Our Kids and Sports: Gain Perspective

Tonight we were called to an emergency parent meeting for my son's hockey team. The goal was to tell us to speak our piece with the coaches now or forever hold your tongue.

It was amazing to me that at almost fifty, I was in a room where several people had to be told how to behave over a child's sport.

We are on an official recreational hockey team. Our kids will not go to the NHL; losing one game out of 5 because the coach tried a different line up is not worth the anger that has been carried around for several weeks.

Today I will go to a funeral for a seventeen-year-old girl. This young woman never had complete control of her limbs, brain, or body. Crystle was always smiling, laughed often, and never knew how to hold a grudge.

I am lucky in the fact that the remembrance service snapped me into looking at the bigger picture.

Would it take something so contrasting for you to gain perspective with your child and sports? Maybe or maybe not.

But for those of us who do hold grudges with coaches, think we know more than referees and scream foul at games, a shift needs to occur.

It is time that we see the bigger picture in as many instances as possible.

“A girl is dead.

A hockey game was lost.
”

Take a moment to think of the last event that upset you with your child and their coach.

Stop for a few minutes, breathe on the event, and then think of the bigger picture.

Sitting and allowing the feelings you have to be felt can ease their ferocity.

Set your ego down and stop letting it call all the sports conduct in your life.

Having a child that is not special needs and can do activities is a gift.

Having a child that is still alive is not everyone's reality.

Gain perspective.

We could all learn a lot from Crystle by forgetting how to hold a grudge.

If this seems like a painful exercise or sports with your children sends you to rage, reach out, and call me. Sometimes it takes two to grasp a new perspective.

Free Somatic therapy consultations always available.