Youth League Sports - What it is all about

Now, I realize this is NOT about eating out anywhere - but a very important issue.

          I know that many parents have children who are participating in Youth League sports.  I am very disappointed in Youth League Sports programs and for good reason.

     

       I have a grandson playing Youth League Football.  Let me re-phrase that – I have a grandson who goes to practice on a Youth League Football team.  I had a son who also was a part of a Youth League Football team years ago and am disappointed to see that it has not changed. 

            We were all happy that he wanted to play football on the Youth League, thinking this would be very good for a child with some issues and a very low self-esteem.  We mistakenly thought that this would help his self-confidence and self-esteem issues.  Isn’t this what Youth League Sports is all about?  Helping children?  Teaching them discipline and team work?  If this is your impression of Youth League Sports, let me tell you now – YOU ARE DEAD WRONG.

            How many of you were under the impression that Youth League Sports was all about the children involved?  I am betting that a high number of you thought that.  Well, again, YOU ARE DEAD WRONG. 

            Now, I will give you this much – Youth League Sports SHOULD be about the children – teaching them teamwork, self discipline, self confidence and self esteem.  This is why Youth League Sports was formed.  Children need activities that teach these things and they need them early in life.  It would be great if these activities, while teaching these things, could also be fun.  If Youth League Sports were properly managed, they could accomplish this.

            Now, I realize that not every child is athletically gifted – some are just downright not very good at sports.  And, that is okay.  Some are gifted and are very good at the sport in which they are involved and that is great.  However, during practice they are all on the fields working.  Good or bad.  However, come game day, only the “good” ones get to actually play in the game.  I have witnessed this first hand.  I witnessed it years ago and am witnessing it now.  On the particular Youth League Football team that I am following, there are a handful – maybe 6 or 7 boys – who simply are not great athletes.  But they show up at practice every afternoon and then stand on the sideline every game.  There are games when they never step foot on the field. 

            Each Saturday that these young men stand on the sideline and do not get to participate, they leave the ballgame with a little less self confidence and a little less self esteem than they had when they got there.  Their having to stand on the sideline says one thing to them … “You are not good enough.”

            Now, I don’t know about you, but in my opinion, this is something that should never happen to any child.  No child should have to walk off the field and say to his family that is waiting, “I didn’t get to play.” 

            Why is this happening?  One simple reason – WINNING.  The Youth League Sports programs are not about the kids – they are not about helping kids – they are all about winning.  The children on the team are not what are important – it is the scoreboard.  So, the self confidence and self esteem of our children are being sacrificed for the sake of WINNING.  It is great for a team to win a game, but not at this expense.  Those players who are not great could be rotated in and out of the game one at a time.  I would never propose putting them all in at one time.  But, they should be given a chance!  Who knows – with a little “game practice”, an infusion of self confidence and self esteem – they might actually get better.  But whether they do or not is not the issue.

            This, my friends, should NEVER happen.  Have any of you witnessed similar experiences?  I would love to hear from you.  Something needs to happen to change this.  Children growing up in this day and age need good values and good values begin with feeling good about yourself.

            Does anyone agree?  Let me hear from you.

JJ's Bar-B-Que

Well, we had an opportunity to eat at a place we had eaten at a long time ago and not been back.  We stopped in at JJ's Bar-B-Que on Highway 79 in the Pinson Valley area last night.  As I said, we had eaten there a long time ago, was trying to think of somewhere to eat, and could not remember what we had thought about the place the last time we were there.  So, we decided to give it another try.

I had chicken and dressing, "homemade' macaroni and cheese and home-fried potatoes with onions.  I also ordered cornbread instead of rolls.  My companion also had the chicken and dressing, but had sweet potatoes and fried okra.  They also had the cornbread, although they didn't eat any of it.

Now, the meat and two vegetables was approximately $7.29 (without tax).  On the menu, they also advertised a meat and three vegetable dinner for approximately $7.79 or so.  As I said, we both opted for the meat and two vegetables.

The food was okay.  The pasta in the macaroni and cheese was well overcooked - to the point of being mushy and there wasn't a great cheese taste.  In fact, there wasn't much taste to it.  The potatoes were in very large chunks and I am not at all sure they were actually cooked "with" the onions.  They gave the impression of having been deep fried rather than pan fried.  The sweet potatoes were good and the fried okra was - well - breaded fried okra.  It was not good pan fried okra.  The cornbread muffins were good.

When we finished our meal, and walked up to the register, I stopped to read a sign that was standing there.  I barely noticed it when we came in and they had a piece of paper taped to it stating that the area behind the sign was closed.  This was fine, there were plenty of seating available.  What I did not notice when entering, was that there was also a letter sized piece of paper on it that stated various daily specials.  Well, the day was Thursday so I naturally looked at Thursday - although it was a bit "after the fact."  The special deal for Thursdays was $1.00 off a meat and three vegetable dinner.

Now, wouldn't it have been nice if our waitress had told us this when we ordered a meat and two vegetable dinner - that we could have gotten a meat and three vegetables for less????

With our drinks and tax, dinner was approximately $10.00 each.

Will we go back???     NO