By Randy Deckert

Sports has been a part of my whole life and I have seen and heard many things over the years, but it still amazes me the thoughts and attitudes of parents of athletes. Sometimes it is down right hurtful what they say about young kids. Some of the biggest things I always hear are, “Why isn’t my kid playing more?” or, “Why is that kid on the team?” Does your kid go to camps, spend time in the gym during and after the season? Does your athlete have the attitude during practices and games that support him playing more? Do you as a parent spend the time practicing with your athlete to help them or are you just there to complain when it doesn’t go the way you think it should. Even if you or your athlete does do all this, maybe it is just not meant to be. Be able to face that fact and accept it. Not everyone gets to be a doctor, lawyer or a CEO of a company because they started school to be one or their parents think they should be. Sorry, parents, that’s life. Are you going to run to their aid and say that’s not fair or they are getting a raw deal when they are in the real world and they don’t get hired for that dream job?

I have seen many players over the years that have just been a role player but without that player and his/her good attitude, and the support of the parents and fans, that TEAM would have gone nowhere. Parents, not all of our athletes are superstars. Not everyone gets to play all the time or even at all. Accept that and accept the judgment of people that are in the place to make the decisions of sports programs. And if it is the youngest player that gets the most time, so be it. Maybe they are good enough to make the team/program better for the future. Support the decision that a coach has made to move up younger players. Where would Rolla have been without playing a 7th grader named Whitney Meier? Where would Hauge have been without playing a 7th grader named Laura Hummel? Both of those girls took their teams to state tournaments. Just from my home town (Wing) there was both a girl and boy that played as 7th graders and they both became all staters. The program as a whole would have suffered if the coach would have succumbed to pressure and not played them until they were older. I applaud the coaches that are willing to bring up and play younger players. I applaud the administration that will back the decisions of the coaches whether it be playing time or even having to tell someone that a sport is not right for them. After all, don’t we all like it when our team can win? Isn’t that the bottom-line that all of us want to see in the end? So if it means that it is the younger players that give us the best chance, GREAT!!

If winning means that your son or daughter that is in a program doesn’t get the playing time that you think they should get, please accept that. It just isn’t going to happen that everyone can play or even be on the team and still keep winning or build a winning program. If a coach went to my daughter and said that she would not be able to be on the team or I knew that myself without a coach telling her, it would be my job to help explain why to her, help her accept it, and help her move on to something else. It would not be my job to complain about it to the coaches, administration, or other parents. And just so you know, I had a daughter that I did have this conversation with and she did not finish High School playing basketball but she survived, I survived and we have both been able to move on with no regrets or hard feelings, because, that is life. AND, I still support the Rugby programs. Maybe as parents we need to insure our children and ourselves know what real life is and how to deal with it. Especially when it comes to High School sports.

Deckert is a parent, sports fan, and a Rugby resident.