Comments on: Well, that’s one way to approach it

By: Marleen Doe

Marleen Doe — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 20:28:36 +0000

Michael Thompson:

You need back off!
This is awsome… well done!

By: fauziwong

fauziwong — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 09:07:06 +0000

wauoh….this great and nice info….thanks

By: Daniel

Daniel — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:42:52 +0000

Well said, Michael! As a parent of two boys who played little league baseball, I was always disgusted when the entire team got trophies at the end of the season just so that the underperformers and benchwarmers would not get their feelings hurt. This did nothing but devalue the achievements of the kids who gave 100% in every game and inflate the self image of the kids who stood out in center field kicking dirt clods. Teaching kids how to compete is critical. From highschool, through college, and into professional life we all compete; for grades, to get into the best universities, for jobs, for promotons, and for your spouse. Second place in any of these is failure, and you don’t get a trophy just for showing up.

By: Kids Football Shirt

Kids Football Shirt — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 05:51:21 +0000

Parents that whine and hover over their snow flake do the child no service. Our parents survived the dangers of growing up, so did their parents, and their parents. This constant push for protecting fragile egos and bubble wrapping life leaves the children crippled and unable to survive in a world that will not cater to them.

By: AERose

AERose — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 07:18:31 +0000

The lesson I take from this is that I shouldn’t have kids.

By: myemail21479

myemail21479 — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 00:54:16 +0000

The girls are 5 and 6, let them play. This guy is right, the parents only embarass themselves when they force their own competitiveness and ambition on kids this age. We should be applauding things like teamwork and being active, which are the real lessons learned in team sports. I played many youth sports, a handful won trophies, most did not. Winning was not the life lessons I took, but a spirit of being stronger as a team, and working together.

To the others, you have your whole life to be bitter and angry, but please don’t punish your sweet 5 year old girl because she decided to frolic after the soccer ball because it is fun to kick, instead of run full bore to get there before the other girl. C’mon!

By: Michael Thompson

Michael Thompson — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:40:36 +0000

…and, yes. I know it is supposed to be satire. And, yes, I know I spelled “soccer” wrong. If that’s all you got, move along…

By: Michael Thompson

Michael Thompson — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:37:46 +0000

Fine. He’s a clever guy. Some of the things he said (particularly the final paragraph) make sense and I understand the spirit of it. However,

1) Very few parents have a sense of humor when it comes to the education of their children.
2) Comparing your team to a “cult” will invariably piss off the spiritual.
3) Making light of Michael Vick’s crimes against animals is NOT FUNNY IN ANY CONTEXT.
4) Good luck convicing your daughter that she is not a “loser” after a loss when the coach tells her “losing is for losers”.
5) Heckling the refs does not teach your daughters to develop as people. It teaches them to be disrespectful to authority. It teaches them that they should never volunteer to be a referee for a girl’s socker team because some renegade coach will heckle you.
6) Making light of steroid use by children is NOT FUNNY IN ANY CONTEXT.

Do you people even have kids?

By: Noneya Buisness

Noneya Buisness — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:01:46 +0000

I’d just like to say, if my wife and I ever decide to have kids, I hope that all the coaches/teachers they encounter in summer rec. sports, and school are as cool as this guy…the over-bearing parents who complained should be ashamed of what the kids are now going to miss out on…a fun soccer season! (Go Green Death!!)

P.S. EVIL!

By: David Strangefellowe

David Strangefellowe — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:15:40 +0000

I am applaud at learning of this. To see a letter of that sort past out to children and parents as a joke distresses me beyond words. It should have been real. Parents that whine and hover over their snow flake do the child no service. Our parents survived the dangers of growing up, so did their parents, and their parents. This constant push for protecting fragile egos and bubble wrapping life leaves the children crippled and un able to survive in a world that will not cater to them. I for one price every scrape, bruise and broken bone I gained as a child, and young adult. Hmm, and full adult now that I think about it. Not letting your child live and learn about dangers as a child and how to deal with them, will only ensure that they can not deal with it as an adult.