GIVE SPORTS A CHANCE

by Bill Rolfes

I 've heard of some parents who don't let their kids play sports because it teaches them to be too competitive. I feel sorry for those kids, and I'm glad my parents did not take such an ignorant notion when I was growing up.

Sure, one of the main reasons for participating in a sport is the competition. It feels good to win. And many people will defend sports by citing all the positive aspects. They'll say playing a sport offers a chance for exercise; and they'll say athletes enjoy the comradery that goes along with being on a team. But what kind of athlete plays a sport just to get some exercise or meet new people? A real athlete plays to win.

I guess this is where parents may be a bit hesitant about letting their kids play sports. They are afraid winning will become everything. This is laziness on the part of the parents. When a child is playing sports at a young age, parents need correct the child when he or she is at fault.

I remember my first teeball practice as a kindergartner. I told one of my teammates that I hit the ball pretty far. My dad overheard me, and a few minutes later he calmly, yet sternly, told me that I shouldn't brag. That lesson has stuck with me until this day (although I haven't had many chances to brag, so humility comes easy for me).

Parents need to keep their children in check, but they also need to refrain from instructing too much. I've seen parents yell at their kids for screwing up. They feel lousy enough without their parents scolding them.

Most of all, parents much teach respect. Respect for the coach. Respect for teammates and the opposing team. Respect for the officials.

As a basketball ref I have heard my share of crowd noise. I've had more problems with parents at the grade school level than at the high school level. Do those parents know what kind of example they are setting for their kids? They're basically telling them it's okay to be disrespectful to authority figures.

I should give parents somewhat of a break, though. Nowadays, they are blamed for every irresponsible mistake their kids make. Some kids are going to be too competitive or bad sports by nature, regardless of what their parents have taught them.

If parents don't want their kids to be competitive, they should lock them up in the basement because competition is not found only in sports - it's found in the classroom, on the job and in just about every social setting. Competition is not necessarily a bad thing, either. Without competition would the human race become any more advanced? Maybe. But not as quickly.

Let the kids play.