It was always my thinking as a coach and as a player that sports should be fun for the kids who are playing. What I didn’t realize, even from my own perspective as a former high school player, is how much pressure can be put on the kids to succeed. It may be me but it seems as though the need to “win” has put a lot of unwarranted pressure upon today’s young players.
For a player to feel as though he has lost a game, or season for their team due to an error is just awful. That is a moment the player will take with them to the grave and for what? A “W”, please it is not worth it. As a coach this year has been so eye opening to me with how the players deal with this game on an emotional level. I had no idea how invested players emotions can be when playing a game but they are just kids playing a game. Playing for fun, playing to be with their friends or playing just for the sheer fun of it. It seems as though that “W” has wiped all the fun out of the game for all who participate.
