Valid lessons for this weekend for all the boys out there:
1. Some people don't play by the rules and sometimes that impacts you.
2. If they run faster, play harder, and shoot better they will win the game.
3. If you are mad that you lost improve for the next time.
4. Practice like you are playing don't play practice.
5. Beware of adults with Solo Cups they act different than adults without them.
6. It's not just a game to some people and that's ok.
7. Everyone will bend the rules because the rules apply to everyone else but them.
8. Play hard until the end even if the game is 8-1 because 10-3 is much better than 10-0 even though 10-3 still sucks.
9. Respect your opponent on and off the field shake hands when your done and say good game even if you know in your heart that they are cheating.
10. Respect the refs they really don't give a crap who wins or loses or if they get the calls right. ( See #5 ).
11. What you do on the field doesn't define who you are but how you act on the field and off the field does.
If you have any more you can add to this list lets keep this going so we can really make this a learning experience for the boys like everyone keeps saying
Keep it going BOTC community!!!
The problem with some of this (the parts that concern rules and following them) is that when young kids see cheating be rewarded and condoned, they learn to cheat themselves. This is exactly NOT what I want my kids to learn. So I wholeheartedly disagreed that we should be teaching 10 year olds that "some people cheat - such is life, deal with it and move on." This is not too different than teaching them cheating is ok.
Instead, kids should be taught that when someone is cheating, good people should do something about it. They will have to learn the nuances of how to do this when they get older, but the core message should be that cheating is not acceptable and they should know that he adults around them (parents, coaches, teammate and friend parents) don't tolerate it.
