...watching a little league game.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4556244/

• Reward your child whether the team wins or loses.
• If you have a complaint or concern, don't raise it in the middle of a game.
• Applaud when either team makes a good play.
• Praise effort.
• Respect the referee’s calls.
• Talk to your neighbor during games (don't get too caught up in scores or statistics).
• Ask your child, ‘Was it fun?’ before ‘Did you win?’

Heck - doing any 2 or 3 of these will make kids everywhere much more likely to participate in sports. When are parents going to get a clue?

Great reading. Thanks!

When I used to be a parent: [*]<s>Reward your child whether the team wins or loses.</s>[*]If you have a complaint or concern, don't raise it in the middle of a game.[*]Applaud when either team makes a good play. [*]Praise effort. [*]<s>Respect the referee’s calls.</s>[*]Talk to your neighbor during games (don't get too caught up in scores or statistics).[*]<s>Ask your child, ‘Was it fun?’ before ‘Did you win?’</s>[/list]

Used to be? :eek:

Dang! You mean you don't have to be a parent forever? Shoot, those older kids of mine are gonna be in for a rude awakening tonight. Thanks mick. :D

Sadly, it's hard to see even one of these displayed at a rec game nowadays.

I wouldn't even mind, "You were trying to make ten good rebounds. Did you?" I think for a parent to push a kid a little to improve and to work hard at something is okay. It's just that when winning is everything, there's a problem. I feel the same way when a team is winning by 25 or so and the crowd doesn't want the second string put in, or they boo when the second stringers make some mistakes.

In my opinion: Winning is underrated.

Please expound...

wizard,
Though, in polite circles, there is much to be said about having fun, participating, good sportsmanship, teamwork, manners, sacrifice, and fitness, with respect to athletics, once any/some/all of these characteristics is coupled with winning the pleasure of sport is exponentially greater.

Winning is very, very good; losing is not.

mick

Ok, um, "winning" is sort of the process of accumulating more points than your opponent in some sort of contest. In basketball, points are awarded (most often) for putting the ball through a metal ring. Whichever team is awarded the most points by the end of the normal playing time is declared the "winner".

This is, of course, slightly different in golf, where the players are trying to accumulate fewer points (strokes) than their opponents. That is, of course, unless they're using the Stableford scoring system.

Something is "underrated" when most people do not recognize its true value. For example, a cold Diet Coke after a game is underrated by Dan. He thinks beer is better, if you can believe that.

I don't even want to get into what the definition of "is" is.

Does that help? :)

No, smart#ss.



[Edited by wizard on Apr 16th, 2004 at 09:17 AM]

:D Just trying to be of service!

I totally agree. That's the goal. That's the balnce that is needed.

But when winning overshadows individual development (which is what happens in most cases), that's when there's a problem. Kids develop at different rates. The worst kid on the team in 4th grade could end up making the high school team. Most coaches live for today and don't worry about preparing the players for "real" games.

Ok, um, "winning" is sort of the process of accumulating more points than your opponent in some sort of contest. In basketball, points are awarded (most often) for putting the ball through a metal ring. Whichever team is awarded the most points by the end of the normal playing time is declared the "winner".

This is, of course, slightly different in golf, where the players are trying to accumulate fewer points (strokes) than their opponents. That is, of course, unless they're using the Stableford scoring system.

[/B][/QUOTE]Does anyone else find it, uh well, ironic that a BoSox fan is trying to explain "winning"? Seems to me that that's kinda like an anteater trying to explain quantum physics.