"...I don't think (player name omitted) needs to play AAU. Seriously. She stinks. Really. You should have seen her play tonight. She missed like 39 shots and only made one. She got fouled once, and major air-balled one shot (really embarrassing) and made the other shot. I am so tired of staying with her to rebound her shots (she misses so many so it wears me out) in the gym an hour later than everyone else and for hours on the weekends - while she practices her shot - all for nothing. She has not proven anything all season - except that she stinks. I told her tonight after the game that I am done - no more money on ball camps, no more extra practice at the gym. Done. This is her last year - she can finish out for Coach (coach name omitted), but no more. She went to 5 ball camps this summer and played AAU - she should be way better than she is - for all the time and money we have put into it. She is just a girl who plays basketball..."
Are you ready for this... the player she's talking about, her daughter, is just a 7th grader!
I tried to put her mind at ease by reassuring her that players mature at different times in their careers and the best thing she could do for her daughter is to make sure her daughter is having fun. There won't be a lot of growth if she isn't enjoying the game.
Often parents have a warped perception of their child's athletic abilities. I can't count the number of times I've heard comments like "why isn't my daughter starting? she's much better than..." or "...why do you always pull my daughter out before she's had a chance to find her rhythm?..." Most parents think their kid is the best player on the team and that's something that I think most coaches have had to deal with. But when a parent places unrealistic expectations on their kids, they are sucking the fun right out of the game.
4:13
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