The older my kids get, the more involved they are in activities outside of just school.
Not that it’s “just school.” School is a priority (the priority) and sometimes we have to remind ourselves of that when we are being pulled away from the final bell towards stop watches and mesh netting.
I’m still surprised when I talk to other parents about activities their kids are in, hearing about different coaching techniques even though, there seems to be a recurring theme.
The coach who benches kids for missing a practice.
I’m not a coach, #I’mNotACoach, #IrepeatI’mNotACoach so I have no authority to even speak about the pros and cons of riding the pine, (even though I had a rather lengthy and intimate relationship with my high school volleyball bench. Ozzy and I still have our initials carved in it somewhere). I guess I just don’t know how benching a kid for enjoying different activities benefits anyone.
I know of a young girl who had a gymnastics competition on the same day as a hockey practice.
The hockey coach sat the girl for the entire next game as punishment for missing the practice.
I understand being benched if you are playing piano (because you’re already sitting on one) but public humiliation in front of your peers for participating in another sport on the same day doesn’t sit well with me.
Aren’t we all working together to raise well-rounded kids, keeping the doors open to try new things, learn new tricks and even play sports that compliment each other?
Doesn’t the threat of being benched also encourage kids to come to practice with tuberculosis?
I think we need to take a step back. We wouldn’t go into our place of work with the stomach flu for fear our employer would make us sit out of the next important meeting. If anything, missing work would result in more work.
Why not apply the same logic to sports? If you miss a practice, you have a little extra work to make-up.
No humiliation, no missing the game, just 3000 burpees for the athlete and their parents and everyone’s on the same page.
But I’m not a coach.
