Sports Dads
Sports Dads
Fathers, don’t stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. (Eph. 6:4)
A Desperate Attempt
As soon as the ball trickled through the poor kid’s legs, his dad was screaming at him from the stands. “You’d better get down on that ball! What have I told you?!?” When he next came up to bat, he struck out, bringing more harsh, loud criticism. Another error in the field, another strike out, and the father was all but apoplectic.
The scene repeated itself every single game of the season and even carried over into other sports. Instead of listening to his coaches on the field, the youngster looked to his father in a desperate attempt to please him. Yet every time he missed a basket or failed to get a hit, his father’s disapproval rang out.
Raving Lunatic
Some of the nicest men in the world turn into raving lunatics at their kids’ ball games. Does your child get most, if not all, of his or her validation from you through sports? If so, there’s something wrong with that picture. There’s a huge difference between pulling for your child to do well in sports and pushing them to be perfect.
Sports are supposed to be . . . what’s the word for it? Fun. Yeah, that’s it. There’s another major problem with “acting out” at your child’s game. What kind of example does it set for spectators and participants? You have only one chance to make a first impression, and you’re going to spend it yelling at a youth-league umpire?
Bottom Line
Unless you’re a pro baseball or football hall of famer, keep your athletic tips in perspective. It’s only a game.