HEAR YOURSELF!
Have you talked to your teenagers these days?? Do you actually listen when they talk to you? My kids have been telling me that they are overwhelmed with school work in some ways. Overwhelmed with the social pecking order, and stresses of an uncertain world.. we should never wonder why schools have become a play ground for psychologists.Lets take a look at school staff too.. over worked, underpaid.. and still paying off student loans that are from required learning to do the job. Did I mention nearly every school employee has too many kids in their class room.. state and federal mandates to meet.. and here is one more... Less money every year to perform on. So often in the schools we have a mix of burned out employees and tons of hormonal teenagers who are stressed out as well...we nearly need to dispense Prozac with school lunches..
I don't know who needs more help.. the kids or the staff, and I worry about them all. I went to my Alma matter tonight to see a foot ball game. I loved hearing the marching band, and seeing how great the stands looked for the first time as a spectator. For four years I watched the fans from the field as a marching band participant.. what I hated tonight were many of the parent's behaviors..
I was embarrassed to sit with them. They only applauded the major plays, and grumbled EVERY SINGLE MISTAKE!! Parents. Your kids need you to cheer for them and quit the complaining! This is not the NFL or College ball! These are your teenagers trying to learn a sport and have a good time. I realize that Vassar being 800 students smaller brings a smaller crowd.. the opposing team had so little money, they cannot bus cheerleaders to away games... big sign of the times.... Sad indeed, but the game is the kids time to be kids. On the field they are not rich or poor. They are not dressed badly or in the out crowd! On the field they are orange and black! Mighty Vulcans! Please no eye rolling.. we wonder why school spirit is nothing like the old days... my kids tell me pep assemblies are only at home coming and ice fest.. If it was face book.. I'd be screaming dislike! I need to do some fact checking as my kids are middle school students... but if it is true.. sheesh..
Sometimes a team can only be as good as the leadership, which is not solely coaches, faculty, or association members. The leadership, at home and in the stands, has its responsibility too! Tonight I was feeling very bad for this group of boys who were trying to do what they love. While a loving mother shouted "wake up boys this is sad!" among many other great statements..... (and one "Tighten that f'ing line up!"came from the press box.. which was highly uncalled for..)
Over and over again the mother complained. I said to her "Did you ever see such a long drawn faces on the players?" She did a double take.. I simply said " these kids need support"
Sports programs teach competition yes, in pro-football players get paid to make it worth the pain. but fans are supposed to make it worth while for high school kids because the wins can be great, but the losses are even tougher.. Monday morning comes back quickly, and the word "loser"gets tossed around more than you know. Worn out teachers can sometimes do little to boost morale, because their energy is spent trying to stay sane just in the class room.... Remember my words from above.. school staff are beaten over the head everyday with serious problems The kids lives are also more complicated as the information age has many of our kids now are exposed to the difficult questions of life at a much earlier age.. with you in the stands screaming at your kid to "get it together"..
Somewhere, some way we need to HEAR OURSELVES SPEAK! So next time you go to a ball game.. ask yourself.. do I sound like the kind of fan that those kids want to see and would play their hearts out for, or do I sound like the guy I used to dislike for this same behavior in my own life?. in coming to care about school sports and the players.. take a time out if you can't cheer for the kids...you might say the one thing that you can't take back, in front of hundreds of people.
