A pick up game of basketball
This is going to be a departure of what's usually found in this space.
Actually the departure is "unusual" i.e. it has to do with sports (athletics) in this country, particularly the coaching and parental aspects of it.
Sports may or may not be a religion in America but surely one would be hard put to deny its importance to many of its people.
From recreational sports for kids to top level collegiate and professional sports competition it's a mania that has captured many people's imaginations.
Now whether that manias importance is good or bad is a whole other matter that won't be the focus of this short piece.
What will be the focus are some of the things that are affecting the athletes at all levels particularly as it pertains to parents and the coaches.
But before going any further lets consider; kids participating in sports by and of itself is a good thing, not only for boys but girls as well.
Since Title 9 was enacted in the early 1970's which basically said at the college level women's sports must have equal status and equal numbers of teams and participants as with men's sports. One could legitimately argue the sports scene still isn't perfectly equal, (with football being the outlier), but what Title 9 has done is increase girls participation in all sports catapulting women and girls to play and compete at all levels.
And with girls (as well as boys) participation exploding there are the parents of these kids. Unless you haven't noticed, the parents of today are fully engaged in their kid's sports participation with most supportive of them.
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