By Staff
Softball is for fun, but true enough we as coaches want our team to win. When coaching our own kids, neighborhood friends' kids, we can find ourselves showing too much favoritism toward certain kids, not knowing what impact it has on the kids left behind -- no one knows his family and he is just a normal kid from a just average everyday family that works and pays taxes.
Some kids may not be as fortunate to have a dentist, a lawyer, a doctor, or an engineer as his parent, but have good manners, and want to play ball and be treated fairly just like the rest of the kids.
I am not a doctor but I am sure a child has to sit and wonder "will he get to play," when the clock is steadily moving and the innings are steadily moving right along.
When he finally gets a chance to play he is so nervous he can hardly do well. Some kids are so well-mannered that they were taught just do what the coach says -- one day he will recognize you, even when its when some of the players he considers to be his best get hurt. Its sad when you have to depend on another child getting hurt to know you may play.
Hopefully one day coaches will realize every parent's child is just as good as their child. But if some of the coaches and their kids and friends' kids could trade positions for just 30 minutes, I don't think they could stand the feeling.
This letter is just to let coaches remember every child should be treated equally, and they may not be talented as the next, but if their heart is in it let them play -- maybe one day they will do better, or just give it up and realize the sport he or she is trying to play may not be for them.
But let them play to realize this.