Tonight was Cameron's third 4th grade basketball game and it was by far the most disappointing of the season. It was not that way because we lost or that we played poorly, but because an overzealous coach from the other team ruined it for all involved. I do not understand the philosophy of deciding in fourth grade who is the superstar and who isn't. Our team has twenty boys, all of whom play equally and learn all of the positions. His team had six fourth grade boys with one boy allowed to play point guard.
I sat in the stands and was absolutely amazed at the stupidity of it all. Part of playing youth sports is learning the game, but it is also learning how to be a good teammate and camaraderie with one's peers. It's the stories after the game, the waiting for practice to start, the mistakes, the great passes, the growing, and the learning that is important. It isn't about one or two players playing all of the time, building elite teams and beating up on the B team. I was impressed with how well our coaches and players handled it. They learned how to react to the defense and to keep trying no matter what. They also learned that their coach is coaching all of them and that they are an important part of the program.
Tonight we saw the ugly side of youth sports. It is the part that makes me cringe. Youth sports are definitely not for the weak at heart.
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