What Sports Are All About

**wil** · August 24th, 2008, 07:30 PM

I get bored watching the pros, but I can watch the whole game with these kids and the joy on their faces when the get a big hit or make a great play.

AWESOME!!

http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2008...awaii2_412.jpg

ESPN - 2008 Little League World Series - Sports

inthecircle · August 26th, 2008, 02:33 PM

Anytime you get to watch kids play just for the fun of playing....that is the true meaning of sports.

I coach high school shot and discus throwers at a Div. 1 (big school division) private school here in Ohio. We have some really good athletes at our school. I have young men who will go onto play college football and some will even throw in college as well. The ones I enjoy coaching the most are the ones who work their asses off everyday and see very little improvement. I have one young man who will be a junior this year and has never thrown over 30 feet in the shot put (to qualify for our state meet here in Ohio you have to throw at least 56 feet). He has very little athletic talent and really not that big, but he is the ONLY young man I had that came to every practice last spring. He started the year throwing about 22-23 feet and hit 28 feet by the end of the season. He stayed late a few days a week to work on his technique. In discus he went from 60 feet to 98 feet by season end as well. Just to see him improve little by little is why I love simplicity of sports.

**SAINT_X** · August 26th, 2008, 02:45 PM

...nice...

I can't wait to go to some high school football games... starts this weekend!

**A1food4U** · August 26th, 2008, 02:57 PM

Yup, two years ago, my daughter's hockey team won there last game of the state tournament with an overtime goal. They had just finished seventh but you thought it was the Stanley Cup they had just won. The innocent nature of trying ones best is lost in the "play for pay" world. great Post!!! Great memories....

inthecircle · August 27th, 2008, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SAINT_X

...nice...

I can't wait to go to some high school football games... starts this weekend!

Ours started last Friday. The school I coach track at had their first game this past Saturday. They played a team that beat us 45-0 last year. This year we scored with 1:38 to go in the game to go up 37-36. They moved the ball and set up for a 51 yard field goal attempt with :02 left on the clock. The ball hit the crossbar and bounced out!!! While the ball was in the air not a sound could be heard from the just over 9,000 in attendance. It was an awesome game.

**ckn** · August 27th, 2008, 08:44 AM

When not playing rugby, I referee and often ref kids games on Sunday as well as playing on Saturday. I usually enjoy these games immensely as it's just as good as adult rugby but without the cynicism and dirty play.

I wish that I could exclude parents from certain clubs though...

**wil** · August 27th, 2008, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ckn

I wish that I could exclude parents from certain clubs though...

Yeah... I am amazed at how assinine parents can get at their kids' sporting events.

**wildstang** · August 27th, 2008, 09:46 AM

i seen on yahoo news yesterday that this kid was banned from pitching in the little leauge because he pitches 2 fast and good riveling a semi-pro. now isnt that screwed up! if he practiced that much and that hard its screwed up when they penalize you 4 doing it right!

**wil** · August 27th, 2008, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wildstang

i seen on yahoo news yesterday that this kid was banned from pitching in the little leauge because he pitches 2 fast and good riveling a semi-pro. now isnt that screwed up! if he practiced that much and that hard its screwed up when they penalize you 4 doing it right!

I heard about that too. I won't hijack this thread with what I think about that story.

**varbo** · August 27th, 2008, 10:13 AM

One thing I thought was great was that up here in Canada, TSN (the Canadian ESPN) was showing the best catches of the week, be it CFL, NFL or baseball, and they showed a few from the little leauge world series and some were nicer that the Pros.

inthecircle · August 27th, 2008, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ckn

When not playing rugby, I referee and often ref kids games on Sunday as well as playing on Saturday. I usually enjoy these games immensely as it's just as good as adult rugby but without the cynicism and dirty play.

I wish that I could exclude parents from certain clubs though...

I have sctually seen soccer leagues around our area that are "No Cheering/No Score Kept" leagues/games.

The Recreation Dept. in the city I live in now has a class that all coaches and parents have to attend before they can coach or sign their kids up for a league. It is a people skills/good sportsmanship class.

**wil** · August 27th, 2008, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by inthecircle

I have sctually seen soccer leagues around our area that are "No Cheering/No Score Kept" leagues/games.

That kind of stuff makes my head explode.

**ckn** · August 27th, 2008, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by inthecircle

I have sctually seen soccer leagues around our area that are "No Cheering/No Score Kept" leagues/games.

The Recreation Dept. in the city I live in now has a class that all coaches and parents have to attend before they can coach or sign their kids up for a league. It is a people skills/good sportsmanship class.

I had a day off work today as I was helping a school prepare for a rugby tour to France, they needed a referee/impartial coach for half a day. While there, I spent a good bit of time with the sports psychologist they'd hired (I think that gives you a clue to how seriously they were taking it). So much of his work was getting them to have the right "winning" mindset while still being good sportsmen. This is in complete contrast to many of the initiatives run by the government of "no-one left behind".

Yes, some kids are better than others at certain things, these kids need to be brought on as "winners" rather than penalised or held back for being too good. What message is it giving to a nation's best youth prospects if they're effectively shackled to the level of the average player?

**varbo** · August 27th, 2008, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by inthecircle

I have sctually seen soccer leagues around our area that are "No Cheering/No Score Kept" leagues/games.

OK, I can see no score kept. When my friends and I would go out and play football we didn't keep score. It was way too much work. All that remembering. but no cheering? Then there's no fun for any one. It would be boring.

I'm kind of getting pissed of with the world's view of catering to the worst so that they don't feel bad. Giving the worst extra attention so that they can keep up is great, but slowing down or limiting the best so the worst doesn't feel bad is messed up.

**wil** · August 27th, 2008, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by varbo

OK, I can see no score kept. When my friends and I would go out and play football we didn't keep score. It was way too much work. All that remembering. but no cheering? Then there's no fun for any one. It would be boring.

Big difference here is that I think inthecircle was referring to an actual organized league. Not just a bunch of buddies playing around.

Quote:

I'm kind of getting pissed of with the world's view of catering to the worst so that they don't feel bad. Giving the worst extra attention so that they can keep up is great, but slowing down or limiting the best so the worst doesn't feel bad is messed up.

I'm right there with ya, my man. Unfortunately, I think all this p.c. stuff originated in my beloved USA.

inthecircle · August 27th, 2008, 01:30 PM

I totally agree with the parents taking the sportsmanship classes. Being a high school wrestling official...trust me some parents need these classes. We have more problems with parents during the year then coaches, simply because the parents don't fully understand the rules let alone how they are implemented during a match.

The no cheering crap is just that...crap!!!

**varbo** · August 27th, 2008, 03:34 PM

Parents are the problem in most sports. A lot of them think that their kid will be the next superstar and that they should be treated better. There are a lot of places around that won't let the parents in to the games because of the disruption it causes.

inthecircle · August 27th, 2008, 08:17 PM

I won't even officiated youth (8th grade and younger) wrestling tournaments anymore. These parents are by far the worst. They have no idea about the rules and are just truly emotionally involved. The worst part is you can't even try to talk with them and just an explaination or interpetation of the rules. Drives me nuts.