Thursday, December 01, 2005

Is there no more love of sport? This afternoon I was speaking with a prospective player for the high school soccer team, a 9th grader, and the kid asked me point blank, "What do I get out of it?" He was quite sincere actually. Uh...The love of the game? The thrill of competition? The pride of putting on the uniform? The comeraderie? Blank stare. Lost is the notion these days that playing for your high school team, or any team for that matter, is a priviledge, a joy, an honor. If I play for you, what are you going to give me? This is the attitude of most, and to tell the truth, these aren't your top athletes either. Most of my players have minimal soccer experience or skill. Yet they still think they are doing you a favor playing for the team, and expect to receive something in return. As a high school athlete, I did it to win, to compete. I had no thought that I deserved any reward for my contribution to the team. That would never have occurred to me. Has the cocky, pampered professional athlete ruined sport forever? 10:31:23 PM    comment []trackback []