Just exactly what are we teaching kids?

[Gingersnap]

On the news tonite there was a blurb about the two dads at a hockey game who clashed one killing the other. They said this type of rage is being displayed more and more.

My question is this how do you think this affects kids? Would you withdraw your kid from sports or would it cause you to withhold your approval for participation in a sport for your kid?

I am not a parent but I was horrified that these little kids were exposed to this type of violence. What is in the heads of these wackos. If I had a kid I don't think I would want them involved in the league type sports for this very reason.

 

[christophe]

Kinda makes you wonder how humans ever learned to walk upright, instead of still swinging from trees.

 

[patient1]

Be it an art or a sport, you might want to attend a game or a performance, just to get a sense of the enviornment before introduce your child into it.

That way you can find out what values are being taught.
If you should chance upon some parents or coaches you don't approve of, keep looking.

 

[Thumper]

It is whacked.

The parents in our "win at all costs" society are ruining sports for the children.

I make it a habit to attend high school baseball games rather than going to see the professionals. Just as enjoyable and much cheaper and to hear the comments in the stabds would make your blood boil.

No class...sad.

 

[Mischka]

If I had a kid I don't think I would want them involved in the league type sports for this very reason.

So you're saying that the remote and freakish possibility of violence outweighs all the benefits that a child could derive from a sport or art that they might possibly love? Sorry, but that just sounds like a knee jerk reaction. This story made the news because things like that just don't happen to most of us. Confrontations between parents are rare. Physical altercations are even rarer. Homicide was unheard of before this event. Statistical anomolies are not a sound basis for making decisions in your life.

 

[morninggirl5]

The report I saw said that the altercation occurred at a practice, not an actual game.

I do not have children of my own, but attend numerous baseball and football games and practices of a friends' children each year. Each and every coach I have witnessed talking to the young players has emphasized the game is for fun and good sportsmanship is a must. They emphasize the boys learn the basics of the game and praise is handed out frequenctly.

Some parents, on the other hand, seem to lose all sight of the rewards of the sport for their child when the "game is on the line." At the last game I attended one parent had to be restrained by security. She was yelling at the opposing coaches and one particular player for over 15 minutes. The chilling part of the incident for me was that not one of the other parents tried to shut the woman up. They would have never allowed anyone to harrass their child in such a manner, but it was okay for her to harrass a child from the other team.

Sports have wonderful lessons for young people. Perhaps it is time that parents be made to attend the same type of training required of coaches and officials before they can attend games and practices.

 

[Gingersnap]

Mischa, darling what I have heard from my friends with children is that it is NOT UNUSUAL for violent behavior from parents at sporting events. Indeed it has caused them to withdraw their children from them and put them in smaller informal groups.

I don't think it has to come to murder before it affects kids negatively. The screaming and threats that adults at these events hurl at the game officials are ridiculous and constitute violence in and of themselves. Perhaps you would be so good as to educate me on the positives of this type of raging.

I played high school basketball and soccer and it was disgusting at times. I remember one mother screaming at her daughter to "take out her knee". Her daughter outweighed me by at least fifty pounds and kicked me so hard I was sidelined for three weeks. Geez I wonder what good sportmanship rule I learned from that heifer?

 

[Gilly Bean]

While it is sad that some parents feel the need to act this way over some as small as a childrens sporting event, it is in no way normal, or happening all the time.

Sure, it is happening more and more. But when you look at sporting events for children over the years, you won't find a ton of these anyway, so more and more might mean anything from a number as small as 3 or 4 times a year, nationwide, to as many as 30 or 40.

As a parent, I think I would like to sit in and watch what is going on, before signing a child up. However, I am not going to be the type of parent who freaks out at someone doing something that I don't agree with. Whether it's the coach (who knows a hell of alot more about whatever sport it is, then I do), or another parent. Violence isn't the answer, but unfortunatly, it is getting more and more common. I just hope it is still uncommon enough in about 7 years when my kids are playing, that we don't witness it.

In the past 4 years that I have lived here, I have never heard of anything like that happening, in any dose. So, hopfully, that is a good sign.

 

[sch00lteacher]

I do not have children of my own...

BS you have a whole classroom filled with children. You just forgot for a moment there.