I hope this comes across the right way...Tonight I took the boys to one of my student's soccer games while Jenny went to Enrichment (which she really liked and you should ask her about some of the cool stuff). I like going to the kids' games. They are fun for me and the boys and the kids playing to have their semianry teacher come. Tonight we had a show. Without boring you with the details (which could be an important part of the story), the end of the game situations brought a couple of parents and the coach to the sidelines to start saying some awful things to the center official and line judge. I couldn't believe what I was witnessing. (Maybe it could have rivaled the event at Justin's football game that was supposedly similar--we didn't make it there, so don't know) I am all up for razzling the refs, yelling at the t.v., booing at an apparent bad call, and getting into the game, but for the first time tonight I started to wonder when it goes too far. When does someone think they have the right to yell at someone inches from their face? Is it ever justified? When do we throw out the fact that they are a person, a human being, with feelings and a family they will go home to and treat them like nothing. How bad does the call have to be before permission is granted to get personal. When are feelings of frustration allowed to turn into anger toward the person and not just the bad call. I get frustrated with this as a teacher sometimes (and blame it on pride on my part). But I can't understand in a similar fashion when I lost my identity as a human being and became part of the institution that some of these kids seem to hate from day one. I want to say...Do you even know me? Do you even know my name before you have some beef with me? (Anyways, that is a side tangent). I saw some of the most childish arguments tonight by civilized adults. When should a 50 year old man start yelling at a 16 year old just to rant and rave about a bad call. (This 16 year old was not the official, but the kid kicking the penalty kick on the other team). Ridiculous. You had to be there, I know, but it really bothered me tonight. Yes, it is part of the game. Yes, an official should know he will be booed on every call from one side of the field or the other. When there is a foul, the fouling team will never yell, "Good Call Ref". But can we zoom out of the field sometimes and remember who we are and who they are and boo with decency?
Now watch, in ten years from now I will knock out the front tooth of the opposing coach when Jackson plays...
6 comments:
It's amazing how people let things get out of control. It would be hard if it was happeining to your child. Who knows, but I doubt you will be the one punching the ref :)
true, it will probably be jenny
It is a weird thing. We experienced that at one of Jacob's baseball games. I am amazed how some parents can just be ruthless.
Dude, if I'm that toothless opposing coach, I'll just hug you back like a decent human.
Andy and I absolutely loved the pictures of Jackson with his bedtime buddies and dinner guests- how cute is that?! Your boys are absolutely adorable. Hope things are going well for you guys.
Hey Jenny, could you email me the things you did at enrichment? We're trying to come up with some good ideas for next month. Thanks.
Wait until you are watching the same situation except with your grandchild playing! Hopefully by then you've already stood with such disbelief watching others be fools before you have children playing, then make a fool of yourself when your own child is playing and finally hope you don't watch your own children be the fool while watching your grandchild! Ditto to Christy, you never know what you will do when it's your own child.
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