jtdc492 wrote:I've had this conversation with friends and it would always come to video games and laziness.
I pointed out that communities that field good numbers of participation year in and out regardless of size are communities that have very strong family values and a low divorce rate.
Homes with one parent, especially where the father is absent, tend to be the households with low participation numbers. Strong morals and character that are not instilled at home translates into poor work habits in school or sports.
I know this is not always the case, but is a factor.
scruffy wrote:Another factor is expectations. It no longer is good enough to go out for a sport just to be involved and have fun. The pressure to excel has taken the fun out of it for many. The media portrays the sports as "win it all..or you're a failure" They scoff at second place. Watching parents, student sections and other fans scream at officials, coaches and participants can be embarrassing... Being "rude" is in and that is taking a toll...
ndfan wrote:scruffy wrote:Another factor is expectations. It no longer is good enough to go out for a sport just to be involved and have fun. The pressure to excel has taken the fun out of it for many. The media portrays the sports as "win it all..or you're a failure" They scoff at second place. Watching parents, student sections and other fans scream at officials, coaches and participants can be embarrassing... Being "rude" is in and that is taking a toll...
I couldn't agree with you more.
scruffy wrote:No, that's not what I meant. If a kid goes out I would expect them to give 100% at all times. But not everyone is cut out for sports and many of those "border line" kids don't go out because of unrealistic expectations. We have to remember this is only high school sports. Very few if any will go on to make a career of this but they do learn good lessons in life. When it's said and done....a VERY LOW percentage of the people really care about high school sports and we have to keep that in perspective.
scoobyx2 wrote:scruffy wrote:No, that's not what I meant. If a kid goes out I would expect them to give 100% at all times. But not everyone is cut out for sports and many of those "border line" kids don't go out because of unrealistic expectations. We have to remember this is only high school sports. Very few if any will go on to make a career of this but they do learn good lessons in life. When it's said and done....a VERY LOW percentage of the people really care about high school sports and we have to keep that in perspective.
I know where you are coming from, and mean well. I do believe that every kid who wants to participate in a high school sport should be given an opportunity, and with the lower participation numbers, and schools getting smaller across the state, that should not be a problem for most kids. Also, we need to know what defines "border line" kids. Are they hard working, complete all the drills, never miss practice, practice all summer but just aren't that talented; or are they kids that think we should be happy they just came out, and we should accommodate them to have the numbers? Also, in many ND communities, a VERY HIGH percentage of people care about high school sports, and are interested in how their school kids are doing. My parents always said that I owed it to my town to participate in the school activities that were offered, and do the best I could do. They (along with a lot of families) couldn't afford a lot, but paid their taxes, and said we should take advantage of whatever was offered.
scruffy wrote:scoobyx2 wrote:scruffy wrote:No, that's not what I meant. If a kid goes out I would expect them to give 100% at all times. But not everyone is cut out for sports and many of those "border line" kids don't go out because of unrealistic expectations. We have to remember this is only high school sports. Very few if any will go on to make a career of this but they do learn good lessons in life. When it's said and done....a VERY LOW percentage of the people really care about high school sports and we have to keep that in perspective.
I know where you are coming from, and mean well. I do believe that every kid who wants to participate in a high school sport should be given an opportunity, and with the lower participation numbers, and schools getting smaller across the state, that should not be a problem for most kids. Also, we need to know what defines "border line" kids. Are they hard working, complete all the drills, never miss practice, practice all summer but just aren't that talented; or are they kids that think we should be happy they just came out, and we should accommodate them to have the numbers? Also, in many ND communities, a VERY HIGH percentage of people care about high school sports, and are interested in how their school kids are doing. My parents always said that I owed it to my town to participate in the school activities that were offered, and do the best I could do. They (along with a lot of families) couldn't afford a lot, but paid their taxes, and said we should take advantage of whatever was offered.
and there lies the problem...parent pressure to get them to go out. I agree everyone should try to go out for some things but sports isn't for everyone yet many students feel pressured to go out. Fine arts, speech, drama and organizations like that don't seem to have the "parent pressure"..
scruffy wrote:Correct but it seems like parents want to live "their dreams" in their kids life. To me basketball and football is the worst for this. I'm saying it doesn't always have to be basketball but it could be participation in track, drama, student congress or any other activity. I want my kids to be active in school sponsored events but it has to be in areas that THEY choose to be in....
scoobyx2 wrote:scruffy wrote:Correct but it seems like parents want to live "their dreams" in their kids life. To me basketball and football is the worst for this. I'm saying it doesn't always have to be basketball but it could be participation in track, drama, student congress or any other activity. I want my kids to be active in school sponsored events but it has to be in areas that THEY choose to be in....
Which takes us back to the original point of this discussion....what do you do if they don't choose anything? A lot of kids don't like to read either, but good parents make them!
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