Elite Strength & Sports Performance
Recently, I have been involved in instances of parents literally coddling their children when they do not get what they want. I coach various sports in addition to training athletes in the gym. I have had a few parents complain because their precious “cargo” was not getting to play the position they thought he/she should be playing. Most of the time, these same parents have never coached a sport. In some instances, they NEVER even played a sport growing up to begin with.
The problem today is our society is such that if you don’t get your way, you are basically raised that you don’t go out and work harder to achieve your goal, you instead complain, groan, or get mommy and daddy to go do the dirty work to try to force the coach to change his/her mind, despite the fact that the coach may have 10-20 years playing the given sport and another 10+ years of coaching experience and has been successful on every level of coaching from little kids up through high school or above age kids. Its a sad fact that our kids today are raised to essentially throw a fit until they get what they want, or better yet are allowed to quit something they started because they don’t like a position they are playing!!! I personally tell my kids, that no matter how unhappy they may be, they will finish what they start as its not just about them, its about their team and their teammates. Instead of complaining when things don’t go their way, I encourage them to go do something positive about it. Work your tail off at practices, ask the coach for additional tips on what they can work on at home on their own, and most importantly drop the attitude, because as a coach myself, I don’t care how good you are, if your attitude sucks, you will not win any points for playing time with me!
I know this ruffles some feathers amongst today’s parents, but personally I was raised in a household where my father was a US Marine who fought in Vietnam and had much worse things in his time to deal with than we do today. He used tough love with me growing up. He didn’t allow me to sulk if I was unhappy with a particular position I played in any given sport or the fact that I didn’t get to do what “I” wanted to do, he instead told me to earn what I want through hard work and to never ever give up! He never one time went to a coach or behind a coach’s back to someone higher in the organization to complain about little Mike not getting to do what little Mike wanted. Today, I am raising my kids with the same values that father raised me with, and while its tough sometimes, my kids understand I wont hand them anything on a silver platter, yet they have to earn what they want and go out and achieve their dreams. I will be there beside them to help them get there through hard work and no amount of brown nosing or butt kissing will be done. Whether you or your parents think you should be playing another position, is irrelevant, because ultimately your coach decides where you may best help your TEAM! Team sports are not about what YOU want!
The economy stinks, people are losing jobs still to this day, and many are switching careers all together to survive. But you know what? There is no need that your kids cannot learn from the experiences we adults face today and realize that no matter what is thrown our way, the only true way to get what you “think” you deserve is through hard work and dedication and respecting not only your teammates but your coaches!
The point in all this is, no one should be allowed by any team to cry and whine to get what “they” want if they are not willing to put in the hard work and dedicate themselves to achieving their goals and that of the team’s! The TEAM is always bigger than any one individual, no matter how talented that individual may be on the field or court of their sport!
The problem today is our society is such that if you don’t get your way, you are basically raised that you don’t go out and work harder to achieve your goal, you instead complain, groan, or get mommy and daddy to go do the dirty work to try to force the coach to change his/her mind, despite the fact that the coach may have 10-20 years playing the given sport and another 10+ years of coaching experience and has been successful on every level of coaching from little kids up through high school or above age kids. Its a sad fact that our kids today are raised to essentially throw a fit until they get what they want, or better yet are allowed to quit something they started because they don’t like a position they are playing!!! I personally tell my kids, that no matter how unhappy they may be, they will finish what they start as its not just about them, its about their team and their teammates. Instead of complaining when things don’t go their way, I encourage them to go do something positive about it. Work your tail off at practices, ask the coach for additional tips on what they can work on at home on their own, and most importantly drop the attitude, because as a coach myself, I don’t care how good you are, if your attitude sucks, you will not win any points for playing time with me!
I know this ruffles some feathers amongst today’s parents, but personally I was raised in a household where my father was a US Marine who fought in Vietnam and had much worse things in his time to deal with than we do today. He used tough love with me growing up. He didn’t allow me to sulk if I was unhappy with a particular position I played in any given sport or the fact that I didn’t get to do what “I” wanted to do, he instead told me to earn what I want through hard work and to never ever give up! He never one time went to a coach or behind a coach’s back to someone higher in the organization to complain about little Mike not getting to do what little Mike wanted. Today, I am raising my kids with the same values that father raised me with, and while its tough sometimes, my kids understand I wont hand them anything on a silver platter, yet they have to earn what they want and go out and achieve their dreams. I will be there beside them to help them get there through hard work and no amount of brown nosing or butt kissing will be done. Whether you or your parents think you should be playing another position, is irrelevant, because ultimately your coach decides where you may best help your TEAM! Team sports are not about what YOU want!
The economy stinks, people are losing jobs still to this day, and many are switching careers all together to survive. But you know what? There is no need that your kids cannot learn from the experiences we adults face today and realize that no matter what is thrown our way, the only true way to get what you “think” you deserve is through hard work and dedication and respecting not only your teammates but your coaches!
The point in all this is, no one should be allowed by any team to cry and whine to get what “they” want if they are not willing to put in the hard work and dedicate themselves to achieving their goals and that of the team’s! The TEAM is always bigger than any one individual, no matter how talented that individual may be on the field or court of their sport!
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