“It's not fair!” How many times have you heard that from your kids? Your response is probably similar to mine: “Life isn't fair!”
Unfairness often rears its ugly head in youth sports.
It feels unfair when coaches don’t always reward hard work , discipline and coachability.
It seems unfair when playing time will not always be based on hard work and skill.
It reeks of unfairness when kids who don’t work as hard or who have bad attitudes get starting spots over more deserving players.
It looks unfair when some players get yanked after one mistake, yet others mess up over and over and never get pulled.
Every season, there are new issues. The question is not “how can I protect my child from unfairness?” but instead, “how can I help my child deal with the unfairness?”
How you help your child deal with the unfairness of youth sports will be yet another lesson learned in the arena of youth sports that can prepare him for life. As an adult, he will undoubtedly want to scream "It’s not fair" many times. It’s just part of life.
Not fair, is it?
Janis B. Meredith, sports mom and coach's wife, writes a sports parenting blog called JBM Thinks. She authored the Sports Parenting Survival Guide Series and has recently launched a podcasting series for sports parents. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.