Student Athletes Deserve Respect And Support, Not Criticism

  There was a joke told between a colleague and myself during South Dade’s girls soccer game against Palmetto.

  When the punchline fell flat, my friend told me “Good job! Good effort!,” leading to the other to say “Ha! You’re the kid from the Heat games!”

  While funny initially, a thought made me almost immediately feel somewhat ashamed for laughing at that statement.

  The young man who famously praised the Miami Heat players for their effort in a playoff loss as they walked into the tunnel several years ago was on to something.

  Sports are after all merely just games.

  In today’s society where we are completely and utterly consumed by warped ideas as to what makes one successful in life, the notion that a good effort in a losing performance could be positive is something that is sadly lost in our world.

  From that, my mind began to tie in other related topics, which furthered my train of thought.

  Being a reporter who covers almost exclusively youth sports, it is hard to ignore the big, boisterous elephants in the room every game; sports parents.

  We have all seen them.

  During the earlier game that day, a particularly loud father of a Coral Reef player continuously berated a referee for his “blindness” to what he perceived as dirty play by Ferguson against his daughter’s team.

  Several times, he rose up in upset, yelling at the top of his lungs, leaning over the edge of the bleachers to voice his displeasure.

  It also happened earlier this year when South Dade faced Ferguson at home.

  After a scuffle broke out on the field, several South Dade mothers stormed onto the edge of the pitch as if ready to go after the opposing team’s players.

  One even screamed obscenities at a Ferguson player, even going so far as to insinuate in her expletive laden tirade that a fight between herself and the player’s mother would happen at the next game.

  Invariably, at every football game I have covered there is that one parent standing on the side of the field, coaching their child on what to do, right after one of the actual team coaches had just told them the opposite.

  While this in itself is enough to make one question their faith in humanity, I began to question it further after reading comments on social media.

  To read that a parent openly told her athlete child in front of others that they suck is beyond sickening to me.

  When will love of the game and love of your kids take over a thirst for winning?

  Yes, losing a game is not fun, but how you learn from it is what defines your true measure of success.

  Parents need to stop looking at their kids as the second coming in sports and more as kids.

  The pressure put on our youth is getting to an unprecedented level and it can be seen every day.

  Too often do I read Facebook status updates and Instagram posts from student athletes referring to their sport as their “meal ticket,” and I cannot help but wonder where did it all go wrong?

  In reality their education is what should be their “meal ticket,” not sports.

  The percentage of players there are in high school who make a living by being an athlete, let alone turn professional, is so miniscule compared to the rest who don’t.

  Parents need to foster their child’s education and academic successes instead of berating them because they didn’t win a state championship.

  At the end of the day, these kids are just that…kids.

  The coaches are there to coach, and you are there to watch alongside the rest of the fans.

  If more parents would spend less time berating their players, coaches, and referees, and more time focusing on being supportive and recognizing good play, then the world of youth sports would be a much more safe, productive, and enjoyable place to be.

  Winning is not everything.

  It is just a game.