Fielder’s Choice - Barry Burleson


Thursday, February 14, 2008
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Fielder’s Choice
By Barry Burleson

Having fun

Registration is underway for another youth baseball and softball season in Marshall County.

The league, more than anything else, is about fun. And the league needs the parents’ help in accomplishing that goal.

Plus, they need you as volunteers – whether coaching, keeping the scorebook or working in the concession stand. This league is also about teaching teamwork – from the adults to the children.

To kick off sign-up for the 2008 season, I recently received this e-mail. It’s an article on sportsmanship, yet another important trait high on the priority list when it comes to youth sports. I believe it is being distributed to parents during the registration process. It’s an important read for everyone.

Winning goes beyond the scoreboard. It stretches to the players’ actions and attitudes - before, during and after the games. It reaches the coaches and the fans. All contribute to what hopefully is a winning sports environment.
“What is good sportsmanship?”
One definition is on the website kidshealth.org, but the lesson is not just for kids.
Good sportsmanship occurs when teammates, opponents, coaches, fans and officials treat each other with respect. Kids learn the basics of sportsmanship from the adults in their lives, especially their parents and their coaches. Kids who see adults behaving in a sportsmanlike way gradually come to understand that the real winners in sports are those who know how to persevere and to behave with dignity - whether they win or lose a game.
The website also offers some suggestions on how to build sportsmanship in your kids.
Unless you’re coaching your child’s team, you need to remember you’re the parent. Shout words of encouragement, not directions, from the sidelines (there is a difference).
If you are your kid’s coach, don’t expect too much out of your own child. Don’t be harder on him or her than on anyone else on the team, but don’t play favorites either.
Keep your comments positive. Don’t bad-mouth coaches, players, or game officials. If you have a serious concern about the way that games or practices are being conducted, or if you’re upset about other parents’ behavior, discuss it privately with the coach or with a league official.
After a competition, it’s important not to dwell on who won or lost. Instead, try asking, “How did you feel you did during the game?” If your child feels weak at a particular skill, like throwing or catching, offer to work on it together.
Applaud good plays no matter who makes them.
Set a good example with courteous behavior toward the parents of kids on the other team. Congratulate them when their kids win.
Remember that it’s your kids, not you, who are playing. Don’t push them into a sport because it’s what you enjoyed. As kids get older, let them choose sports they want to play and decide the level of commitment they want to make.
Keep your perspective. It’s just a game. Even if the team loses every game of the season, it’s unlikely to ruin your child’s life or chances of success.
Look for examples of good sportsmanship in professional athletes and point them out to your kids. Talk about the bad examples, too, and why they upset you.
Don’t forget to have fun. Even if your child isn’t the star, enjoy the game while you’re thinking of all the benefits your child is gaining - new skills, new friends, and attitudes that can help all through life.
A good lesson in sportsmanship is one we all need regularly. And it’s a lesson that’s far more important than the scoreboard.

This countywide league is a true success story. It needs your positive support. Get involved. Be a part of uniting young people from throughout Marshall County and having loads of fun.

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