Well as promised here we go! Thanks to my friends and family who have reached out this week to let me know how funny and honest the blogs have been. I never thought about all the laughs and truths in some of this we have in common.
If I'm truly being honest, so much of my blogs are based on my inner voice and therefore I can relate to all of them at some point in my kids' sports experience. Yes I have a pocket radar, yes I have argued about a call, yes I have been mean to an umpire and yes I have sat directly behind the dish. If we can not laugh at ourselves then we truly should not be laughing at anyone else.
We are imperfect and that is what makes us great. Our kids are not perfect and neither are we yet we think that the person behind the plate or the zebra running up and down the court is supposed to be. Take a deep breath and walk away. Before you say something or chirp at this person remember that if it was not for them your child would not be there playing. Remember that they are probably making less than $50 to do the game. They are not getting rich like a pro umpire or referee and I am not even sure those guys are either but you get my point.
I for one can not stand behind home plate when my son pitches. I hate the "dad look" after every close call. It's like a beacon or a batman signal that tells me he is unhappy and therefore I should come and save him. It's not my job. It's his job to deal with the adversity and pressure and persevere. I know myself all too much and know I can't help myself so I stand on the grass in the outfield or I sit as far up as I can so he does not see me in his line of sight. Same goes for Savannah. I know she's a good hitter. She doesn't take strike 3 often so when she does I know it was probably an iffy call. I like complaining far far away so I did my dad diligence but she never sees it.
Onto the roast.....
KNOW YOURSELF!!!! If you can not be quiet then for the love of all things sports go sit somewhere by yourself. Do not sit right behind the plate or in the front row of the gym. No one cares that you think Timmy is getting pinched or Shirly is traveling. No-one. The umpires do their best. Some are better than others and that is what you get for traveling to Modesto at 530am on a holiday weekend. Enjoy the 8$ turkey hot dogs and 8 gallons of water. You are not there to create a college application, you are there to enjoy watching your kid attempt to succeed and try to try again. They will fail and that is ok. It is not the umpire's job to make you feel better or your kid feel better. Yes they get things wrong and they make mistakes. Teach your child that life is just that. A compilation of mistakes and success and every once in a while you get a break. Remember that on every bad strike call there is a parent on the other dugout cheering that it was a great call. Umpires can only be loved by 1 team unless you are the umpires from our Oakridge vs Rocklin Softball game. Those guys were so old and bad that they must have had home room with Abe Lincoln himself... They were awful lol but enough about me back to you all.
Along with the strike zone dad we have the sideline coach. This is where you stand behind the dugout and yell at the coaches for pitch selection and player personnel. This is the dad who makes a shirt about his son's on base percentage and why Tommy isn't playing is because the coach has favorites and that's all there is to it. Well sorry sideline dad I have a strange suspicion that if Tommy really was batting .887 he'd be in the lineup because 95% of the coaches out there want to win. It doesn't help if you are an absolute A-Hole parent. That is a fact. It doesn't help if you talk smack about all the other players or coaches. That is also a fact. The best thing you can do for your child is help them speak to their coaches and self advocate. I know this will be a hot topic for some and trust me. My kids have not always played and I have felt like they were better options then the kids out on the field but I remember that "LIFE IS NOT FAIR" and that is the lesson. The sooner our kids realize that sometimes stuff just doesn't work out the better.
I read somewhere a long time ago that most teams are ruined at the dinner table. This makes so much sense it's not even funny. Your children are listening to everything you say. About their coaches and their teammates and even the umpires. If you don't respect those people then your children will most likely follow suit. Understand what sports is and what it can offer. Then provide your kids with all the tools available to them so that they can succeed as best as their abilities will let them. Leave all the yelling and complaining out of sight and try to help them learn the lesson of life.
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