| cheryl000 | 03-07-2006 11:12 AM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by jkat What the coach did was wrong. But, this is what I'd suggest:
1. Talk to your son. How does he feel about it? If playing the sport is his passion, what is he going to do about? What steps is he going to take to get that back?
2. Encourage him to go and talk to the coach, the school principal, sports director, etc. Ask HIM send a letter to the stations, to the newspapers, etc.
As a mom, I know you're very upset and worry about this but your son needs to resolve this on his own. That's how they learn to handle the "tough" lessons in life.
I worked with elementary school kids all the way up to high school kids. I've seen kids who bumped into the slightest problems and they didn't know how to solve it. They simply turn around and look at their parents for help. That's one of my biggest pet-peeves. Parents should TEACH their kids the "how to's" instead of just doing it for them.
| I have to say that for the most part I disagree here. I believe that you should support your son. Often these young adults can feel powerless against adults or hassled by others including coaches. Obviously by this coach's actions he DOES not have respect for what these young men have accomplished. I also doubt if he would have done this with the parents in the room. I am sure that they objected to it, but obviously it didn't work. So this is where the parents step in. I agree that we shouldn't smother our kids, but we should be protective over them.
I believe that every meeting he has with his coach or the school board you should be there to backup your son so he does not get stepped on. I would ask your son to provide you with the names of the members on the high school team. Talk to your son about holding a meeting with the members AND their parents. After everyone has said their piece, bring the whole group to the school board. Make sure students on the team know that this can happen to them their senior year.
I would contact at least the local paper. I agree that the news will enjoy hearing from the younger man more because he is the one involved. But please make sure you are standing behind him during every interview so he isn't being misrepresented. This is very stressful for someone their age. They are NOT adults yet, but this can definitely help prepare them for it.
Good luck and please keep us posted. | 