Sports

I was going to respond to an earlier post about farm-help-versus-sports, but then I thought I'd just start another one.

High school sports has been blown up way, way too big. My two younger boys are both really athletic, really into sports, dang coaches and my ex-wife have them thinking they'll be big-time ball players someday. Hey, I'm all for someone having dreams, working towards goals...but not to the exclusion of EVERYTHING ELSE. My two high schoolers have no backup plan. I am trying hard to get the point across that you NEED one.

It's the coach's (and school's) fault, too - if my sons miss a practice...just one...they won't play at the game. If they don't make it to summer weight training, they'll be second string, not first (at least that's what they're told). These coaches, these schools, create an environment that TEACHES these kids that it's sports over everything.

What about developing a work ethic? I mean other than for sports. How about doing things you may not like to do, but you do them because it's your, what's the word? Oh yeah, RESPONSIBILITY. A responsibility to your family, to your dad, to something bigger than yourself. That's how I feel about baling hay (my part-time farming venture). I sell a good amount of hay, it's a part-time income. But it's more than that - it's cameraderie, the feeling of accomlishment, a job well done, and heck, we get to play with tractors!

I know my farming may not be my sons' cup of tea. I know that baling hay may be considered crap work to someone else. I know that usually, I'm not the one riding the wagon stacking bales (though I do sometimes). I am grateful for my oldest son, who DID enjoy it and still comes over to help. I am grateful to all the local kids who I've hired over the years who also enjoyed it, who didn't have sports to do in the summer.

It's just a little heartbreaking when I have to hire some OTHER kid to do the work my kids could be doing (and yes, I'd pay them for it!).

My middle son really wants an iPhone, I've told him he has to come work the hay & build up credit with me so then I will pay the monthly data fee. He won't get one otherwise. I've told him he has to work the hay until it's done. That I'll need him most sunny days for the next 3 months. 'Paid' hourly, he could easily work a year's worth of iPhone fees. He says he will. We'll see.

I know this is old fashion and out of step with todays mentality.
When I wuz a kid on the farm we worked as mom and pop said and that was that. There wasn't any disscusion of why, but we did as told or else.
Today with all the government inervention of families the parents have lost control of thier own children.
You have my sympathy, but child rearing starts with birth, not when they turn 10 years old or so.

I totally agree with you, but I am afraid we are in the minority, at least in people younger then 50. I our rural area, I can only name 3 kids that have ever made in professional sports, and 2 of them were in Rodeo. The area I am talking about is most of western Nebraska.

When I was in high school, I couldn't participate in sports. We had some Holstien cows, and milked by hand. My Dad said milking was more important than sports. End of conversation

We have seen the discussion here, it gets poofed, maybe its just tone that evolves from same, but I hear ya, rock and a hard place.

On one hand, I hate to hear of sports bashing, what purpose does it serve, and on the other, under the right circumstances there is also a lot of benefit and potential benefit from athletics just the same.

There are so many aspects of this, I can see my own post getting too long winded about it LOL.

You are only young once, you only get the chance at these opportunities once, maybe you make it to college level and rarely beyond, but high school sports, absolutely should not rule, but not be cast aside either.

What I see with recruiting and all this hype with coaches today, even the on field skirmishes, violence with parents, and this high priority emphasis on the importance of sports and winning, seriously detracts from the bare fundamentals of what sports really are, competition, physical fitness, attaining and striving to do ones best, teamwork, comradery and positive/beneficial things that prepare you for life, pride, poise, courage, to quote my HS football coach. Don't forget work ethic, you have to be dedicated to achieve fitness, develop ability and skills, know how to compete, know you did your best, be a role model to others, develop leadership skills, I am sorry to say, these are important things in life and a good coach will instill these things, more importantly than anything else, including family coming first, personal obligations, and figuring out how to manage ones time, when these things conflict, both coach and athlete need to respectfully work it out, without taking away from either side. Its not easy, but it can be done.

I did it, double sessions in the mid summer, hot, humid, hard physical training, then worked 4-10Pm at a large supermarket, the manager was pro sports and a real friend to me, knowing what my schedule was. This was my first real lesson as to what a long hard day was, for over a month each year. There was still work to do at home at times, but our coaches were not like today, what I said above was the main part of this, we lost quite a bit, our seasons were marginal, we paid for it in practice, we were outclassed because we were a small school competing with the largest schools, it built character, it made you grit your teeth and dig in for that big linebacker, or lineman pushing you into the quarterback, you learned to play using your brain, not your brawn, you overcame the opponent when they least expected it, smaller guys showed their heart and soul by never giving in, coach would remind you of that, smallest guy on the team, making a tackle, or taking a hit, but getting right back up and doing his job.

I don't like professional sports so much, of course I like to watch my favorite NFL team, and baseball team when I have some time, which is not often but I do enjoy it, with a grain of salt, the high salary, the fame and all the rest, I have no use for. I'd rather know about the low paid lineman who does the no glory job, many of these guys don't get the huge salary and financial security, they will have to work when they cannot physically perform, what did they do to accommodate that, stay the route with college way back when knowing all it takes is one injury.

Someone in their youth who wants to pursue sports, be it just high school or beyond should always be encouraged, but the caveat is the coaching staff, they have to be about what I wrote above, none of this crap about favoritism, not playing because a kid has to work, even if most of the time he can participate, when duty calls at home, like in your case, there has to be some slack, and it should be both ways to be honest. Once done with hay, whats a few laps around the field and what better training than this hard work ? Could go on and on here...

I played after work for years, for the health benefit, for the stress relief, for the pure fun of the game, hockey and basket ball, I stayed in top shape, around 175lbs, its a huge benefit, and unlike monotonous exercise routines, there is no routine, just friendly competition that keeps you fit. I don't like the NHL, the fighting aspect of it makes it like the WWF, its a joke and its not what the game is about at all, rather watch collegiate hockey, locally in person, or play on the pond here.

If someone in their youth has recognizable natural talent, excels at sports easily, and all the rest, they have a good chance and should be encouraged. I went to school with 2 that made to the collegiate and professional levels, one in the NHL, the other in the NFL, they followed the dream, had the ability and did not get injured, not everyone will do it, or can, some have raw talent, some have intense drive, motivation. One while in college at Syracuse, played on champion teams, the orange bowl, scored more than one TD, incredible play, and to think we played on the same field together in 2 sports. He never changed, his demeanor in life, what was learned in our youth on the field carried him through life even when the NFL was cut short, he was an unbelievable athlete in all sports, but the talent was just a hair better and he was cut, went to the world league.

I do not like how coaches and the mentality is today, and its hard to argue against so much of the way things are now, shameful, sports used to teach kids many similar things to what honest hard work does.

You make some really good points, and let me say that I'm not AGAINST my kids being in sports.

I'm not ANTI-SPORTS as much as I'm PRO-BALANCE.

I am proud of my sons for what they have achieved in their sports programs. If it helps them get to college, then great. But there are other things in life that are also important for their development, and I think sometimes that gets lost.

And yes, I've had this discussion with them.

(and it doesn't help having an ex-wife who says the contrary to everything I say just because I'm the one who said it!)

Yup sports are important to a kid's future. We have a guy who was a state champion wrestler, he drives a forklift for a living is constantly whining about some ache or pain, claims he has a bad back and wouldn't know a haybale when he fell over it in the middle of a field. But I'm proud to do my part in paying for our new 3 million dollar sports complex at the high school every time I drive by.
This was how Hitler distracted the masses from reality when he came to power.

I had a similar conversation with my son a few months ago. My son played middle school football. He liked it, he got a lot of exercise and he felt he was part of a team. But....The whole team sucked so bad that they only won 1 game out of 8. I explained to my son, that sports is really just a fun thing to do and he will likely never get a full college ride for free for any sport because the odds are against him, and we would be more likely to win the megabucks lottery before he was a pro-anything. I told my son that when I get home from work everyday this summer he will be working........For me!
He will be cutting the grass, burning up brush, light landscaping work, even small painting jobs around the house. To instill a "sports is essential" mind set into kids is moronic. Tell your boys that all the pro-football players have to have a college education to even be on a team. When I went to school, a long time ago there was a set of brothers that were great at several sports, real cool kids, lots of trophys,.......they became garbage men. What a waste.

If you do not instill a work ethic into a child before they are 18 you are a bad parent.

Sports are good for kids but bad for America.
Sports are a major contributor to the demise of this great nation.
Not the kid's fault though.
Yes I am bashing sports.

Well said, the pro sports players use drugs, not just steroids, are cocky, rude. And yet America idolizes these bozos.

This cat has a long tail! I can see both sides of the coin. I played middle, and high school basketball for a small private school. It was pretty simple at my house. If I wanted to play ball, I had to do my chores. Simple as that. As far as no back up plan, after you put your dad pants on, and get done explaining to them YOUR requirements for being on the team, go ahead and explain to them that if they where full ride college/and or pro material, schools would already be sniffing around(if their in HS). Even if they do have colleges courting them, make it clear that while those recruiters make you feel like a long lost son, your actually just a tool in their shed. The only plus is getting a education on the cheap, but I have a couple of friends that would gladly go back and pay their way if they could have their knee's and ankle's back. In 2000 I turned down a walk on spot at a small DIV II school, while my buddy accepted. I went to school for 2 years got a degree, and started making money. My friend blowed a knee, red shirted, and then blew another knee, that lost him his limited scholarship. He's working at FED-Ex to pay his degree off. 999 out of 1000 college ball players have a story similar to this maybe you have one locally that can talk to them?

Friend of mine has a son---big, good-looking, athletic. All through middle and high school, whenever the lights came on at the field, this kid was there. So was his daddy. Football or baseball, this boy could hum it. Quarterback, pitcher. The future was bright. The only unresolved question was whether he would get a football scholarship or a baseball scholarship, or maybe both.

The issue was settled when he tore up a knee---doing a stupid chest-bump of all things. He didn't play ball at college. Fortunately he had enough other stuff going for him he got a good degree anyway.

I've been struggling with the proper place for athletics for years. I'm a teacher. More specifically I teach orchestra. I try not to be bitter towards athletics as I do believe they have a place. Unfortunately, that place has become grossly exaggerated in today's public schools. Athletics have become the tail that wags the dog. We no longer have schools. We have athletic teams that offer a few classes.

High school athletes grow up and sit on the couch and watch TV. High school musicians grow up and make music with other musicians. I'll be playing my violin LONG after these athletes are mere spectators. So much for "life-long learners".

In a neighboring town, the band director has been told, by the school board, that the band will be at every home football and basketball game. Students who have signed up for a music class are now required to be a musical jock strap for the athletic department in order to futher "school spirit". The music played for pep bands is mediocre at best and not what serious music students must study to become proficient musicians. Imagine if algebra was replaced with "score keeping" at the weekly game and you have a close comparison of what is being done to the music curriculum in that town.

Here, I have been going back and forth with an "Activity", or rather, "Athletics" Director who can't find 8 days out of the entire school year without an athletic event to have Band/Orchestra/Choir concerts. Between, Tennis, Cross Country, Football, Basketball, Wrestling, Volleyball, Baseball, Softball, Track, and Swimming (and don't forget Golf, Soccer, and Bowling, yes Bowling, in some places) there is an athletic event nearly every night. Concerts are part of the graded coursework for my class. The only reason the concert takes place in the evening is because parents and community members expect to attend. Otherwise, I would give a concert during my class time (and I just might yet). Athletics are "EXTRA"-curricular, but get priority when scheduling. I'm supposed to provide an educationally inferior experience for my students to accomodate the athletics calendar.

The only thing I can say is, do something about it. The "public" in public schools does not refer to who gets to go through the front door. It refers to who runs the place. Until the taxpayers stand up and say "ENOUGH", nothing will change. I can argue all I want, but until the community puts the priorities of the school district in order, it will be this way.

The ex with her side of it will make it interesting, LOL, but it is an age old dilemma, you just hope to balance it as best you can and help your boys along with the best of both worlds. Things and the values people have sure have changed, I think your right to try and keep it from being lop sided. My friends daughter graduates this year, she will be attending college as a pre-med student, aspires to be a doctor, she has the ability, the intelligence and with all that, sports helped, along with academics, she earned a scholarship, that will take a huge financial burden off her and or her parents, its incredible the expense, she still has to deal with housing, but darned lucky, also has to cross every T and dot every I or its gone, I think she will pull it off, parents did a great job with both kids, starting to pay off.

I was once Buildings and Grounds Supervisor for a good sized public school. After I took the job, I soon learned the school district wasn't run by the School Board and Administration, it was run by the local sports booster club. What the booster club wanted to happen, was what happened.

Teachers who had been turned down on a request for an academic project because "funds weren't available" complained bitterly that if they could find a way to tie the project in with a sports program, the money would automatically be there.

The Voc Ag teacher turned in a request to take a group of students to the Husker Harvest Days (an annual agricultural event that can compete with the State Fair). He was turned down because "transportation would not be available".

At the next school board meeting, which I was required to attend, a board member whose son would have gone on the trip, had it came about, asked, "When was the last time we missed a sports event because transportation was not available?"

I said, "Good shot, Jim".

The whole thing has gotten out of hand. When I was in college, it infuriated me to see students work just as hard as any athlete to prepare themselves for academic and performing competitions, and then when you pick up a newspaper all you have is 12 pages of sports, and not a word about academics.

Thank you for a great post.

I don't believe sports have any place in school. Not like it is now anyway. I've seen it over and over, sports gets funding when nothing else does. Jocks get extra help and their grades "massaged" if they need it. The kids with parents who are connected get to play, the rest of the kids only if they are skilled.

What it comes down to is politics. Sports has become a political type of issue and it has no place in academic study.

And yes, I played sports in school, but it wasn't my whole life. It was just a game.

As a 63 year old Vocational Teacher who is still coaching, I see the value in sports.
But I also see the other side. I must be in a good district because there is no program cut for sports. All areas get a fair deal.
But what I really wanted to comment about is the chance of a high school athlete going on to the pros and college. In my school of 3400 kids maybe 15 get a college ride each year. And I think that"s on the high end but my school is at the top of the league in most sports.
As to the pros we currently have 3 in the NFL and 1 in pro track and field.
That is the total in my school"s 23 year history.
So you can figure their chances of making a high level a very slim.