And So It Begins

I am venturing where few brave men have ever dared tread. I am doing something I have never done before - something so terrifying I am not sure if I will even survive the ordeal. I am coaching my sons' T-ball team this season.

I tried to stay out of it. Really. I had no desire to subject myself to the kind of punishment that only T-ball coaches have to endure - scheduling practices, figuring out who's bringing Capri Suns next week - you know the routine. I assumed that I would again get an opportunity to coach one day but really thought it might be when my sons were a bit older. But, the league needed another coach and since one-sixth of the team was my flesh and blood, I answered the call. I am the Dwight Eisenhower of Van, Texas T-ball. The position of coach sought me, I did not seek the position.

Since being involved with this, I have been reminded of a few things I may have subconsciously forgotten since I left the academic coaching ranks. I have been reminded why so many kids are burnt out on their sports by the time they get to highschool. Youth sports have become more of a hobby for adults and parents than a means of teaching kids about team concepts and work ethics. At the lowest of levels, we emphasize winning too much.

As a high school baseball coach, I loved to win. Winning is important at those levels. It teaches athletes a lesson on the fruits of labor. But as I listen to rec-league coaches and officials discuss ways to make T-ball more competitive, I am greatly discouraged because I know that this blind infatuation with the game of baseball or the vicarious living out of youthful dreams will only lead to resentment of the sport later on during adolescence. The job of T-ball coaches is to let kids enjoy the sport and teach the fundamentals of the game. It is even appropriate to introduce some baseball etiquette and lingo.

Perhaps I am too old fashioned and the game has already passed me by. Maybe a good T-ball coach should try to win at all cost. Nothing is like it used to be and that's a hard pill to swallow sometimes.