A video from True Sport shows how terrible it can be for some kids who play sport on the ride home after a game or practice. It’s part of a new campaign called, “The Ride Home“.
In the video, which you can watch below, a father berates his son for wanting to have fun during a practice.
It’s a difficult video to watch, because none of us like to see kids treated that way. But also because many of us may have said similar things to our children at some point.
Kids tend to stop playing sports because they’re not having fun, and the way we talk to them about their participation matters a lot.
For children, playing a sport or participating in any kind of activity needs to be fun. That doesn’t mean it can’t also be challenging and skill-building. But if it’s not fun, and they don’t want to play anymore, they won’t get any of the other benefits that sports can give them.
The ride home is easy, actually. You just have to remember to say six words:
Damian and Cathy are 100% right we have 2 children here who hate playing in the league they are in because they lose all the time due to teammates that just want to have a laugh all they time but we don’t get on their case due to the amount of ability they have ……. that’s not fun is it ! , then on the flip side we have one child who is at a top academy and also plays div1 grassroots …..I’ll be honest I am constantly criticising his game all be it constructively to improve him and help him realise his potential. To many idiots want to try and have the moral high ground, mainly people who are ignorant to the fact that kids have different perspectives depending on ability ( by the way I’ve trained that same kid for four years , he absolutely still loves the game , still asks me train him 3-4 times a week and is constantly striving to improve as he always has ) …..make of that what you will.
He’s right but only if the aim is to win games as a 7 year old. If the aim is to build someone who loves the game and will go as far as they can with it into adulthood,he’s going about it in the wrong way
I feel so sad for this boy to have experienced this. If the father felt that he was not taking practice seriously, perhaps he could have approached the topic in another way. I get that it is a competitive sport, but he is a child and maybe dad should have probed abit further to see if the boy is enjoying himself still (if this is a repeated behaviour)
or not or if there was some other reason
why the boy needed to connect with his friends. I’ve seen many parents live through their children and push them to be successful because it’s the parent’s dream, not the child’s. A great reminder of how not to behave when upset.
It’s odd how I was the second person to comment on this video but the dates and comment have all changed. The original poster agreed with the dad’s perspective. I agreed with her comment regarding the dad. A 3rd poster agreed with the both of us. But somehow thus rubish about feeling so bad for the boy is here. We live in a society that can’t say “NO” to kids. Nothing is their fault. The have no responsibilities. There are no consequences to any of their actions. And this video echoes that sentiment.
Damian, you are still the second commenter on this article. We’re simply showing more recent comments at the top.
I don’t think this video has anything to do with kids not taking responsibility. I think it has everything to do with kids not being allowed to be kids.
Kids are not little adults. They do not need to carry the same weight of responsibility as adults.
If a child wants to play soccer (or hockey, or baseball, or swim, or bike) for fun, they should be allowed to.
Sometimes that means parents, even if they may be well-meaning, need to get out of the way.
Yup.. I agree with her. The problem here is that this “kid” in’t playing recreational soccer. He is playing competitive sports. Recreational programs do not have practices.
If the kid is goofing around, not trying hard at practice, wasting other kids time, then he should not be in that environment and his father is ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
Damian, it’s important to tune into our children’s cues about whether they are enjoying their activities and taking time to assess if they are the right fit for them. The dad in this video could have witnessed his son’s behaviour at practice and decided that it’s possible that the program isn’t a good fit for him. The conversation should go a very different way though. i.e. non-judgementally asking the child if they are having fun, what they like, what they don’t like, listening to what they say, and potentially helping them connect with activities and programs that are right for them instead of shaming them for goofing off. The parent’s role is to support and guide, not to control. See https://activeforlife.com/child-wants-to-quit/ for more on this topic.
I think the father is exactly right!!!