We were asked if carpet is a good thing. And in general, it's hard to argue that carpet is anything other than good. It might be ugly, but the purpose of carpet is to keep floors and feet clean. Done well, it can add beauty to a room or a home. Carpet is good.
However, what if we were to learn that the carpet was created by oppressed child laborers in horrible, abusive, poverty-like conditions? Is that same carpet still "good"? Most people would agree that the carpet in question is no longer a good thing at all. Whatever positive value it has is completely negated by the manner in which it was created.
As usual, we'll bring this analogy into the realm of athletics. Is it a good thing to win a game? Yes. Is it a good thing to win a championship? Definitely. Unless...
Unless those victories were achieved as the result of some form of cheating. Unless that championship was won by using ineligible players. Unless the well-being of children was compromised in the name of the almighty W. Unless players, parents or coaches verbally (or worse) abused umpires or officials, throwing a cloud over the entire experience. Unless an athlete enhanced his/her performance by being on the juice....and the list could go on.
How we win matters as much or more than whether or not we win. At some level, most of us understand that. So why do we so often behave like that's not the case? Why do we yell at officials? Why do we tell ourselves that we don't care if our favorite college recruits illegally, as long as they don't get caught? Why is the unofficial slogan of NASCAR "if you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin'"? Why has every Tour de France title since like 1834 been vacated? What are we doing? Is it too much to think that we can win with honor? No, it's not.
80's Lyric
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If you're anywhere near Kansas City, in the last week of June, please make plans to spend two evenings at Olathe Bible Church (151st and Pflumm). On Monday 6/24 and Tuesday 6/25, Bill Severns will present a workshop entitled Parenting For Keeps. Bill is an amazing man, who has done fantastic thinking and writing about the role of adults in the athletic experience of young people. The session will run from 7-8:30 both evenings. Come to one or the other, not both. It's the same both nights.
To complement Parenting for Keeps, OBC has invited Community for Coaches to conduct Coaching for Keeps. On Wednesday 6/26 and Thursday 6/27, we will be hosting this workshop geared toward helping coaches and parents think through questions of "Why?". Why do we coach? Why do we sign up our kids for these teams? And how can we help them have the kind of life-changing, character building, transformational experiences that sports ought to provide? Attendees will be led through a process of developing both philosophical and practical answers to all these questions. These sessions also go from
7-8:30...same session on both nights. Come on Wednesday or Thursday, not both.
For $10, you will gain admission to both Parenting and Coaching for Keeps workshops and receive a copy of Bill Severns book, Keepers of the Sandlot. These two sessions are designed to go hand in hand, so please plan to attend both. Even if you are a parent who will never coach, or a coach who is not a parent, it is critically important that parents and coaches see each other as allies and partners in the healthy development of our children. Registration for the workshop is here.
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