But these are the things that I've observed about parents (not the kids) over the years in watching these sports:
1. The parents of the morbidly obese child that are just certain that enrolling them in sports is going to whip them into shape. Meanwhile, the kid is sitting in the dugout or on the sidelines with a large bag of Doritos and an ice cream cone, completely uninterested in the game.
2. The parents of the strangely akward and lanky taller-than-every-other-kid-on-the-court kid, who are certain that because of his height, he is sure to be an awesome basketball player. Nevermind that he runs with all limbs flailing like Gumby coming down the court or that he trips over his own feet every other step or that he can't hit the broad side of a barn with the ball--because he is tall, he is going to be good.
3. The parents of the socially akward, shy child who are certain that this interaction with other, more outgoing children is going to make him come out of his shell and spread his wings like a butterfly to new and exciting social encounters. Instead, the poor kid ends up overwhelmed by the loud, bossy, and over-bearing peers and seems to coil even further into his shell. (To some degree, I am one of these parents.....)
4. The parents of the children with a mild degree of talent who seem to have put their whole future hopes on the fact that their child is going to one day make millions playing professional sports, ensuring that the parents will never have to work again. These are the parents that push coaches out of the way to scream at their child for missing a basket or striking out. "You KNOW how to do this--what is your problem?!?!" You know these parents by their screaming and hollering from the sidelines--the ones that are so obnoxious you wish the people behind them would throw popcorn at them so they'd shut up. Their kids are the ones that walk off the court or the field looking like utter failures if the team has lost. It's sad and disturbing.
5. The parents who could care less. These parents are not so easily recognizable, as they drop their kids off for practice and disappear for an hour of quiet. They are never present, unless they have to be, and then it's clear that it's an inconvenience. At the games, you can usually tell them apart because the children of these people are the ones who, when they do something awesome, immediately look to their parents to make sure they are watching. The kids appear so starved for attention or approval that you cheer for them yourself, regardless of which team they are on.
6. The parents of girls who wish that they had had boys (I would probably have been this parent if I hadn't had boys, and I admit it.) Let me preface this by saying that I totally agree and am okay with girls playing sports with boys. I advocate it. However, there is a degree of girly-ness that they bring to the sports world that is, admittedly, slightly obnoxious. The high-pitched screaming across a court, the tears, the sassiness, the "I'm as tough as you are" attitude....ugh. (Thank God I had boys.) There are the girls that you are sure will be great athletes one day, displaying a clear degree of talent (my sister was one of these). There are the ones that you're certain are lesbians in training (don't shoot me--my best friend is gay). There are also the ones that are so girly that they are so clearly out of place on the court or the field that you feel they are better served as a cheerleader. I mean--matching bows, shoelaces, and ribbons?!?! This is SPORTS, people!!! You're supposed to get dirty!!!!!
7. The parents who live vicariously through their children. I would like to think that I fall into this category. These are the parents that get excited no matter what--win or lose. These are the parents that get involved, not just with their own kids but with other children as well. These are the parents that help the association sponsoring the games and the coaches and moms helping the teams. These are the parents that realize that this is just a game, that their child is probably not going to grow up to play in the NBA or MLB. These are the ones that realize that this will teach their kids that nothing good comes without a little practice, teamwork, and effort, and that playing sports while growing up is meant to be fun and teach good sportsmanship, friendly competition, and how to overcome obstacles.
Fortunately, most of us fall into this category. But if the rest of that stuff sounded familiar at all, maybe those people need to reevaluate things. I did when my son told me he didn't want to play baseball. Like I said, I was heartbroken. I want him to play so bad--all the way up through high school and even college. But, this is not my life--it's his. So, I have to let him make some of his own choices. He knows that I have a couple of rules: 1. If you start something, you finish it. (In other words, if you sign up for a sport, you will play the whole season--we don't quit in the middle.) 2. You don't just not go because you don't feel like it. You're a part of a team, and you don't let the team down. (AKA--Unless you're sick or there's an emergency, you will play every game.) 3. If you choose not to sign up, you don't get to participate at all. In other words, you won't be allowed to "practice" with the team just so you can get your fix in without obligation or responsibility. You either play, or you don't play.
Thank God, my youngest swears he's going to play for the rest of his life. Maybe my oldest will be the brainiac of the family?!........
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