Okay, so after my post yesterday about how I've lived vicariously through my children for the last 10 years, I have the need to rant. Just a little. And, it's about my child being "mistreated".
Of course, I'm not objective AT all here. Everything I'm about to write about is my opinion and goodness, help me if Randy happens upon this post, because he'll be mad at me for airing out a rant on a public forum, but here goes:
Just a little background information...My 10 year old has been playing soccer since she was 5 years old. She has always played with teams that are a grade below her because of where her birthday landed on the calendar. (Example: Last year, she was the oldest player on her team and in 4th grade, yet played on a team of 3rd graders, etc.) Honestly, it has been a better fit for her for her to play with kids who are not towering over her because the truth of the matter is, Elisan is a very petite child.
So, they had team tryouts last week. There's a whole new batch of coaches this year and Elisan was so excited to see all of her former teammates again!
Well, as you can probably guess, Elisan was not placed on the same team she was on last year, and in fact, it appears as if she was placed on the 3rd string team with new team members and honestly we (Randy and I) believe it has mostly to do with her size, not her skill. Now, I'm not saying that skill was not a factor in the team distribution. Of course not...because honestly, Elisan is not a very fast runner. But, she's a very intuitive player and to put it bluntly,... she's aggressive and not afraid to get down and dirty when needed.
So, her landing on a third string team just really took us all by surprise. Granted, I don't want to be "that" parent who complains and bullies our way onto the better team. But, as a mom, I'll tell you... I want to call up the coaches and tell them a thing or two. Randy on the other hand wants her skill to overshadow her size and not say a thing because we will not be doing her any favors for swooping and in saving the day for her.
Man, I could swing both directions on this dilemma. Let the conviction begin... "It ain't about mama" or mama's feelings. Sigh...
I am a "Swooper Mom" which is not to be confused with a "Super Mom" so I identify. If it were my girl, I think I would see if she is bothered being with the 3rd graders. Is she feeling like she is with the babies and eventually going to not want to participate in the sport because she should be with her age/friends. If she isn't bothered I think I would let it ride but if she is, I think I would address it with the coaches incase they just really didn't think about the message of "holding her back" instead of challenging her. They may have only seen her size and not her mental drive. Well... Thats my two cents for free
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