DKStories' Blog

It's easy to forget how much fun kid sports can actually be, if the parents and coaches can supress their own competitive lusts.James

I coached Little League baseball for a few years. Looking back on that time, a time I loved, my major regret is that I didn't empathize fun as much as I could have. The boys loved what we were doing, and they certainly did have fun, but it's so easy for an adult to get swept up in the competitiveness and the wanting to win.And that isn't a bad thing. Boys are going to grow into men, and they will be competing with other men all their lives. Teaching them how to do that while maintaining their equilibrium and fitting good sportsmanship into the mix is important.It's difficult for a coach to mainting that balance. I think I did, but I wish I'd pushed the joy of playing just a little more. Years later, you don't remember the wins and losses that seemed important at the time. You do remember the smiles on the faces of the boys when they slipped that batting helmet on, or they made a running catch, or cleanly fielded a ground ball.I too can watch boys at play and feel the elation in their smiles. It's about as good as life gets.Cole