Inside the Cupboard

On the horizon is recreational soccer starting in September for at least four leagues in Jackson County.  Optimist Park has one of their largest rosters of kids that have registered to play fall soccer this year.

I don’t have numbers on the other leagues, but I will.

Parents are busy trying to juggle multiple kids to practices, games, finding a common ground to have a meal together, and all the while worrying about homework. With that being said, it’s time to look at the big picture. Grades are of the utmost importance, today more than ever. The percentage of athletes who make it to the professional level compared to those who succeed through academics is not even a ratio worth discussing.

So, why do parents scream and yell from the stands about every little miscue and ever ‘greatest play ever’?  I’ve watched sports at every level and to this day, I have never seen a college coach and certainly not a professional scout on a rec ball field or even a middle school field. Believe me, I’ve watched enough sports to know that kids develop at different levels and they often stop developing further in the area of certain sports.

While they may be good enough for rec ball, middle and high school programs may be out of their league. That being said, there are tons of kids who are overlooked for one reason or another, who have the ability and the talent to play at the next level, but the timing just wasn’t or isn’t right.

I’ve heard it all at every level (yes even the professional level) from parents, grandparents you name it “If that coach would put Johnny at short instead of that rich kid, he could show ‘em a thing or two.” I’ve heard every excuse about why Johnny left sports but one excuse I’ve never heard was, “I got tired of never being good enough for my dad. I couldn’t ‘bring the heat’.”

So, as we start another season of rec ball, please let me offer some advice. Beware of taking the fun out of the game at an early age. Let them enjoy it because I can tell you for sure, when it becomes a ‘have to do this’, then Johnny is miserable at. Now for the flip side – when your child takes the field, and immediately “I don’t wanna play, I’m tired, it’s hot” is all you hear, take a minute and see what his daily schedule consists of.

If it’s inside A/C all day, in front of an Ipad, TV or computer, that needs to change. Kids need exercise. Please make sure, whether it’s through a sport or just come good old PE at home, they get it and that’s the way it is from Inside the Cupboard.