Sportsmanship

With much fanfare and publicity, a Minnesota high school hockey coach recently posted his 500th career win. What the articles about achieving the milestone failed to mention was that he is alleged to have racked up all those wins with the help of players he had recruited, a practice which is prohibited at the high school level in Minnesota.  It would seem, however, that only winning matters to most people.

As an official, I have the benefit of seeing immediate behavior changes as a direct result of my calls. Blow the whistle and play stops. Warn the kids to ease up rough play, and they do. Such immediate gratification comes with the job.  As a parent, however, this is not always the case. Aside from adoption of safety rules such as "wear your seatbelt!", or "look both ways before crossing the street!",  we might witness the demonstration of values such as honesty, integrity, or good sportsmanship over time and only in certain circumstances.

It is late on Wednesday night, well, actually it is very early Thursday morning and in light of recent actions, I just can't sleep.  My mind keeps ruminating over the past weekend and our recent trip to the San Diego area for Nicholas' final BMX National event until the Grands.  It was an emotional weekend, as it is his last race as a 7-year-old and also because it was a very difficult weekend for him emotionally and mentally.