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| by Tommy John |
I have always said that I am so happy I grew up when I did and where I did. Growing up in Terre Haute was a Godsend!!! Baseball was a sport between basketball seasons. I played baseball from April to the end of August, then the ball and glove was put up to go practice basketball. We didn't have time to get burned out nor hurt from overuse. I feel that schools and school districts do a huge disservice to the athletes by making them ONE sport players. Up until a few years ago, Alex Rodriguez was the top 5 players in baseball. ARod was the QB on his football team, point guard on the basketball team and of course SS on the baseball team. My point is this, playing 3 sports didn't hurt him in playing baseball.
I was a high school baseball coach in Ft Lauderdale from 1992-1994. I coached a at private Christian school and had the same problems or more so than my contemporaries at the public schools. "I donate huge sums of $$$$ to the baseball program so my son should get treated better!" I love these parents because they are so easy to calm down. My first year was fun. We went to the State Championship and lost but we had a BLAST!! At our little parents/athletes dinner I presented to each parent an evaluation of their child....in my eyes. I also presented them with a printout of EVERY pitch their son threw in practice or the game and the % of balls to strikes. I had the female managers keep a chart every time these players threw a pitch. I didn't want a parent tell me that I hurt their son's arm. But the best part was yet to come.
The next year and in 1994 we had a parent trying to worm his way into coaching or get his son's private pitching coach on my staff. The reason was, "My coach played with the Yankees!" My reply, "where? When?" Truth be known, he was in spring training with the Ft Lauderdale Yankees, in the Fla State League. I had to put my brain into overdrive to come up with a "shoot down". We had a parents meeting and I talked about the upcoming season and what was expected from their sons and from them. In my smart-ass way to throttle this uprising, I handed out my bubble gum card to every parent. My comment was to turn the card over and look at the stats. If anyone can come up with a card with better stats bring them forward and I'll step down.
Two of my parents were pilots for trans Atlantic Airlines. I told the group that when I get on a plane I look at the cockpit and say, "WOW. I'm glad I'm not flying this sucker! I have ZERO idea what to do." Then I turn and go back to my seat. Well, this is my cockpit and I know how to fly this thing. Just turn to the right and go back to your seats, have a glass of wine and enjoy the ride. It worked but it hacked off the man with the $$$$.
My telling of this story is to say, enjoy your athlete being athletes and if they are good enough to play in college or beyond, turn right, go back to your seat and enjoy the ride. Youth sports are to be fun and for the student-athlete. Not for Mom or Dad to preen their feathers and make an ass out of themselves. Have a glass of wine and enjoy the ride!!
-The Ol' Cowboy (Tommy John)
