closed practice

Date: Tue Sep 2 10:04 PM, 2008

RE: closed practice

Date: Tue Sep 2 10:58 PM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You started out so well and then you went off on a tangent disrespecting coaches...

"Coaches are not teachers,mentors,or anything other than a coach."

I would hope that as a parent you would surround yourself and your child with family and friends who will help you raise your child with the core values you have come to believe in.

The statement above tells me you do not understand that

"It takes a village to raise a child!"

I have this conversation with parents all the time and my response always is, "I hope that the school teachers and I have done a good job at raising your child because we spend more time with them than you do!" School from 8 - 3, practice from 5 - 8, homework til 11, sleep til 630 do it again... Where do the parents fit into their child's schedule? The drive to and from school and practice that is if they aren't riding the bus or carpooling. AND remember children spend time with their friends as well leaving even less time for parents.

Considering that I am a teacher, coach and a father, I cannot believe that you would state

"The person I would hope SHE PICKS as a mentor would be something other than a coach of any sport. Cuz again it is just a sport."

Again you fail to realize the importance of coaches... My daughter's soccer coach is a very soft spoken gentleman "good cop". The assistant coach is more of a drill sergeant "bad cop". I do not agree with everything they say and do but I understand the message they are delivering to my child. My child has already bought into what it is they are preaching so much so that I have already seen a difference in her on the field and at home.

As to closed practices: The original topic -

I do not agree with them but I do understand the message behind them.

We as a society do not always have to agree but we shouldn't go around disrespecting the profession, that is wrong!!!

I TRULY MEAN NO DISRESPECT. Im SO sorry if it came off that way. AGAIN I LOVE OUR COACHES !!!!!!! These are some of the greatest girls I have ever met and people I would love my daughter to look up to. I wouldn't trade them for any others. I only ment that I hope my child finds her way into law, or maybe becoming a Doctor, or CEO of a major Fashion Co. She loves school and she's good at it. All because of EVERY teacher she has had so far in her young life. She loves Cheer, and its because of her coaches that she loves it and I feel she's very good at it, again ALL because of her coaches. I never said coaches were not important. They are Very important. In this sport you are part of their lives,(Unlike in a youth league where you have diff. coaches every year.) but that should make you a part of the parents lives too.

You said alot when you stated how much time a parent gets to spend with their child between school,sports,& homework. (Doesn't leave much for friends outside school, cheer, & homework.) It seems to me that all these parents are looking for is a little time to enjoy their kids. What better time is there than to WATCH your child excell at something she truly enjoys? Rather then get to talk about it on the ride home. There is NOTHING in my life that I ENJOY more than watching my daughter out there with her team on the floor. I dont have to be in the middle of it, But boy the joy I get from just watching her on that floor. No matter if she's standing laughing with teammates, Doing her tumble pass, or hangin' all over each one of the coaches. It's been to this day the best part of my life. The ride home is sooo much better. She'll ask me did you see my tumble pass tonight, or did you she how high this girl got in her tuck,or how stright another teammates lay-out was. Rather then you should have seen this, and this was so awesome, or I finally did my pass I wish you could have been there. I too am a dad. I might not be a teacher, a coach, or anything other than a dad. But I love my little girl. Life is too short. Right now my daughter wants me to be a part of her life, With girls I know that changes. ( I have 4 older sisters) I dread the day she's too big for Daddy, and Daddy becomes Dad. She is vested in this sport and now so am I. I've tried to do my homework. I'm hooked you can call me a total cheer dad. But I have to stand up for these parents. Not all parents go about things the right way,but coaches don't either. One or two bad parents will not make a bad gym. It will just be a gym with a bad parent. Like every other gym in the nation.

P.S. So Sorry to ALL coaches for the way I cae off the first time. Our kids love you and need you. But dont just be a part of our kids lives, be a part of our family!!!!!

But dont just be a part of our kids lives, be a part of our family!!!!!

Thanks for you heart felt response.

So many of us try to be a positive influence on the youth of our nation it's just too bad some parents don't get it. They believe it's all about them and that's not right...

Good Luck this season!

Date: Wed Sep 3 12:44 AM, 2008

Heaven help that person that thinks one is too old if they think it take a "villiage to raise a child"

I AGREE it does take a villiage to raise a child!!! It is the parents that think they are raising them alone that end up shocked when their kid are doing things they have no clue of, because their 3 hrs a day, they learn sooooo much about their kid.... that they have no idea they are cutting, druging, sexing, etc.

Strong family values are key, but for those 8+ hours those kids are not with you, do you really think teachers, coaches, grandparents, etc are NOT playing a role in raising your child? Get a clue.... better yet ask your kid who makes the biggest impact on their life outside of you...

Teen pregnancy is high... wonder why, kids cusing out their parents at the gym, disrspectful to adults..... hmmmm Kids killing parents, shooting in schools...... .. Bet these kids need a village to help raise them, because clearly the parents are failing in many cases trying to raise their kids alone.

I'm not a coach, guess I'm just an old ass parent :)

Don't care if practice is open or closed, if I wanted to come in and check out a practice I would. However I do understand the concern of parents distracting the athletes.

Date: Wed Sep 3 4:30 PM, 2008

I am so grateful to the coaches/gym owners/teachers and others who have been with my kids during the many hours they were and are away from home without family present and some have been awesome mentors. I wouldn't have my kids in a program if I felt it was just a sport, or if I felt the leadership didn't, well "lead." Not every single person, but at some point, someone to help them through their day, be there to set a good example for them, and offer advice/correction/encouragement - whatever!

Cheer has been a great environment for my kids, and they have learned far more than cheer skills. Discipline, hard work, teamwork, friendship, leadership, I could go on and on. I feel sorry for the parent who said all they wanted was a sport, nothing else. Look beyond that to the greater things your gym can teach your child. If it's not, find another gym. I'm so glad our gym practices aren't closed because I stay involved in my kids lives, and I do enjoy watching them interact with their coaches and teammates. Are their parents who get over involved? Well, it does happen, but not for long. All it takes is the gym owner, coach, or another parent to address the situation with that parent and it's taken care of. If there's a problem with a parent interfering, or a child not being able to pay attention to coaching because of a parent, that's dealt with individually. I don't watch every practice, but I really enjoy the ones I do, and I think my kids enjoy me being there - especially when they master a new skill, and are excited that I was there to see it. I love to see them smile from across the gym floor. Likewise, if they're having a bad day, sometimes it's good that I was there, so I can help lift their spirits after practice to encourage them and say it wasn't so bad, or that I've seen them do better, and know it was just a bad day and practice next time will be better.

Life's too short to be shut out of our kids lives. They grow up so fast. I'm almost done as a cheer parent and will be sad to not sit and watch practices and chat with the other cheer parents I've become friends with throughout the years.