[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Yes, parents are probably the biggest problem in youth sports and students not performing well in school (but the school issue is a thread all itself).

I played high school basketball and golf. My sister played golf in high school and college. She and I are both accomplished golfers and the high school for which I played basktball was a perrineial (I am good at math but lousy at spelling) league champion. My first love is basketball closely followed by golf.

My wife and I are the parents of two wonderful boys (ages 9 and 12; they are honor students in school), and they both love basketball and are good at it. They both play baseball (not bad players for their ages) and swim on the YMCA swim team. The 9 yr old is developing into a pretty good gymnist. But from the very beginning the two of them have been taught that sports officials do not win or lose games; players win or lose games. Furthermore, the goals of sports are in the following order:

1) have fun

2) be a good sport

3) have fun

4) try has hard as you can in the game

5) be a good sport

6) have fun

7) practice hard

8) be a good sport

9) have fun

10) and if you happen to lose the game: 1) be a good sport and 2) have fun

11) and if you happen to win the game: 1) be a good sport and 2) have fun


Since 1993 I have officiated, on average, four AAU, YBOA, and/or AYBTour national basketball tournaments (both boys and girls), and I can tell you that there are enough coaches and parents to ruin the games for everybody. And I think that the 13U and under age group and below are the worst. Some of these parents have absolutely no concept of what sports is about and what good sportmanship is. I officiate baseball, softball, and soccer, and the parents of the players in the sports other than soccer are just as bad as the soccer parents.

Sometimes, I think that the kids would have more fun if we just gave them bat, ball, and gloves and let them go play sandlot baseball or a basketball and give them the key to the gym in the summer and let them call their own games. And most important, do not watch them play, just drop them off and pick them up: no coaches, parents, or officials.

Well I am done with my ranting and my apologies to Dennis Miller.