People that age shouldn't have to experience that kind of pain.
I've learned a few things about the genius that calls himself the coach of this particular team, and from what I've learned, my son is probably better off not being on the team. I'm absolutely certain that my son is better off not being in this particular coach's classroom. I'm saddened and disgusted that this is so often the case in today's school world. Actual statistics: in the four days since practice started, two of the young men who made the team have already been cut from the team. Obviously, Mr. Genius knows how to pick winners.
Anyway, only a day after missing the cut, my son was offered a job as a manager for the girl's basketball team, with a coach that he knows and respects. He took the job, and appreciates the opportunity. He's been to each practice, done everything he's been asked to do, and presented himself in every way as a valuable member of the team.
I offer this as evidence of reason #4,625 why my son is a better man than I am. Yes, age 13 was 28 years ago for me, and I've never tried out for a sports team in my life. But I can say with relative certainty that if I had been put into the same position -- if I had been hurt and disappointed and discarded in the same way that my young son just was -- I guarantee you my response would have been far less mature. I would probably have walked away from the sport altogether. The situation would almost certainly have soured my friendships with the players who made the team. And I would have channeled all my youthful energy into figuring out how to sneak a large, frozen fish into school so I could stash it above the ceiling in the coach's office. Yeah, I was a pretty mean kid.
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| From kdt on Flickr |
It took me a LONG time to grow up. I can't tell you how happy I am to see so much proof that my son is a better man than I am.
So the boy told me that he still wants to play basketball. He thinks he's got it in him to make the freshman basketball team. If he's serious, we've got about 360 days to prove Coach Genius wrong and earn his spot. It's not going to be easy, but if you're betting against this kid, I think you may not understand how this game is played. Looks like we're in for a busy year.
3 comments:
Awesome post, man. For one, it makes me feel a lot better about my own state of arrested development. It also makes me realize that it is very hard to teach people how to be good people. When you consider we as educators only have them 8 hours out of the day and their parents have them (or don't have them) for the rest, it puts our jobs into perspective in that IT IS SO HARD TO TEACH GOOD LIFE SKILLS! Now if you'll excuse me, I must go discipline one of my cats.
Tell your son to hang in there. He should not worry about what one particular "coach" sees or doesn't see in his ability. A similar thing happened to my son when he started high school. He tried out for basketball (which he still loves). Short story is that he didn't make the team (it may have had more to do with being a part of a certain group than ability). I told him that he could try out again the next year, but he refused. He didn't want to hang with those people. I hated to see a love for a sport go to waste so I encouraged him to put his efforts into other areas of the sport and during his high school career he ended up as an assistant coach for Optimist basketball teams for younger kids, helping out at basketball games with scoring and the clock, and organizing and playing on a rec team at the local rec center with friends. When he entered college, he continued to find other ways to be involved with basketball and he has been a manager for an A-10 team and travels with the team on road trips. He has worked his way into the head manager job. I am very proud of how my son has not let one coach's opinion ruin his love for basketball. So kudos to your son! He has found a way to continue to be involve also! Good luck to him in his future basketball pursuits.
Thanks for the kind words, Christine. I'm glad to hear that your son reacted so well, and is able to use his positive energy for something so good.
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