.....and I don't mean physically, although some are much more pleasing on the eye than others.
Tonight we had the first tennis final for son's tennis. During the season you have to play players in the same order each game. For example, with five girls in the team, you rank them all and of the three that play, the highest ranked has to play No 1 the second highest No 2 and the third No 3. My understanding was that that didn't have to be the case during the finals. I was sure that I had checked that out during the season. So based on stats during the season I played a girl who would normally have played No 2 during the season, as No 1 (I hope you're keeping up with this!). A short time into the game a mother from the other side came up to me and asked if I realised I was playing the girls out of order. This resulted in three people on their mobiles to various association gurus to determine the rules about this. It was determined that I had done the wrong thing, so then came the decision about what to do. Do we stop the games and start again, do they make us forfeit, or do we just keep going, keep things in perspective (ie. this is kids tennis, not Wimbledon, and no money involved!). It was decided to keep things going - although the opposition was divided on this. The opposition team manager was a really nice, easy going bloke. He was happy to let it pass, but other parents weren't so happy. At one point he said to me 'We seem to be the only two calm parents here'. I don't know that I was that calm, but certainly wasn't treating it like the end of the world as we know it! Unfortunately it got a bit nasty on both sides. We ended up losing (it wasn't an elimination final, so we get a second chance), but they still wanted to put in a protest (the poor team manager was very embarrassed).
If we win next week, we will end up meeting this team again in the Grand Final. It will make for a VERY unpleasant final.
I have to say the future of our society doesn't hold much hope with the example they have!
Why do people get so affected by sport, especially parents?!?! (Don't worry, that was a rhetorical question - I know it's all around projection issues!)
4 comments:
Hi Campbell,
I too have wondered why parents become so obsessed over the sports their children are involved in. Of course we all want to be “winners” but like you stated, it’s not “the end of the world” if your team loses. Perhaps a lot of the adults are reliving their own childhood through their kids...
The parents should grow up and start setting good examples for their youngsters and quit behaving like over-sized brats. I wonder if they’ve ever heard of “sportsman/woman like conduct”?
because so many people feel insecure that if their kids do well it finally validates their [defective] personalities !
Seriously, these people need to get a life!!!
Hi Campbell,
“If we win next week, we will end up meeting this team again in the Grand Final”; so, did your team win???
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