heimer wrote: The #1 complaint from parents: What if my little Johnny misses his chance to hold the takedown record or wins record in school history.
Tells me about what really matters in games like this. It's all about parents living life through their kids to get a last name on a wall, and the coaches who enable it. Then the apologists follow with "level of competition" and "schedule" and "getting better" crap excuses.
I'm going to defend Heimer on this specific point.
And I am speaking from the point of view of someone who WAS this kind of parent to a degree. A big dose of perspective has completely changed my point of view. It is sad that it took the welfare of a child to get my attention. We as parents have to focus on what is truly important. Trust me that records, names on a wall or perceived "legacy" of a player is absolutely and completely meaningless in the overall scheme of things. It does not validate you as a parent in any form or fashion. Teaching your student athletes to respect others while competing is a lesson they can use the rest of their lives, well beyond their playing days. This will refelct more on your skills as a parent than any accolade. It is also important to remember that what is important to us as parents will often become important to them.
I'm not going to get into the discussion about what coachable moments may or may not exist in this situation as I simply don't know enough technically about the game. I will, however, weigh in from a parents perspective and I feel that I have a certain level of expertise derived from making just about every mistake in the book.