Sports (News & Discussion)

[Danster]

Coaching my boy's team essentially means running the admin side of it as well, and I always do my best to keep it affordable. We're a squad of 12 and the majority of boys are from financially comfortable families who live in nice homes, but there are a couple of them whose parents (or parent) don't have a huge amount of cash so I do my best to make it as affordable as possible. I think participating in a sport should be a fundamental right, it brings so many benefits, and governments should do much, much more to create pathways for families whose children may not ever get involved due to cost restraints.

[General Ceel]

"I think participating in a sport should be a fundamental right, it brings so many benefits."

I agree with most of that. But it helps if you've got coaches who are fair. Unfortunately I had some bad experiences with corrupt parent-coaches. On the education side, some teaches were the same way. That politics of it all kind of robbed me of any illusions of sports building character and all that. The fitness side is good of course, but on the other hand I can't help but feel like they just used school and scholastic sports to choose life's winners.

[Danster]

I see some awful stuff at kids grassroots football. Grown men acting like they have to win, screaming at young kids for making mistakes and behaving like its their livelihood and that they will judge their life on the results of their kids' football team. It's really pathetic. I've nearly had a couple of fights with nobheads like this, but they tend to melt when confronted, they're only brave when they get to scream at 9 year olds. However, I've just learnt just to live and let live. At the end of the day, the parents of the kids in teams with coaches like that make a choice to keep bringing them back so who am I to judge? I know for a fact that if anyone treated one of my kids like that on a sports arena then they wouldn't be returning.

[General Ceel]

I recognized the drama when I was a kid, and I saw some of it again with my nephews in sports a few years back before they grew up. Glad I never had to go through it as a parent.

[Danster]

I genuinely don't understand it. Professional soccer clubs have extensive scouting networks and regular events that ensure they see the most talented players at a young age. If you're going to make it, they will spot you and get you in the system. If you're not in the system, you're not going pro. So grassroots football should just be about fun. Yes, it should be competitive, but at the end of the day whether you lose 10-0 or win 10-0, the kids have forgotten about it by lunchtime. It's the volunteer adults who are still seething about it in the evening. If my boy didn't love having me as his coach, I'd have jacked it in long ago.

[General Ceel]

The world has gotten weird.

[Danster]

It certainly has.

[General Ceel]

Anywho, sports!

[General Ceel]

Its Championship Weekend in Nascar. The Truck Series wrapped their season on Friday followed by the X-finity Series on Saturday, leaving only the Cup Series this afternoon to decide its champion after 36 races. Then I start counting down the days until February when it starts all over again!

[Danster]

My footy team Norwich are in the doldrums and it's hoped and expected that the Head Coach is going to be getting sacked very soon.

My kids' Basketball teams had a more successful weekend, my daughter's side have moved to 3-0 in their Division, although their next game is going to be their toughest and I'd be surprised if they won that. If they do, they'll be favourites to win the Division and almost certainties for the national playoffs at the end of the season. My boys team won by just 5 after going into the final quarter just 1 point up, and that was against possibly their biggest threat to the Division title. There are no playoffs in his competition though, just a straight up league table.