One of my favorite of all sports quotations is the Special Olympics oath:
“Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”
I think youth sports would be well served if all coaches and players kept this more in mind.
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This week, the Solebury Storm coach eliminated 33% of the team in favor of players from other townships.
Aside from the effect on my son, I worry about what such behaviour teaches our children. I fear this kind of sports leadership will teach them to believe winning takes precedence over sportsmanship, loyalty, effort and bravery.
The coach cut Jack from the team he has played on for three years that was like a family, full of wonderful boys and great parents. He dropped at least four other players as well. I don’t know yet which other players were cut, but it doesn’t matter because none of the players from last year’s team should have been eliminated in favor of players from other townships.
Solebury Soccer Club travel teams have never been a select, elite program. There are teams in our area that are. Those select teams have rigorous tryouts and chose players from a multi-township region to play on their teams.
I didn’t talk to the coach directly. So this is based on Kevin’s and Jack’s conversations with him. (I did have Kevin and Jack read this over to make sure I am accurate about what was said.)
The coach said that he wanted to make sure the team was ready to “step-up” to play in Division I. The team went 7-3 last year in Division II, so they were talented enough to advance to the top division. Even if they are challenged by the competition in the tougher division, would it be so awful to go 3-7?
I guess the coach believes that a significant number of last year’s players aren’t up to the standard of play in that division, because he cut them in favor of the five players from other townships.
The players he abandoned are ones who played well enough to help the team get to Division I, but I guess that doesn’t matter. (What’s that quote about “You gotta dance with the girl you come with”?)
We have supported the Solebury Soccer Club for six years – financially, emotionally, in volunteer jobs … even politically. Kevin and I offered to found – and fund – a Political Action Committee to help the club lobby the Board of Supervisors for more fields.
We didn’t support the club because we want preferential treatment for our children. We did it because we believed passionately in the Solebury Soccer Club program for the children of our township.
Let me repeat: children from our township.
Not children from other townships – however skilled — who want to play on a different team because they didn’t like their coach last year.
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