Navigating the Twilight Zone

Sometimes it seems like I'm living in the Twilight Zone. I look around me at things that are happening and how people just act like these things are normal, right, and good. While I feel like I must be losing my mind because these things are anything but normal, right, and good.

Y'all. The effects of the "Everyone Gets a Trophy" parenting have caught up with us. I'm serious. Little Jonny now thinks it is GOOD not to come to practice, not to worry giving effort, or attempting to win a game, because he is being taught that you don't have to actually come to practice, your team doesn't matter, whatever you do is fine, and there's no score anyway- just show up if you want to, have fun, and get a trophy. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHH. Could anything be more wrong??

Now there's even more to it than that. You see, my husband has been coaching soccer for approximately seventeen years. Yes, seventeen years of voluntary service for the good of his kids, other kids, and the community. I can't tell you what a FANTASTIC team he has currently. Our youngest son is 12 years old. This is his twelfth season playing recreational soccer. He has become close friends with all the boys on his team. The athletes and their parents request to have my husband as their coach season after season because they see value in our team and him as a coach. Why? I'll tell you why- because he expects a lot out of them!

He has high expectations.
He has demanding practices.
He expects players to be at EVERY game.
He reprimands them for laziness, ineffective play, and bad attitudes.
He tells them when they have played hard and done well.
He tells them when they have nothing to be proud of when they do not play well.
He is honest with all of them.

Is he too harsh? No. He doesn't ask anyone to do anything they are not capable of doing. And guess what--they love it! Why? Because he sees potential in them and he does all that he can to help them become the best that they can be. This is A RARE THING in today's world.

Today's world says, "Don't reprimand little Jonny because of his fragile psyche." (Insert eye roll.) Are you serious? The reason little Jonny HAS a fragile psyche is because no one expects anything of him. No one pretends to see potential in him or pushes him to do his best. Instead, he is coddled and babied until he believes he is worthless because no one has EVER expected anything of him. The trophy is meaningless and HE KNOWS IT! Of what value is a reward that wasn't earned?

So why am I worked up about this today? Because today our team played a team much older and bigger (physically) than ours. Okay, no problem. But it IS a problem when we are winning the game against this team and the other coach tells my husband DURING THE GAME that his coaching style is unhealthy. Whaaaaa????? What planet are you living on?

Yes, my husband gets excited during the games and does a lot of yelling. Not dissimilar to John Calipari or Rick Pitino. That's because he wants them to know that what they are doing on the field matters! The effort they put forth or do not put forth, the decisions they make, their attitudes all matter. Only someone who cares about the kids would put forth so much effort. Some would call this tough love. Don't misinterpret. My husband is also very friendly and fun with the players. He has a good rapport with them, and they know he cares about them. Which is WHY they all return season after season.

Meanwhile, the other coach's team is ramming into our smaller players over and over and over again until they send one to the hospital. NO LIE. Happened today and it's on the video. Sooooo- HIS coaching style is to maim someone if he's losing. That's perfect. Those players are really going to grow up with some good morals. Can't wait to have them as adult society members. (Insert more eye rolls.)

So when some snowflakes contact the league about how my husband's coaching is detrimental to the kids--- maybe they should come speak to his present and past players as well as their parents about what's actually going on, and then take a look in the mirror.

Maybe they will become enlightened.