We often hear parents complain about how the “village” that our parents always talked about no longer exists. Everyone is insular. No one talks to their neighbors. No one wants to branch out, lend a hand, or start some sort of community. We’re all just so tired, and that’s totally fair.
But we still need the village. We still hope that the kids will turn out right, and one guy says that it’s all up to us to make it so, especially when it comes to youth sports and shaping boys during those tough developmental years.
“You have to coach a youth sports team,” TikTok user Arkansas Traveler begins in his now-viral video.
“You have to coach a youth sports team. The people who did it when you were kids are old now. It is your turn.”
Then, he directs his attention to the adult men.
“Men, you have to coach youth boys’ sports teams so that they learn how to be vulnerable when they are facing stressful situations in front of other boys. You need to teach them not to suppress their emotions because that’s the message they’re going to get at youth sports teams. They’re going to learn to suppress their emotions so that they don’t look weak in front of the other boys, unless you go coach youth sports teams,” he said.
“You might think that young boys suppressing their emotions doesn’t really affect your life. Wrong, wrong, wrong. These young boys will soon become young men in your community, and you don’t want violent, emotionally suppressive young men in your community. You want young men who learned how to be vulnerable on a football field at their young age. You want young men who had a coach who said, ‘It’s okay to cry when things get hard as long as you keep pushing forward.’”
He makes the case that it’s the youth sports coaches of the world who actually have a huge hand in how this generation of young boys will be raised, and if we want a more progressive, open, and emotionally-regulated generation of young men, other men need to put in the work.
“You want young men in your community who had a coach who said, ‘Don’t call people bitches because that’s a slur, and we will respect women and non-men in this community.’ But if you don’t coach youth sports teams, you will not get those young men.”
After his post went viral, several TikTok users agreed with the OP’s opinion, and one TikTok user pointed out that this also applies to young girl’s sports.
“Ladies we need to be coaching girls youth sports teams!!!!! Teach them another girls talent doesn’t diminish yours, other women will be the most important people in your life, and there’s more important things than beauty and male attention,” she wrote.
Another wrote, “Moms you have to coach too don’t let the dads with a crooked swing coach (im not letting my 15 years of hitting lessons go to waste)”
One user said, “If you’re feeling helpless about the future, this is a great way to make an impact. My son still thinks fondly of his coaches but unfortunately millennials and Gen’z don’t realize WE ARE THE ADULTS”
“Coaching middle school age basketball and track. PLEASE GO COACH!!! These kids do not understand competitive environments or have the confidence to compete to their fullest capability. They give up so easily bc they don’t know what it’s like to be challenged!!! PLEASE CHALLENGE THESE KIDS!! They need it!!” another echoed.
And if you cannot make the time commitment to coach, show up to the games. Volunteer at a practice. Take the time to talk with your kid. It can make all the difference.
Disclaimer: This content was automatically imported from a third-party source via RSS feed. The original source is: https://www.scarymommy.com/parenting/parents-should-coach-youth-sports. xn--babytilbehr-pgb.com does not claim ownership of this content. All rights remain with the original publisher.
