"You know that your mother and I have always encouraged all of you to play sports and be active. From the earliest age we were rolling and throwing balls with you. We got you on skis and sleds, we waded and splashed with you.
So why did we do all those things? To keep you active and to keep you fit are easy answers, but the real answer is to keep you involved. Busy kids are happy kids and we wanted all of you participating on teams learning new skills. Will being able to hit a ball with a bat really help you succeed in life? Will being able to kick a ball into a net make you successful? These skills probably won't be part of your future job requirements... (however I'm holding out hope of seeing you on the professional diamond, the gridiron, or in the Olympics - don't tell your mother)..., but the skills that you are really learning are sportsmanship, fair play, teamwork, leadership, accountability, strategy, tactics, motivation, courage, and humility.
As a coach, I have always endeavored to instill in each of you some key concepts.
1) Always thank your opponent. For without the opponent, you wouldn't have had a match.
2) Always thank your coaches. For without them, you wouldn't have a team.
3) Always win with class and lose with dignity.
When your playing career comes to an end, and they all do, we want you to have happy and fond memories, as well as strength of character and maturity. So play hard, play fair, respect your opponent, and be confident in your capabilities, but win, lose, or draw, do your best, and never be afraid to fail, for it is better to have tried and failed, then to have failed to try."
Check out: http://www.book2mykids.com to write a book to your kids and give them advice on "Sports & Exercise"
