What happened to the love of the game?

By Steven Greene Times Contributor

I’ve been a fan of sports for as long as I can remember, and I’ve always felt that people played them because it was something they’re passionate about. While that may be true in some cases, I also feel that some people tend to get too competitive and begin to lose sight of what made them love the sport in the first place. Now, don’t get me wrong, I think it’s very important to have a competitive drive and people need to push themselves to get better. But in saying that, here are a few things that I have to say.
First let’s talk about the coaches. When it comes to children being on the ice, the field or the court, I feel that there are coaches who don’t give certain kids on the team a chance to show what they are capable of, or help them build confidence by allowing them to be out with the rest of the team instead of being a benchwarmer. Anybody can be a benchwarmer.
Children need to show their capabilities and shouldn’t be discouraged by sitting out on the bench all the time. They need encouragement, confidence and, most importantly, to have fun, which in my opinion is something that most people in sports tend to forget. I have seen kids on the bench with sad faces wondering why they are not out there trying to score a goal just like the rest of the team. Coaches worried about that almighty score and the children are sitting there wondering, “why am I not good enough?” So, the fun is taken out of that for the kids. These coaches picked the players so each kid should have equal opportunities in the game. As for the “star players,” they are exhausted by the end of the game because they are repeatedly sent to score that “big goal.”
Now, let’s talk about the parents. I have seen and heard in local sports in the community and out of town that there are a lot of negative and unruly parents who, in my opinion, take these games way too seriously and are not teaching the children true sportsmanship. How is any of this teaching the kids to not only better themselves, but also have fun while playing the game? Because, at the end of the day, that’s all it really is – a game. Instead of yelling vulgar, rude comments to these kids, they should be hearing words of encouragement because they need to boost their self-confidence to help them become better players. Keep that in mind the next time you go to a game.
I hope you enjoyed today’s column and keep in mind that this is only my opinion and observation. Have fun kids!