Robservations: Leave the coaching to coaches
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While there are plenty of kids eager to spend their summers playing ball — although maybe not as many as there used to be — there just aren’t enough coaches to go around.
That’s OK, though. People work odd shifts, sometimes working multiple jobs, and there’s just so many hours in a day. So some folks just can’t devote the time it takes to work with a team of 12 to 15 youngsters.
So we’re fortunate that there are many people — some who are parents of players, and others who aren’t — who donate their time to coach a team. Their volunteer spirit and willingness to help other people’s children learn the basics of the game should be commended.
But, just from walking around the ballparks, I’m shocked that we ever have a shortage of coaches. In fact, it seems we should have a surplus.
Just take a look in the stands the next time you’re at a youth league game. There are people in almost every set of bleachers who look to be just itching to come down and help out.
In fact sometimes, they can’t help themselves. They have to rush down to the fence, peer in to the on-deck batter (who often just happens to be their son or daughter), and tell them just what they need to be doing at the plate, or what the other team’s defense isn’t able to do, and what they should do with the ball.
My goodness! Isn’t that a blessing, that so many people are willing to help their children?
(Stop, I can’t go on. Even my capacity for sarcasm has its limits.)
Here’s the real deal, moms and dads. If you’ve got a kid that’s playing ball, feel free to volunteer to coach his or her team. It’s a great experience, and then you can make your child into the star athlete you dream he or she can be.
If you don’t have the time or effort to coach a squad, that’s fine. But leave the job to the people who are willing to take it. Don’t become a second-guesser of every move the coach is making. After all, they’re the one making the moves — and you’re not.
Not sure if I’m talking about you? Take this quick and easy quiz. The next time you’re at a game, look down and see where you’re resting your backside.
If you’re in the dugout, be a coach. Work with these kids, and help them learn the game while still finding time to have fun.
If you’re sitting in the bleachers, be a fan. Clap, scream, gripe about bad calls, and tell your kid and your kid’s friends what a good job they’re doing.
• The high school sports year officially ended Wednesday, with Tina Vucic’s elimination from the TSSAA girls Class AAA state championship tournament.
Everyone hated to see Vucic’s romp through American competition come to an end, but at the same time there was no hanging of heads when her match against Brentwood’s Hayley Dittus was finished.
When a team reaches the upper echelon of its sport, such as the WCHS soccer squad did almost a year ago, it’s a major accomplishment. But when an individual athlete does it on his or her own, it’s an even greater feat.
Vucic brought her game to the United States, and made the best players from this area look mediocre as she cruised past the competition on her way to an undefeated record heading into the state tourney.
But, only one athlete in each sport can end his or her season with a win, and this year it was Jennifer Williams who carried home the crown.
But rather than be disappointed because Vucic’s run ended early, we should all be proud of her, and she should be celebrated for bringing her adopted home school into the limelight of the state’s highest level of competition.