As someone who never took part in organized sports, I disagree with you’re assertion that they’re some stepping stone to becoming some idealized “manly” man. Are those of us who enjoy mainly the intellectual pleasures innately less of men?
[quote]mmllcc wrote:
Zap Branigan wrote:
mmllcc wrote:
Airtruth wrote:
Charles Barkley, Larry bird, and Magic Johnson again.
And two of those players we wouldn’t want to see again.
Which two? I enjoyed watching all three.
Weren’t Charles and Magic both gay?[/quote]
…
[quote]mmllcc wrote:
Zap Branigan wrote:
mmllcc wrote:
Airtruth wrote:
Charles Barkley, Larry bird, and Magic Johnson again.
And two of those players we wouldn’t want to see again.
Which two? I enjoyed watching all three.
Weren’t Charles and Magic both gay?[/quote]
Your posts in this thread are just brilliant.
I think baseball is the dumbest sport known to man, I’d say boys need more football and more soccer and less baseball.
[quote]mmllcc wrote:
Zap Branigan wrote:
mmllcc wrote:
Airtruth wrote:
Charles Barkley, Larry bird, and Magic Johnson again.
And two of those players we wouldn’t want to see again.
Which two? I enjoyed watching all three.
Weren’t Charles and Magic both gay?[/quote]
Together? I don’t know, they never invited me over for butt secks.
[quote]mmllcc wrote:
Zap Branigan wrote:
mmllcc wrote:
Airtruth wrote:
Charles Barkley, Larry bird, and Magic Johnson again.
And two of those players we wouldn’t want to see again.
Which two? I enjoyed watching all three.
Weren’t Charles and Magic both gay?[/quote]
No. But I have a feeling your kids might be if you ever had any given the gems you’ve displayed in this thread. What am I saying? Not gay (not that there’s anything wrong with that) but maybe just taking a page from the Menendez book. You could consider sterilization.
[quote]pushharder wrote:
I’m pro-football, anti-soccer at least in North America.
Soccer is for the rest of the world. We, Americans and Canadians, are different.
Sue me or travel cross country and burn my trailer house down. It don’t matter much to me. (Good grammar in this instance doesn’t either)[/quote]
Do they play football in Canada? And if your close to the border of Canada/US shouldn’t you be promoting Hockey as the truely manley sport.
Anyone who says soccer isn’t rough or aggressive doesn’t understand the game. And that’s coming from someone who played soccer, football, and rugby in high school.
Have them play Lacrosse! Its is something that was never invented to be a game. It was meant to be a way to settle conflict among the Indian Tribes of North America. People were killed, maimed and beaten.
The contests lasted days. While the modern version has be slightly refined (we can’t kill anyone) it is still a form of armed conflict and it is incredibly fun to play! And as a plus it is a wholely North American game created by some of the first Americans, the Iroquois and Huron!
P.S. Back in high school I had a buddy who played for a boarding school in NY and they played against some Indian Reservation teams in upstate NY. My pal said these guys were insane! Some of the best players he’d ever seen at that level. They really take it to heart as a piece of their culture.
Since when does a game define masculinity?
I consider football to be more brutal and interesting than most other sports, but shit, some kids are just not inclined to be good at some sports. That doesn’t make them weak in and of itself.
[quote]Testy1 wrote:
pushharder wrote:
I’m pro-football, anti-soccer at least in North America.
Soccer is for the rest of the world. We, Americans and Canadians, are different.
Sue me or travel cross country and burn my trailer house down. It don’t matter much to me. (Good grammar in this instance doesn’t either)
Do they play football in Canada? And if your close to the border of Canada/US shouldn’t you be promoting Hockey as the truely manley sport.[/quote]
Football isn’t a big deal here, especially in high school. Most of the schools around here might have bleachers by the football fields to hold at least 50 people.
Other than that, most of the interests youth have in sports are hockey, soccer, and volleyball. The soccer leagues for youth are massive, and it’s what the majority of kids play growing up.
Hockey is big as well, due to the fact that everyone lives within a few minutes of an outdoor rink that stays frozen for 8 months out of the year.
But I say let kids play what they want to, what they are good at, and what they are interested in. Also, parents have too much involvement in the sports teams nowadays. I hate those helicopter parents, so annoying.
[quote]ab_power wrote:
But I say let kids play what they want to, what they are good at, and what they are interested in. Also, parents have too much involvement in the sports teams nowadays. I hate those helicopter parents, so annoying. [/quote]
My parents bought me a microscope when I was a kid instead of a football. Why? Because that is what I showed the most interest in at the time. I am glad they didn’t act like some of the people seem to in this thread.
Agreed … dragging a kid to play football or any sport when they hate it and/or are obviously not cut out to play sports is stupid. And there are other things they can do other than sports to activate their “male genes” … like hunting or fishing or an interest in cars or engines or a bunch of other stuff.
I’m just saying that at least around here in the suburbs I don’t see most kids (boys) doing ANY of the above any more and I wonder what the hell is going to be the result.
I think of all the stuff I think is essential to me that my Dad passed on to me and I look at these kids and they don’t have any of that and I wonder what kind of grown men they’re going to be?
Specifically I brought this up because I think my nephews could use some toughening up … and since they like sports I think something like football would be good for them. Or rugby or Lacrosse … something other than video games.
[quote]flyboy51v wrote:
agreed … dragging a kid to play football or any sport when they hate it and/or are obviously not cut out to play sports is stupid. And there are other things they can do other than sports to activate their “male genes” … like hunting or fishing or an interest in cars or engines or a bunch of other stuff.
I’m just saying that at least around here in the suburbs I don’t see most kids (boys) doing ANY of the above any more and I wonder what the hell is going to be the result.
I think of all the stuff I think is essential to me that my Dad passed on to me and I look at these kids and they don’t have any of that and I wonder what kind of grown men they’re going to be?
Specifically I brought this up because I think my nephews could use some toughening up … and since they like sports I think something like football would be good for them. Or rugby or Lacrosse … something other than video games.
[/quote]
Most kids today are complete weaklings and it has NOTHING to do with specifically which sport they are forced to play. Most of these kids don’t even go outside much anymore. That is HOW we learned to grow up and stand up for ourselves.
Not having mommy and daddy around at all times and learning how to handle yourself when a fight breaks out because your mom got called a bitch used to be normal. You would roll around and throw a few punches…and then get back on the bikes and screw around until dark.
Kids don’t do that anymore. There are more kids who have played GTA-4 than have climbed a fucking tree.
It will also only get worse as technology advances. People don’t go to libraries anymore and they have to put in no leg work at all if their goal is to research a topic. Everyone, not just kids, has leaned more towards becoming some sedentary automaton who is afraid to stand out in a crowd.
The real place to place that blame is not on the kids…but on the parents that allow it to continue.
My parents would have thrown a fit if I had stayed in the house as much as kids do today. I was outside frying ants with a magnifying glass more than I was inside playing video games.
Fix the parents, fix the problem.
[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
I think we need less organization in our sports.[/quote]
Isn’t this a contradiction? The mere idea that there exists a sport means that people were organized enough to agree on a set of rules?
Not to beat a dead horse but sports federations are a great example of anarchic organization.
[quote]flyboy51v wrote:
Am I wrong?
[/quote]
yes
baseball is lame.
girls have their version of baseball. obviously no male should play it then.
soccer and tennis are awesome. you are not.
[off topic]
Why do girls stretch and then rub their eyes first thing in the morning?
because they don’t have balls to scratch
[/off topic]
yea, she’s one of the misinformed thinking that it’s not a contact sport. just goes to show you have small them women’s brains really are.
no. you’re just blatantly stupid.
i would hope so given how irrational your argument is, but probably not.
In regard to soccer vs. baseball vs. football. Again it’s because I know these … I’m sure MMA and Lacrosse and boxing and wrestling and rugby are tough as hell … anyway …
I was thinking back on playing the first three …
I can distinctly remember playing in my first fast pitch league and having to stand in the batter’s box against some freak of nature pitcher the other team had (the kid was 2 feet taller than everyone else and was starting a beard) who threw what seemed like 100 mph and was pretty wild.
There’s an element of fear in that situation. You just have to gut it out as a little kid and get ready to hit the dirt or take one in the ear for the team.
Likewise for football … there are situations where you know you are going to get hit and hit hard and it’s going to hurt and you just have to do it.
I can’t remember a single instance in probably 12 years playing organized soccer where I had the slightest fear in any situation? Honestly. Maybe I never played the game right?
But I’ve never observed any soccer player in any situation where I winced … you know? I can’t count the number of plays ive observed in football where you watch it and think to yourself that someone’s not getting up after that …
This is not to say that the end all for little kids is getting hit in the head by a baseball … I just don’t think soccer is the same thing. It’s fun … I enjoyed it … but …
[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
Kids don’t want to practice, they just want to play. Lose the uniforms roll out the ball and let them play.
I completely understand your point about letting the kids roam and play vs organized sports.
One of the big problems is that neighborhoods don’t have places for kids to run and throw a ball. Streets are often far too busy.
Towns end up building parks with nice ball fields but the kids often cannot go there to play unless the parents drive them over.
[/quote]
I agree with much of the principle of what you are saying. However, I think that a good coach can not only teach kids more about the game but also make it more exciting and enjoyable for them.
I have been involved in coaching volleyball since I was 15. I’d like to think that I’m pretty good at it and the demand I have for, and the pay I receive for, running camps and clinics seems to back this up.
I firmly believe in teaching technical skills and when I run a practice it is extremely organized, every minute is planned (that does not mean I never change on the fly, etc., but that’s neither here nor there) and there is hardly a time when I just “roll it out and let them play.”
However, one thing I stress very strongly and constantly (to the point of being a broken record) is that the ball is the best teacher. I do not do much talking.
I may explain a technique a succinctly as possible but my goal every practice is to give every kid the maximum amount of touches on the ball as possible. I keep telling them that no coach can teach them what the ball can.
I believe, Airtruth, that this is what you were referring to as the “feel” for the game. However, it is my firm conviction that the vast majority of players will never develop this feel for the game if left to their own devices. They will continue to use the techniques that come naturally to them and will be frustrated by their lack of progress.
Meanwhile, the kids that naturally do the right things get the most touches on the ball, dominate the play and are usually the ones that receive most of the coaching. This, to me, is one of the biggest failures in American (and most likely worldwide but I cannot speak to that) sport culture.
It is my experience that kids love to play for a coach that is organized, enthusiastic and positive but at the same time constantly trying to help them master new skills and techniques. My experiences as a player confirmed this. Yes, I do love “just playing” but it has always been more enjoyable when I am allowed to play but am working to master new challenges or improve techniques and skills.
Many coaches do “drills” that involve either:
A. Boring repetition of stuff that doesn’t challenge them.
B. Stuff that is way too tiring for the sake of being tiring.
I believe a good coach designs practices that allow kids to get as many reps as possible working on their skills and working to master things that are difficult for them but that with focused effort they can just barely achieve.
It is like lifting weights, if I ask you to come in to the weightroom every day and curl a 15lb dumbbell, that is going to be boring and you’re not going to improve. Likewise, if I ask you to deadlift 200 pounds more than your max, the bar will never get off the floor- frustrating, boring and you won’t improve. This is what many bad sport coaches in America do.
Second level: if I say “go in the weightroom and do whatever you want,” what will happen? Well some people will go in there, bust their ass, figure out what works for them and achieve great results. These are the Magics and Birds of the world.
The rest of the people will either fuck around and curl in the squat rack for an hour or just get frustrated because they don’t know what they’re doing and leave. This is “rolling the ball out and letting them play.” Better than idiot coaches but not the best for everybody.
Optimal level: I have great communication with you so I know clearly what sort of physique and strength goals you have and my experience allows me to know what exercises will help you achieve them.
During your training sessions I am constantly communicating so I know what exercises you enjoy, what you like doing and what you wish you could do better at. I put a weight on the squat bar that you barely failed at last week, I briefly talk you through the techniques you need to do correctly to lift that weight.
You get mentally prepared to squat it and as you squat the weight you I am in your ear yelling the cues to help keep your technique correct. You stand up with the weight and hit a new squat PR. This is what coaches should aspire to and what some are able to accomplish but the vast majority do not out of lack of education, training, or (mostly) just sheer laziness.
I am very passionate about coaching and I honestly believe that I can help every kid I work with get more enjoyment and satisfaction out of the game that I love so much.
My experience tells me that I am very successful at doing this and I think that many coaches can do the same if they put the effort I do into continued education, training and by approaching each practice or training session with the enthusiasm you expect from your kids.
[quote]Professor X wrote:
ab_power wrote:
But I say let kids play what they want to, what they are good at, and what they are interested in. Also, parents have too much involvement in the sports teams nowadays. I hate those helicopter parents, so annoying.
My parents bought me a microscope when I was a kid instead of a football. Why? Because that is what I showed the most interest in at the time. I am glad they didn’t act like some of the people seem to in this thread.[/quote]
Smart parents! To me, it seems as if most parents push their own interests onto their children without regard to the kids’ own strengths and talents.
Personally, I think team sports is great for kids. But only a fraction of them will play on a high school team, and an even smaller fraction of high school varsity players will go to play on a college team.
So keep it fun for the little ones, regardless of what sport they choose to play. Because most of them will not grow up to be athletes. But the lessons learned by being a team player will serve them well in any profession. Both boys and girls.