So Emmett had his first flag football practice on Friday. He’s a member of the Raiders. I told the head coach I’d be happy to help as an assistant. He didn’t seem particularly interested. I am relieved.
I tend to sit by the side for the first practice, usually with a book, just to make sure the head coach isn’t Hitler. On Friday, I wasn’t alone. There were other dads. One, in particular, stood out.
His son wore a T-shirt that looked (and read) pretty much like this …
The dad paced the sidelines throughout the session. He cheered when his son made a good play. He pulled him aside when he made a poor play. He’s not a coach, or an assistant coach, or an assistant assistant coach, but he felt compelled to serve as a private tutor for Junior during a practice.
I don’t understand these types of parents. Ever. Your kid is a kid once. For a very short period. A. How does flag football success translate into anything? B. How does being a sideline parent translate into anything positive? C. Why do you care?
Let the kid play.
He doesn’t need to dominate.
