High School Athletes being worked too hard

It is a sad day in American sports when a parent thinks baseball practice is too hard. What? Does she mean physically? I loved baseball practice, and I had structured coaches like you describe above. Now football practice I hated with a passion - now that was hard. But baseball practice? Come on.

 

OK, we're getting one side. I see two possibilities:

1. You have the mom of a spoiled kid. Yes, there are plenty of those out there. The "something for nothing" mentality, or the "poor ol' me" syndrome is out there.
2. One interpretation of the complaint is that there are too many demands placed on the kids. As a student minister, I see this rampant as well...kids that practice 4 hours a day, 5 days a week. High-school baseball teams that now play 60+ games in a regular season! I have several kids who cannot participate in any church activities because the coach works them on Sunday afternoon, Wednesday nights, and between baseball and homework, nothing else can happen in that kids' life.

Now...dunno which one it is (or a combination...or a totally different issue). My advice?

-respond in a Christlike manner to the mom.
-be willing to honestly evaluate the program, with regards to balance and priorities. Without a doubt, it is possible to practice too much. If I have a guy that can't be involved in church, or literally can't get his studies done....then coach needs to lighten up.

Please understand, I'm not accusing. I'm just offering what I see as viable possibilities.

 

rbell, I agree that sports have become way too important for some kids and their parents. I loved participating in sports as a kid (circa 1980's), but this current wave of near professionalism among kids is a sad state of affairs.

 

I recently, in another thread, referred to a coach I had in the 70's, who hit and kicked us, and made fun of us in class and threatened what he would make us do on the practice field for acts or remarks in that class, and that I may still yet travel to where he now lives to get my revenge and break his jaw or 'turn him into a soprano.' Do coaches today act like this guy, or do the threats against them come prearranged ["you kick a player and you're gone"]?

 

Alcott, surely you jest about your intentions? If not, then you need to talk/think through what you just said. Sorry to hear about your experience, though.

 

Then thank you for keeping the priority of this sport in its proper place. :thumbs:

 

Personally speaking, I think kids today are too soft and their parents are too. No one wants their little boy or girl having to sweat a little.

This may be good ol'day syndrome on my part, but I remember arriving to Texas being 5'10 and weighing almost 265 lbs, one good year of atheletics brought me down to 185 (the lowest amount I weighed since the 6th grade). I was an active kid, but was not conditioned. The coaches I couldn't stand to begin with, I grew to respect and actually admire because they worked me hard, embarassed me at times, and made me feel good about myself at the end.

Today, kids are entirely different and parents are far too involved. Right now I coach Tee-Ball, I love the kids, but could do without the parents. My son played soccer one year, the other parents ran the young inexperienced coach off. The kids were 4 and 5 year olds, and they acted like this really mattered.

I think coaches catch a lot of junk and I think parents need to step back a lot and let the coaches do what's best. I was singled out a lot and puked a lot, but never once did I complain to my parents about the poor treatment, because it was expected, if you want to gain something you have to work for it. Nothing is free. As long as the coaches use common sense during practices and games, work the dog snot out'em, what doesn't kill them only makes them stronger.