Character Counts

Character. The trait that keeps us grounded, stable and focused on what's most important to us. The definition of character is the moral qualities that make up a person's personality. These qualities could be honesty, respect, forgiveness, unselfishness, hate, arrogance and so on. When we started our sports program back in 2002, it wasn't started with the intention to develop youth athletes. To groom them to be the best team in the state or even the in the nation if they worked hard. It was developed for the sole intent to provide athletic instruction nurtured with a family environment. For anyone who has played athletics the hardest thing to do sometimes is perform under pressure. To remember your responsibilities, when to use the skills that you have been taught in practice, remembering offensive and defensive plays and when to trust your instincts on not following through with the play. These responsibilities are sometimes impossible for even professional athletes, so just imagine how difficult it might be for a 12,14 or even 16 year old kid. Parents I know that we all want our sons to be stars and to be perfect. We expect them to defy all odds and continuously make us look good. But is that fair? Is it fair to assume that a kid has the same expectations that you have set for him. Years ago athletics was intended to provide an outlet to the every day pressures that people face. An escape to recover from the pressures of school, work, home stress and life. At 36 I have not yet learned how to master stress so I know it is impossible to assume a 16year old kid has. So my question to you is how much do you love your child. Could you love him the same if he was a star on the 12 & under team or a bench warmer on the high school team. If your answer is yes then maybe you need to let him know. Being a leader is not about ability its about responsibility. We have to be responsible for not only the good decisions but also the bad ones too....to be continued