I am going to take time reflect on something in my own life that I have loved. It was instilled in me as a very young child. I do not ever remember a time it was not in my life, but yesterday something changed. Some form of ill feelings came over me, and thoughts of how ridiculous it is that now as an adult the very thing I have had all my life, and love for, adults have ruined. Brace yourself, hold your breath because I am going to call out BS. This is not directed at a specific person, but I realized yesterday as I was walking around a baseball field that we adults have screwed up Youth Sports. Ohhh Chana, sure you want to do this? Yep, I am. I began to think about all the rules we have on fields, and courts. Some are for safety, fairness, but then there has to be rules for the adults. Why rules for adults? It seems like we cannot do the right things for young athletes or children on our own. Isn't that sad? Makes me sick really, as I am a huge advocate for children, let alone children in youth sports.
Let me break it down this way. Youth Basketball we must create rules that each player must play 2 quarters, or you must create a rotation for everyone to get in to play. Youth Soccer has rotation rules. Adults will try every way to figure how to keep your best players in to win. Please do not think I am just pointing the finger at others, because I have been there doing the same thing. We want to win more than build up a child. Does that make you sick to your stomach? That we would do that to a child. In baseball you only have to have 2 innings in the field, and 1 at bat, there are 6 innings in a game in little league baseball. So if a kid struggles with confidence while in the batter's box let's give them 1 at bat, because that will help the kid. Nope we do it, because we want to win more than build that confidence or teach them. Right? Sick yet?
For the past 2 years I have been president of the local youth football league. Every year I have to say, "You have 11 players on the field and at least 15 on a team. Find a place for each kid to play." And every year I hear, "There are no rules in youth football that we must play all our players and for a certain amount of time. There are kids that could get hurt if we play them." Parents signed their kids up to play tackle football they know they could get hurt. Cultivate their abilities. Teach them. Train them. Do not dismiss them.
If you think 2 or 3 players with good athletic ability should carry a team, then get out of youth sports. You are in it for the wrong reasons. We have monopolized our children. When is it enough? How does it improve the develop of little human beings or are we past that? Because we want to win, fit in with the cool group of adults, or participate so my kid can get all the playing time. This past week, I watched players with better abilities run over players with less abilities to dominate order of who gets to bat first in batting cages. I watched as kids got in each others faces and somewhat push their weight around to dominate a situation, but isn't that what youth sports are teaching our kids? It seems that we adults have set that standard. That's how you should win, right? That's the point, right?
I am not a participation trophy person. I believe you should strive to win. Be in the championship. However, at what cost? I have heard long time coaches/adults look at a group of children and tell them they are not good enough to coach them, but then decide to coach when that 1 kid signs up. The team then is worth it. As they broke 15 other kid's hearts because of their actions. I have watched adults wait to sign their own children up to see what other children will be playing a sport before making a decision, because it is about the win. Same with commitment with coaches.
I do not know a fix, and I am actively part of the problem. It saddens me. I am tired of making excuses for it. I want to say I am sorry to our youth, because this week I realized we have failed you. We are the problem. Adults are the problem. We care more about our special interest than we do you. We utilize your abilities to get what we want to fill up our egos or needs. Kids I am trying to change. I am trying to change a culture in our local area, to help not only your athletic ability, but you as a person to be a successful adult. I do not want you to be like us. Be better than us. Do not play the adult games at the expense of a child's heart. Simply it is not worth the cost.
Sunday, April 22, 2018
Saturday, April 7, 2018
Still the Student
We live in a world where at the click of a button thousands can know your thoughts, life status, mood, relationships to others etc. It truly is amazing the technology we have these days. I find it hard when you are a born teacher to not teach. I know that sounds like an oxymoron. Teachers are suppose to teach, right? Not always. Sometimes the best teaching comes from silence, or the teacher look. Never saying a word. It is the hardest thing to master if you are a teacher, silence.
I find myself struggling sometimes that when I have a lesson that is suppose to be taught to go out and find students. I have been wrestling with that all week. "Invite people to hear the lesson," the little small voice in my head says. There is a strong matriarch teacher in my life that pops in and out when needed. She is never too far, and never too close. She has continually said to me, and I am sure to others, "When the students are ready, the teacher will come." I believe she was taught that from her strong matriarch teacher in her life, if I am remembering the story correctly.
I am probably going to debunk religious teachings in this blog, and make literal thinkers of scripture gasp. As a disclosure, the foundations of all my thinking goes back to a religious stand point. Now, I wade through the muck of man's interruption to God's intent. As a child I grew up with heavily influenced baptist doctrine. There was a lot of black and white in thinking, not much room for gray. However, grace was a word thrown around like a golden ticket, yet you do not want to use it. I can remember going door to door with tracks of "The ABC's to salvation" or "The Roman's Road to Salvation." The whole focus was to get the GOOD NEWS out and invite people to church. Then if people would come, religion would tell them how wrong they are; How they should change, what to look like, dress like, be like, because of this GRACE then Jesus would love you, and you could be saved. "NOW DO YOU BELIEVE?" Some man would ask, maybe a woman depending on what gender you were, because a woman could not minister or teach a man. However, men could teach a woman. I must laugh at those methods, now. Spread the GOOD NEWS, was the focal point. I still hear it in churches. It is funny how some think that is still what they are doing spreading the GOOD NEWS maybe as churches grow, while others are dying, or pews are being filled. I am not convinced. If you dissect the scripture in the gospel of Mark it would state, "Go publicly and say a good message to the world." I could be wrong, but what to be and not to be is not a good message. Seems to me that is called judgement and control.
On further note I do not ever recall Jesus ever needing slogans, mission statements, by-laws, constitutions, gimmicks, or activities to teach the Good News. It seemed the students were always waiting on him to show up. Crowds where there as he walked by, or maybe he just walked into the crowds already formed. I could be wrong, but I do not ever remember Jesus saying, "Now listen, once we get off this boat make sure there is a crowd. Let's shoot for 5,000. I have a great event planned with some fishes and loaves." If we embody Christ, then we also do not need an event, activity, or catchy jingle. The crowds will gather, but sometimes the students need some intimate time with the teacher if the crowds are small.
Back to my original struggle, just showing up to teach. When you know you have a great lesson you want everyone to hear it. 'Gather the people,' you think. Then you show up to teach, and you have a great history lesson, but those YOU gathered need to learn geometry. All because you wanted a crowd. Your justification then resorts to, "Am I not suppose to proclaim the Good News?" I am gonna say, "No." No, I am not suppose to proclaim the good news by gathering the crowds. I am suppose to be evidence of the Good News. I need to seek no crowds, because I am just suppose to walk in the midst of them. No matter the crowd size, when I am given a lesson the students will be ready, because I am just called to teach.
I find myself struggling sometimes that when I have a lesson that is suppose to be taught to go out and find students. I have been wrestling with that all week. "Invite people to hear the lesson," the little small voice in my head says. There is a strong matriarch teacher in my life that pops in and out when needed. She is never too far, and never too close. She has continually said to me, and I am sure to others, "When the students are ready, the teacher will come." I believe she was taught that from her strong matriarch teacher in her life, if I am remembering the story correctly.
I am probably going to debunk religious teachings in this blog, and make literal thinkers of scripture gasp. As a disclosure, the foundations of all my thinking goes back to a religious stand point. Now, I wade through the muck of man's interruption to God's intent. As a child I grew up with heavily influenced baptist doctrine. There was a lot of black and white in thinking, not much room for gray. However, grace was a word thrown around like a golden ticket, yet you do not want to use it. I can remember going door to door with tracks of "The ABC's to salvation" or "The Roman's Road to Salvation." The whole focus was to get the GOOD NEWS out and invite people to church. Then if people would come, religion would tell them how wrong they are; How they should change, what to look like, dress like, be like, because of this GRACE then Jesus would love you, and you could be saved. "NOW DO YOU BELIEVE?" Some man would ask, maybe a woman depending on what gender you were, because a woman could not minister or teach a man. However, men could teach a woman. I must laugh at those methods, now. Spread the GOOD NEWS, was the focal point. I still hear it in churches. It is funny how some think that is still what they are doing spreading the GOOD NEWS maybe as churches grow, while others are dying, or pews are being filled. I am not convinced. If you dissect the scripture in the gospel of Mark it would state, "Go publicly and say a good message to the world." I could be wrong, but what to be and not to be is not a good message. Seems to me that is called judgement and control.
On further note I do not ever recall Jesus ever needing slogans, mission statements, by-laws, constitutions, gimmicks, or activities to teach the Good News. It seemed the students were always waiting on him to show up. Crowds where there as he walked by, or maybe he just walked into the crowds already formed. I could be wrong, but I do not ever remember Jesus saying, "Now listen, once we get off this boat make sure there is a crowd. Let's shoot for 5,000. I have a great event planned with some fishes and loaves." If we embody Christ, then we also do not need an event, activity, or catchy jingle. The crowds will gather, but sometimes the students need some intimate time with the teacher if the crowds are small.
Back to my original struggle, just showing up to teach. When you know you have a great lesson you want everyone to hear it. 'Gather the people,' you think. Then you show up to teach, and you have a great history lesson, but those YOU gathered need to learn geometry. All because you wanted a crowd. Your justification then resorts to, "Am I not suppose to proclaim the Good News?" I am gonna say, "No." No, I am not suppose to proclaim the good news by gathering the crowds. I am suppose to be evidence of the Good News. I need to seek no crowds, because I am just suppose to walk in the midst of them. No matter the crowd size, when I am given a lesson the students will be ready, because I am just called to teach.
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