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| If we see wrong-doing and injustice and do nothing to stop, we make ourselves sharers in the guilt! |
"just who does she think she is?" and
"why does she feel she has a say on this?"
So, for those people I have an answer! And a few questions!
Just who do I think I am?
First and foremost, I KNOW I am a child of God.
I am a MOTHER!
I am a PROTECTOR! (that should be all I need to say, but I will go on!)
I am EDUCATED on the topics that I am discussing!
I have been a SUCCESSFUL athlete and coach.
I am a GIVER!
I am HONEST!
I am STRONG!
I am COURAGEOUS!
I am NOT perfect!
I am "WIRED" to Care!
IF I FEEL I AM WRONG I WILL ADMIT IT!
I DO MAKE MISTAKES!
I CONSTANTLY AM WORKING TO IMPROVE MYSELF!
I DO NOT MIND if people want to DISLIKE ME for trying to help others!
I WILL NOT COMPROMISE MY VALUES FOR ANYONE!
(just ask my husband!)
I BELIEVE what I am saying!
I will STAND BY what I say!
I will STAND UP for OTHERS, who can not stand up for themselves!
I will LISTEN to other points of view, if anyone would like to share!
I WILL and OFTEN DO, AGREE TO DISAGREE!
I LOVE CHILDREN!
I WANT THE BEST FOR OUR COMMUNITY!
I WANT ALL CHILDREN TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE SUCCESSFUL!
I WANT ALL CHILDREN TO BE TREATED EQUALLY!
I DO NOT think I am any LESS IMPORTANT than anyone else!
I DO NOT think I am better or MORE IMPORTANT than anyone else!
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| I sure do! I sure have! |
Why do I feel I have a say on this?
see list above, and...
I CAN NOT LIVE WITH MYSELF if I see something that is hurting a child and I have the means to stop it and I do nothing.
TOO MANY PEOPLE see what is going on but for various reasons will NOT voice their opinions in public, so I am being the voice for MANY!!!
Last I checked, the United States allows FREEDOM of SPEECH!
We are ALL entitled to our own opinion! That includes women...not just men!
I KNOW children (and NOT just my own!) who have been scarred by coaches/adults with the wrong intentions while participating in youth sports!
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I am doing my best to present an educated opinion, I have been reading and reading about the topics I am discussing!
Because my boys are pretty much out of youth sports, I feel like my opinion is more valid because I am not doing this for them...it's too late for that!
I believe that if we see wrong doing and do nothing to stop it, we are sharers in the guilt!
Because I do NOT want to be a sharer in the guilt,
I will continue to...
So, here are a few questions and statements
to those questioning me....
Why does it bother you that I am concerned with improving things for children in our community?
Do you or your children have something to lose if things were done differently?
Are you more concerned with YOUR CHILD'S success NOW, than the success and the future of the other children and the sports programs in general?
Why is it OK for MEN to SAY what they think and DO whatever they WANT, regardless of who it effects but yet it is NOT OK for a woman to voice an educated opinion and share information with others?
Do you or have you EVER considered the feelings, hopes and dreams of the children that are being hurt and excluded or being treated as if they are less worthy because they might have less athletic ability than your child has NOW?
I have heard that "blogs are wrong and just about drama", so I ask why would people read anything on the internet? Even newspaper articles have some sort of slant or opinion in them. And what better way to communicate with many at one time? And isn't "putting it out there" in a blog for all to read if they so choose, better than going behind people's backs and complaining WITHOUT offering solutions?
If you have a differing opinion, why don't you state your name and share it in the comments below? I'd be happy to hear your views and or answer your questions! And I'm sure other readers would be happy to read it as well!
If a man you respected, say a great coach or great athlete, were to say the same things, would your opinion be different?
Check out these links!
Dean Smith on Teamwork and Unselfishness
More on Teamwork
Coach John Wooden on UNSELFISHNESS
Here's what I think...
6 comments:
Blog for you and no one else. If they don't like you it is easy enough for them to not read you. Just sayin'. xoxo
Mrs. Kennell,
I can invision you sitting on the bus with Rosa Parks and telling the honkies, the buck stops here!!!
Just waiting for your opinion on our government, and how you are going to fix that problem. Might want to consider politics as an area of employment.
Thanks Janie!!! :)
And to Anonymous...Thanks! I tell ya, Rosa & I would have been a force...probably fast friends!!!!
I will not discuss government or politicians...it's is a mess and they are all a bunch of liars! Can't stand it!
Amber,
Oh how I love your eloquent way of approaching "difficult" topics in our little community! I received your Email about checking out this blog topic, and have been reading some of the posts. I'm going to be honest.....I like to win. I REALLY like to win. I get super excited to see my son doing well in whatever sport he is playing. I also agree with Marci in the fact that it kills me to see the "not-so-good" players put in during the last few minutes of the game...it is sad. However, even looking at professional teams, that's how it goes in the sports world. Part of coaching is strategically planning and placing players to benefit the team. Lets face it, the main objective is to win....not to win at ALL costs, and yeah, have some fun...but to win. In order to win, you have to strategize. If you are neck and neck with an opposing team, you're not going to put in your worst players and take out your best ones just to make everyone happy. If that were the case, you would probably NOT be coaching anymore. That being said, I think this entire topic TRULY isn't about not wanting your child or team to win or lose, or letting good and bad players play, or even about taking the fun out of sports; I think we are all frustrated about Shelbyville athletic programs, because we DID used to be a winning community and a force to be reckoned with in youth sports. I think we are all beating around the bush about our local coaches playing certain kids because of WHO they are, and not WHAT they are as an athlete.
When a child is catered to or allowed to play because the player's daddy is on the school board, or they are friends of the family, or the family has money, or they are a "big name" in our small town.....that player is glorified. I'm sorry, but it's so true. I've noticed that those are the players get special training and attention from the coaches, and therefore end up being players who are always starting and playing the majority of the game. As a result, we (as a community sports program) often miss out on some potentially great athletes who were NOT focused on. Bottom line, it's small town politics with our youth athletes caught in the middle. While I'm on the subject, I get sickened by the price of local sports. We have made it IMPOSSIBLE for families to afford for their child/children to participate in sports, unless that family has "money." We, as a community, are failing in our youth athletic programs because we have limited our athletes to being those who can "afford" to participate. In addition, those who cannot afford it but whose parents have managed to come up with the money somehow, don't have to worry about playing; because most of the time if you don't have the name, you won't play the game. I will say that some big-name kids are GREAT athletes and deserve to play. However, overall we are limiting our athletic potential to a select group, when there are so many talented kids out there whose talent is not nurtured and therefore never get the chance to show it off. I love the few coaches who teach the game to EVERYONE- regardless of who they are or what kind of money they have. Growing up, I had nothing. I had a few special coaches who always took the time to help me, even though I couldn't afford the camps and sometimes the sports fees.....and I am grateful for those who didn't provide special treatment to the kids with "big names" and made us ALL feel special. We, as a community need more of that. Looking at our athletic programs, it's obvious that some of our coaches are afraid of upsetting the big guys, so they play the big names.....and look where it's gotten our athletics. We need coaches who don't care about small town politics and who are seeking TRUE talent regardless if they come from the high side of town or not. So, again, I LOVE winning- I hope the kids of our community can once again become a "winning" group of kids- but that will not happen when we limit our scope of athletes to a group of high-priced, big name players. This being said, I do agree with the sportsmanship and fun aspects of the past blogs- I was just willing to go there with what I believe so many parents are feeling about our local youth programs.....because I don't care. I'm teaching my son to play to his fullest potential and be proud of who he is- and if they bench him because of who he is not or what he doesn't have, then they bench him...I simply don't care because sadly, these types of coaches and parents will rarely admit they are wrong and change. ~Amber Roley
Thanks for voicing your thoughts! I appreciate you being "brave" enough to state your opinion!
I am really hoping that the future of our youth programs can change with your group of young kids! If parents of the little kids will step up now and make sure all kids are treated equally and make it fun for all, maybe that will continue into the school sports! My whole goal is to change things starting early...teaching the kids unselfishness and teamwork! But after talking with people who I respect, I think we need to "teach" some of the adults about unselfishness and teamwork first!
And by the way, I LOVE Winning!!! I just think there is a time and place for that mentality! And youth programs that are for fun, is not that place! When kids are mature enough to handle competition and pressure (13 & up) then a more serious approach is fine!
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