and over and these coaches have no idea how to alternate and play EVERYONE on the team. There are at least 15 kids who have stood on the sidelines this entire season who have been to every practice and worked hard to do nothing but watch. What is that teaching them? To work hard and do whats expected of you for what? A few have already quit the team this year because of not being able to play, but a few have tried to stick it out in hopes of being able to be a part of the team. This week there were two important games. One against their rival, Delmar and another against Seaford, which was the only night game to be played this season. The coaches told the kids that everyone would be playing this week at both games but that wasn't true. Not everyone played at Delmar and Laurel won tonight against Seaford 34-12 and the same people played the whole time, which means the same people wanting to have a chance to play, watched. Whats wrong with you "coaches?" If you can't do it right, find another thing to take up your time. It's not always about winning.
--Frustrated Parent

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

1st off, if you want everyone to play, stay on the rec. team. If your kid wants to play he needs to step up his game. THAT is a life lesson. Don't like it? Take your kid back over to the chess club.

2nd, the coach should have never made that promise knowing that chances are he has a set of weenie kids warming the bench that are either scared to hit (safety concern) or have bad attitudes.

Anonymous said...

High school football is not about everyone playing. It is a great accomplishment to make the high school football teams. Back in the 80's when I went out for the team, there were 100 kids trying out for 53 slots so some got cut. It was embarrassing to them but you had to have a certain skill level to make the team. That is life. Anyone who wanted to try out could. My senior year, we had a girl try out for the team. There is only 11 players on the field at a time so some won't play. It is called Riding the pine. In practice most programs give second stringers a chance to compete for the starting job. It makes players who want to play, try harder. Competition is good. If you want a sport where everyone plays, try an individual sport like golf. If your kid does not play, he probably has a better player in front of him on the depth chart and most kids if they pay their dues get a chance to start and get more playing time

Anonymous said...

High School sports is not about everybody playing, that is what county rec is for. I, under my parents suggestions, went out for the basketball team my freshman year. I made the team; however, I sucked at basketball and sat every game, every minute and my parents came out to everyone of my games. Never once did they complain that I didn't play because they knew there were many more better players than me. If I cared to play basketball at the point my options would have been to maybe head over to the YMCA. Get over it, that's life.

Anonymous said...

8:51 - thats just the point they are trying to make, the coach should have never made the promise in the first place. But I also agree that this is only middle school football, not high school. Everyone should get a chance. Any good coach would make sure all the kids get to play especially when they are ahead that far

Anonymous said...

My nephew was on this team this year and stood on the sidelines for 4 straight games and never had a chance to play and his mother pulled him off the team. I didn't agree with her pulling him off but it was a shame he practiced every single day after school for 2 hours and was never given the time of day to show his potential.

Anonymous said...

Thats ridiculous. I agree that it's not all about winning. Those kids standing on the sidelines need to feel like part of the team too. Give them a chance

Anonymous said...

8:51
You're a jerk.
If they are such scared weenies, why were they chosen to be on the team in the first place? Isn't it the coaches job to "train" them to be good players? Can't step up to the game if you never get to play. If your a TEAM then all players should get to play during the season.

Anonymous said...

Laurel had the same kids playing offense and defense instead of switching them around. All the other middle school teams were out there alternating the kids while the same ones played the entire game for Laurel.

Anonymous said...

Maybe half of the coaches problem is how he lets the kids of the parents who help on the field play no matter what. Just this week a kid got moved from first string to second and the father blew up yelling in the coaches face and pulled the kid off the practice field all in front of the entire team..but guess what. The father was back on the field last night and his kid played the entire time

Anonymous said...

I am 8:59am..Oh yeah, winning is everything. THat is the problem with society today. everyone gets trophies and no grades in college classes. If you stink , you should be told so because otherwise what makes a person strive to do better. If everyone gets equal recognition anyway, what is the incentive to get better

Anonymous said...

It wouldn't hurt the coach to put the 2nd and 3rd strings in for a play or two especially when they are winning like that. Thats what being a good coach is all about. This isn't the NFL, it's middle school

Anonymous said...

Coached ball for twenty years. As a coach in your heart you want all players to play. NOT going to happen, if you are a good coach your players get better and play hard for you. They fall in love with the game and enjoy winning.

Now on the other side of this, you cant win games by putting players in just to let them play. They earn a spot to start by working hard and getting better competing against their team mates for starting spot. No kid really wants to lose and they should want to do whats best for the team.

Here is the problem, kids want it given to them. It should be FAIR! Parents are worst, oh my kid did not get to play, it has to be the coahces fault. It cant be my kids, or mine for not helping them. It is not FAIR!

Yep you complaining parents keep voting for Change and Fair and see where in life it gets you.

Too Funny!

BC

Anonymous said...

if you dont like it, make your own school and go coach yourself. its the coaches team, not yours. players are the employees, as the coach is the boss. dont like it? quit.
you play to win the game.

lmclain said...

Life ain't fair...sports teaches that lesson (among many other good ones)...and so it goes here. If he doesn't get any playing time, maybe he doesn't WARRANT any playing time. Football, remember, is a TEAM sport. If you are too weak, fat, too slow, too short, etc, but you STILL want to play, MAYBE you would be hurting the rest of the team if you did play...Also remember -- the rest of the kids (despite the "feel good about yourself" nature of the parents) want to win, which in my opinion, is the very best way to give kids good self-esteem, since there is hardly anything better than cooperating within a group to accomplish a goal (winning) to make a kid "feel good" about himself (or herself) and their respective part in that accomplishment. Football may not be the avenue for this child. Or maybe his skills need improvement. Thats where Dad comes in....I know --- a lot of kids don't have Dads anymore because "women don't need no man", but THAT'S a discussion for another day....now, all you angry women, bring it.

Anonymous said...

This could be why any kid in Laurel Middle School who can make the weight restrictions plays on the very successful Pop Warner team (they have a mandatory min. play requirement). And, I don't think the Midget program has lose a regular season league game in years.