Could be applicable to High School or College...or even for those playing in the minors...
As a parent, privately, quietly, and in your own head and thoughts only, did you not exactly get upset when you saw the player on your team who was competition for your son's playing time do poorly in a game?
Replies sorted oldest to newest
No and shame on u!
@Good Knight posted:No and shame on u!
I've actually heard it from more than one minor league player who said they weren't heartbroken to see their teammate fail sometimes because it made their own chances at getting called up better.
Me? Personally, and to be honest, it's depend on the kid. Sometimes my son's competition has been one of his best friends on the team. In those cases, I never want to see anyone do poorly.
But, if I happened to know the player was a bad guy and/or bad teammate, then I am not feeling sad if they don't have a great game. If they have a great game, I'm cheering for them and the team. But, it's not bothering me if they don't do well.
Never. My son didn’t have any competition for playing time until college. In high school I didn’t even find pleasure in a kid (nightmare kid I coached in travel one season) didn’t like failing. It affected my son’s team.
In college I figured as long as he stayed physically and mentally ready his shot would come. He was starting g by midseason freshman year.
My daughter didn’t have any competition in high school. In college she was a fourth outfielder for four years. She was competent and played a lot. I couldn’t figure out why she never really got a regular starting shot. But I never pulled for anyone to fail.
She knew she could start in other programs. But her school was one of the best in her major.
Nope. We wanted to see everyone succeed and the team succeed.
Many things did cross my mind related to playing time and performance in high school and college, but I only shared that with my wife who often time wondered the same. Never did I want to see any of my 3 son's high school or college teammates perform poorly.
I heard somewhere that "comparison is the thief of joy."
I have found that statement to be true.
As a player yes. As a parent, mine pitched so no. I would imagine that could vary between position players and pitchers.
As I got older I came to realize if it were that close where I was rooting for the demise of others, I wasn't doing enough myself to separate.
Brett Favre was asked about this when they drafted Rodgers, he said he wasn't there to mentor or coach up the guy trying to take his job. I think he's one of the few who were honest about it.
I had a lot of confidence in my daughter and her abilities and she did as well. However, I will admit to the one time I did not root for a player who competed for my daughter's position. There were circumstances that caused this. Coach had signed this transfer young lady who was supposed to be "all that" with the possibility that my daughter would return to the outfield. My daughter though slow as molasses was an outstanding outfielder with an even better arm. Well, that young lady who was "all that" showed instantly why she needed to transfer. She was not a good teammate and I'll mostly leave that at that. My daughter got off to an extremely hot start and this young lady was able to DP. She was not happy doing so. As we were wrapping up the first time through conference play, the team was away. My daughter was in the top 10 in the nation in several offensive categories and defensively doing well. This young lady's family showed up with probably 50 people to root against my daughter and to call out the head coach. They brought huge signs and hung them up and had "cheers" attacking my daughter and coach. I guess I was not too kind in response and Coach went off the deep end. That young lady was off the team immediately. That day was the only day that I think I ever rooted against one of her teammates. Oh, when the team went to the field later in the week, those signs were up at the field with some spray paint graphics in the dugout.
