The kids are always great, but some parents are crazy!

This has been an interesting week for me. My high school practices are going extremely well and there are many athletes ready to break through to the next level. At the same time, the youth wrestling season is starting to gain momentum. Working with this age is why things get interesting. The kids are always great, but some parents are crazy!

I enjoy the parents that bring their children to Victory and I appreciate them very much. I have met some tremendous people and developed some great friendships. The parents that hang around Victory understand my coaching philosophy and are aware of my personal convictions. I don't find many unhealthy perspective in that group. Every once in a while, though, I get a phone call from a parent who just doesn't "get it."

To make a long story somewhat short, I recently had a parent call me to discuss the possibilities of his son participating at Victory. They had never been to Victory before and I'm certain I had never met them (I remember most people). The first thing he asked is if his elementary aged son can participate in our Middle School session. Without knowing who I am or what I'm about, he asked me to make an exception for him. This question always raises a red flag. Everyone always wants to be an exception to the rule. Yeah, there are exceptions to the rule. Do most people have them? No. Chances are you're not an exception. Are there exceptions? On many things, no; on some things, yes; for you, probably not. Moving on...

This particular parent mentioned that they were involved in a variety of wrestling opportunities and he explained that his son likes to be pushed. This is another red flag. I don't know the young boy, but after talking to his dad, my inclination is that he doesn't actually like to be pushed. Dad just simply insists on doing so. In fact, I'm not certain he's even asked his kid if he likes the sport of wrestling. I told him that I won't "push" his kid and I'm not in the business of making the next Kid's State Champion. He didn't respond, so I preceded to tell the father that I'm most interested in developing young athletes to have success at the next level and encouraging them to love life and enjoy the sport. His response led me to believe this was a foreign concept to him.

Our conversation lasted approximately 20 minutes and it ended with me feeling that this young boy's athletic career was based on Dad's desires rather than the kid's needs. I starting to think that Victory isn't the place for this kid. I also hoped they wouldn't make the trip here. Then my perspective changed. I think it's alright for Victory to exist to save kids from crazy parents. We have rescued a few kids from bad environments and poor athletic perspectives. We've even helped change the minds of a few parents. Maybe Victory IS the place for this kid. There is always room to help kids. Adults, on the other hand, not so much (Jesus can always help them, but I can't).

I love the potential youth sports has to help kids grow. I'm also terrified by the potential they have to destroy kids and rob them of their childhood. There are a lot of crazy, irrational adults affecting children in a negative way in youth sports, and to me, it's a battle that's worth fighting.