Young people and sports.

There is definately a problem that needs to be addressed in our culture. Teaching our children the value of  healthy competition is a really good thing. Rewarding them with  particpation ribbons and trophies is not a good thing. Participating in active physical activity at an appropriate age is a wonderful thing.Signing your 9 year old kid up for basketball camp because you want him to have a shot at a college schlorship is not a good thing. High school coaches who prohibit kids from playing other sports because they want a state championship is a terrible idea. Allowing kids to play all kinds of sports and choose what they enjoy is a good thing. Bottom line parents and coaches need to STOP vicariously living through their athletes and children.Its about healthy development and learning competitive physical and mental skills. Being physically healthy and learning to win and lose in a competitive world is a valueable lesson. At the other extreme are those parents and coaches who reward children for doing absolutely nothing because their afraid to bruise their fragile egos. Usually politically correct and believing that they need to be the childs avocate and best friend  these people annoy the hell out of me. They are usually the parents who avoided athletics at all cost and got their asses beat up by the big mean jock after school.  We live in a competive world and kids need to experience failure a time or two in their  young lives. Stop being whimpy best friend parents and coaches and be what your supposed to be....Teachers. Another idea is to allow your children to naturally explore all kinds of activities and learn to appreciate lots of different people and activities. We need to stop trying to create college sports stars from the ground up and let the kids naturally gravitate towards activities. Thank you ESPN for spreading another one of your STUPID entertainment money driven ideas that states that all children with determination and desire can become Lebron James or Tom Brady if they just start early enough and want it bad enough. Just another reason to hate the new sports entertainment philosophy that is dominating the air waves.