We always talk about peer pressure on kids, but there is peer pressure on many parents of kids involved in youth sports.
For some parents, their adult pursuit of social acceptance and accomplishments is almost completely wrapped up with the achievements of their children.
Many parents that worry about how their chidren handle peer pressure fail to recoganize that pressure among themselves. Parent peer pressure is as equally forceful. Some adults are driven to keep up, to be accepted, to be seen as one of the popular crowd, one of the winners.
When I listen to many parents talk about youth sports, I often hear the word “we”. What is yourt child playing this spring? We’re playing baseball and soccer.
Doug Abrams, a law professor at Missouri and a youth hockey coach for over 35 years, says he has seen youngsters in the locker room, chatting after a loss and looking forward to going to a movie or that nights sleep over. Their obssed parents were still on the rink, yelling at the opposing team or the official because the parent could not accept the defeat their kids had already put behind them.
For adults caught up in the culture of youth sports they maybe falling down a slippery path.
QUOTE FOR THE WEEK:
“The best cure for insomnia is to get a lot of sleep.” -W.C. Fields
