Cannonball
Ex "Expert"
- Feb 25, 2009
- 4,881
- 113
In recent weeks, I have had two softball players tell me that they are finished playing. One has told her parents and one has not. That is always a tough conversation because I need to ask them why they would quit a sport that they seemed to love. I guess you can guess the answer. In each case, their parents have ruined it for them.
Today, I was golfing. The local high school had a half day so a dad took his son to the golf course. This young man is on the varsity golf team but, and I am guessing, he lost in a playoff for getting to be on the team for the state-run. To be honest, this dad is an absolute jerk. He couldn't shut up for five minutes. It isn't like he was ready for the PGA himself. I coached golf for a very long time and all of the advice he was giving his son was wrong. The more the young man tried to do what his dad said, the worse he got. Keep in mind that this young man was on the varsity so, he does have some ability. On Hole 8, the body language of that young man was that of someone who was defeated. On Hole 9, he hit his drive out to the right. Dad was going to "show him one more time how to hit a ball." I knew that was all the young man could take. BTW, the dad, in his example hit his ball further right than the son. I was getting pretty angry by now as well. The son got in the cart and told dad that he was done. He was never going to golf again.
I wonder what could make a parent do this to a child that they love. It could have been a fun day out playing golf as a family. Instead, it was torture. This is much like I see in most sports lately. Forget the ego. Sit back and enjoy the ride. There will come a day when parents won't be able to watch their children compete in sports any longer. Unfortunately, there will come a day when real tragedy might strike. Sorry for the rant. This has eaten at me all evening. I feel like I should have jumped in and told the dad to shut up.
Today, I was golfing. The local high school had a half day so a dad took his son to the golf course. This young man is on the varsity golf team but, and I am guessing, he lost in a playoff for getting to be on the team for the state-run. To be honest, this dad is an absolute jerk. He couldn't shut up for five minutes. It isn't like he was ready for the PGA himself. I coached golf for a very long time and all of the advice he was giving his son was wrong. The more the young man tried to do what his dad said, the worse he got. Keep in mind that this young man was on the varsity so, he does have some ability. On Hole 8, the body language of that young man was that of someone who was defeated. On Hole 9, he hit his drive out to the right. Dad was going to "show him one more time how to hit a ball." I knew that was all the young man could take. BTW, the dad, in his example hit his ball further right than the son. I was getting pretty angry by now as well. The son got in the cart and told dad that he was done. He was never going to golf again.
I wonder what could make a parent do this to a child that they love. It could have been a fun day out playing golf as a family. Instead, it was torture. This is much like I see in most sports lately. Forget the ego. Sit back and enjoy the ride. There will come a day when parents won't be able to watch their children compete in sports any longer. Unfortunately, there will come a day when real tragedy might strike. Sorry for the rant. This has eaten at me all evening. I feel like I should have jumped in and told the dad to shut up.
