Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 3:04 pm
My comments regarding ego are not directed at any one person including you. This is a big generalization. That however is my point. The administrators have to make decisions in the best interest of the whole. It would not be practical to test each parent prior to awarding a ticket into tryouts. I do believe that you, if you are indeed the informed and healthy sports parent you claim to be, are in the minority when it comes to youth sports. Your efforts to help others see the light would be greatly appreciated. There are many ways you can get involved to help.muckandgrind wrote:If there weren't so many examples of dirty pool associated with tryouts, then I wouldn't have any issue with parents wanting to close them. But I've been around long enough to see and realize that's not the case. We voted our own coordinator out just last spring because he got caught fudging the rankings in order to benefit certain players who were the sons of friends of his. So you tell me how I am supposed to just trust everyone working the tryouts when kids (not mine) have been burned already?SECoach wrote:Virtually every response centers around what is best for me....the parent....our own egos hidden in what is best for my child. Only when we take our own egos out of the decisions will they begin to truly expirience the greatness of youth sports. Right now it very often does more damage than good.
Before you throw it out there Muck, J&J..you always do...who are we to tell you what is best for your kids? We are the people that are hired, payed or unpaid, to make decisions about what is best for all. Your job is to believe what is best for you kid. It's pretty hard to function if everyone makes individual decisions.
"It's about the kids"....cliche? Only if you hide behind it. Most associations that close tryouts are not hiding anything. They are trying to create the best expirience they can......for the kids. Should they take into consideration how much you pay and whether that gives you the right to watch? Yes. But in the end they should make a decision based on whether it is good for the kids....and not if it's good for dad.
I don't have any problem with keeping the parents away from the evaluators, and if possible, out of the rink if there is glass they can vew from above.
And I also just flat out disagree with you that all or most kids don't want the parents to watch. I'm sorry, but I don't. Sure, maybe a few feel the pressure..but most probably don't even realize mom or dad are there watching. I went through the tryout process when I was a kid and it never bothered me or my friends..I've asked my kids, it doesn't bother them. It should be up to each parent to find out if their kid doesn't want them there...if they don't, then don't watch.
Christ, most kids I know are so focused with what going on the ice, they don't even notice parents cheering during a game.
Another thing, quit presuming to think that this is all about the parent's "ego". You don't know me, and I don't know you. I would never presume to say something like that about you. This has nothing to do with "ego". Personally, I like to watch my kids have fun on the ice, whether it's a tryout, practice, or game and I know for a fact that my kids enjoy having their dad watch them on the ice just as I enjoyed my dad watching me play sports.
You then ask if all these families are dysfunctional. Have you been to a game lately? Have you sat with some parents and had a beer and listened to them? Have you listened to a parent at work talk about their sons Pee Wee game from last night? Dysfunctional in general? Maybe not. When is comes to youth sports. We need lots and lots of therapy.
I love watching my kids play too but i can sacrifice seeing 4-8 hours of them on the ice if it helps the kids as a whole.