The following quote is from Sports Justice – A Sports
Blog with Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle commenting on Tiger Woods: “He's a good
reminder to be careful about building up people to be more than they are. His
skill was hitting a golf ball. If we made him out to be more than that, some of
that blame is on us.” We anointed
this guy, as we continue to do others. We gave him a free pass when his conduct
on the golf course was juvenile. We continue to do this. I have had a chance to
be around and sometimes coach some of the icons of sport. They are just people,
people who have an exceptional skill set in a narrow range of sport skills,
they are not gods. The problem is that society has not held these people
accountable for their behavior inside and outside their sport. They can do no wrong.
One again this is the result of anointing these people and putting them high on
a pedestal out of reach of the rules of society and normal social mores. How
many children does Tom Brady have to father out of wedlock before he is held
accountable? How many millions does Michael Jordan have to lose gambling before
he is held accountable? It goes on and on. It is a fair question.
Honestly this
why I am not a fan of big time sports. I know too much. On the other hand I
love watching kids play. I love to see the thrill of a great play, excitement
from learning a new technique, and yes the agony of defeat. It is real, but
even that is being taken away by greedy adults with early scholarship
commitments, showcase camps that bankrupt the parents and start the anointing
process early and often. Tiger Woods is just a symbol for all the excess we
have fostered upon ourselves. We all need to look in the mirror and see what we
can do differently. Part of it is recognizing big time collegiate and
professional sports for what they are, entertainment pure and simple. It is
the modern day Roman circus. I have not watched one minute of the Winter
Olympics. I did not watch one minute of the Super Bowl. Why because I can’t
handle the hype and the hypocrisy. A luger is killed on what is clearly a dangerous
course. What happens, the show must go on! I appreciate the athlete’s hard
training and effort, but that is getting lost in the hype and the money.
I sure
wish I could be positive and optimistic but that is where we are today. We can
and must do something. We must insure that sports at the youth and high school
level are given back to the kids. Allow them to be kids and play. No worries
about scholarships and contracts, just play! Only one team or individual can
win the contest, but that does not mean everyone else is a loser!
Howard Gray
Vern
As someone who has worked in many different sports, and at all levels, were you turned off by working in elite sports? If so, was it something than grew over time, or was it not your thing from the start?
Howard
david l brown
1. Larger society plays some responsibility in this problem with elite athletes. But let’s also acknowledge that parents are a big part of the problem. Tiger Woods’ father was first person to deliver the message that performance on the links was important above all else, whether he stated it explicitly or not.
2. Athletics is not only endeavor in which elite performers are given a pass.
3. Adults have really done a job to youth sports. We have bastardized so because everything is profit and eog driven. I have to two sons who played high school basketball. My oldest son is highly recruited. He has played at a very high level. Unfortunately, one of the lessons he said he is learning is that there are so many dishonest adults that he is not sure he can any of them. As long as adults continue to handle athletics as their fiefdom, we will continue to have these problems with behavior.
DL Brown, LCSW
Alameda County Behavioral Health Care
Children’s Specialized Services
Email: dbrown@acbhcs.org
(510) 383-5006