"We put a lot of hope, much of it undue, upon our boy's abilities on the diamond."
This statement hit me straight between the eyes. If I'm being honest with myself, this "Hope" has put a lot of stress on my relationship with my oldest. It is a filter for which everything is viewed thru, it magnifies every mistake, every at bat thrown away, the lack of hustle...nothing is ever good enough, always something to improve on. It causes me to be frustrated often, unhappy with outcomes that are less than perfect. I become overly critical, not just of him but of his coaches and teammates (not out loud, but to myself..I haven't reached A-hole status yet). I've told myself that it's all for his best interest, to push him to achieve his best. It's not healthy and somehow I've got to make some changes. Maybe there's a POAA (Parents of Athletes Anonymous) support group I can join. Truthfully I'm not a bad guy, and I love my son very much. He's very talented and I don't want him to miss out on things that should be within his grasp.