Labels

Wrong ball sends the wrong message

Youth sports should be about teaching fundamentals, sportsmanship and love of the game. But if you type the term "wrong ball" into www.youtube.com, you will find numerous videos that show adult coached teams of young football players tricking their opponents for a resulting touchdown.



Watching the video points out everything that can be wrong with youth sports, namely "adults" who think they are mini Steve Spurriers and spend time figuring out unsavory ways to outsmart 11 year old kids for their own personal glory.

This bad idea should have been recognized by the officials as what it is - unsportsmanlike conduct by the coach - and they should have assessed a 15 yard penalty.
Email Post
Labels:

Comments

Princeton OAC said…
The same play happened to my son's Pop Warner team, and the coach of the other team celebrated more than any of the kids on the team (and he's a doctor in his day job). It turned out to be the only score of a 6-0 game. During the week, the league president (after receiving emails from pretty much every parent from our team) ruled that the TD shouldn't have counted because it violated the spirit of the league. He also suspended the coach for two games. The idea that adults would teach kids to run a play like that shows how bad youth sports can be, and watching the video made me feel sick about it all over again, even if it was more than a year ago.
January 16, 2009 at 1:43 PM
PR Smith said…
This appalling. The coaches high fiving their successfull cheating and induction of the kids into cheating is mind boggling.

There are some ethical coach schemes, which hopefully sports will demand their coaches to be qualified. I now get the Liberty & Mutual Responsible Sports seem to be trying to soemthing here.

My own blog www.GreatMomentsofSportsmanship.com highlights and appluads good sportsmanship. The supporting book is getting rave reviews in ireland and UK.
December 13, 2009 at 5:36 PM
Post a Comment