Article about youth sports parents...

[Bad Zebra]

From an unlikely source...Frank Martin, HC of South Carolina.

https://www.sbnation.com/college-bas...s-youth-sports

[griblets]

As an administrator in a youth soccer club, youth soccer ref, and basketball ref (youth thru HS), I think this should be mandatory viewing for parents of all participants!

Thanks for sharing!

[UNIgiantslayers]

Originally Posted by griblets

As an administrator in a youth soccer club, youth soccer ref, and basketball ref (youth thru HS), I think this should be mandatory viewing for parents of all participants!

Thanks for sharing!

Teacher, coach, and official here. I'm on board with requiring this along with booster shots when kids enter kindergarten.

[Paintguru]

One of the biggest reasons I have minimal interest in my kids playing travel/highly competitive sports is the other parents. If my kids show potential and real interest on their own, sure, I'd put them in. However, if they land on a team where the parents and coaches are idiots, they will be just as quickly pulled off that team.

[RefsNCoaches]

Basketball Official , Coach, Board Member of Youth Leagues (in the past)....

I coached my oldest daughter in hoops up to 7th grade when she decided it wasn't fun for her any longer. In 6th grade, she got the opportunity to play for her school team and a coach who wasn't me.

Like Frank Martin said, I'd sit in the stands and watch parents lose their minds. The same parents of kids I was coaching on the travel team. A couple of Dad's asked me "Aren't you going nuts sitting up here?" My answer was NO..."I'm enjoying watching my kid play!"

I've never understood the mentality of these parents who act like 5th grade basketball is going to determine their kids college ability on any given Saturday.

[Paintguru]

Originally Posted by RefsNCoaches

I've never understood the mentality of these parents who act like 5th grade basketball is going to determine their kids college ability on any given Saturday.

Don't get me started on this! I understand college is becoming financially inaccessible for many, but to bank on your kid getting a scholarship from sports seems insane to me. This is nowhere worse than in club soccer where parents will spend $1000s of dollars every year for their kid to play travel soccer year round, even though, quite frankly, their kids aren't that good. Clubs are happy to take their money, but if they actually saved that money, they may be able to help more than what they're hoping to get from a sports scholarship. Plus, let's be real here, the scholarships they're getting are for little D3 schools that may not actually be best for their academic pursuits. Yes, let me pigeon hole my kid into some school that throws them a little money vs. finding a school that fits my kid's personality and academic pursuits. Oh, and let me gamble those $1000s of dollars with the very real chance they get zero scholarships. Great plan.

Hey, I get it if your kid is truly gifted and could get a D1 scholarship to play anywhere, but that is < 10 kids per state in most cases. For the rest of them, let them play rec and have fun. [/rant off]

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by griblets

As an administrator in a youth soccer club, youth soccer ref, and basketball ref (youth thru HS), I think this should be mandatory viewing for parents of all participants!

I sent this to one of our League Administrators and he said exactly that - he would send it out before the start of next yrs basketball season!