Everyone has some experience with youth sports. I, myself, have worked with the same hockey rink for the past six years, so I have seen my fair share of strange things, like people bringing in pot belly pigs and cooking burgers in our game room. Parents stand on chairs and let their children run amuck. While it has been some of the best years of my life and I have met some strange people, some things you only see in youth sports. I played sports for years, and I loved every minute of it. I met some of the best people in my life, many of whom I still talk to today, even though we haven’t played together since the eighth grade.
1. How parents react when their child gets hit/a penalty/removed from the game.
Kid’s sports can be rough. Baseballs hurt, body checks can break bones, but the love for the game makes kids want to play. However, it’s hard for game officials to do their jobs when they are getting screamed at by parents. Sometimes, parents need to be removed as well, because they are either causing too much drama or just being annoying.
2. When someone’s mom brings cookies or other baked goods to the game.
Moms who brought baked goods to the games were what I lived for. Cookies after softball, cupcakes after basketball, or anything else they brought in those Tupperware tubs. Even if we lost, we still got whatever was brought.
3. When you think the goal went in, but the game official says otherwise.
This is the absolute worst thing that happens in youth games. The shot goes forward, it looks clear and the kids celebrate. While they are jumping on each other and congratulating the goal shooter, the ball or puck flies just shy of the net and… no goal.
4. When you have to go to an early morning game or practice.
Even as a college student, I hate getting up early, whether it be for work or for school, I cannot drag myself out of bed. As a youth sports player, you have to drag yourself out of bed, dress for your game or practice and give it your all. Once you get there, it’s usually not a problem, but some days are easier to get out of bed than others.
5. When your team lost a game.
Losing sucks. Plain and simple. As a kid, it seems to be the end of the world. There are tears from your team and screams of joy from the other team, which only adds salt to the wounds. As you file off the ice or field, you hope that someone’s mom brought cookies or something so you can have a little bit of happiness after your loss.
6. When your team wins.
On the flip side, when you win, it is the best feeling ever. You sometimes get a trophy with a little plastic sports player on the top and everything. Even better, you can get a cool shirt from some leagues to wear to school the next day. The only thing that can top that is your coach buying you ice cream or pizza to celebrate your win.
7. When your coach catches you goofing off during practice.
Let’s face facts. Sometimes, practice gets boring. Passing drills are fun for about five minutes and who wouldn’t want to see who can balance a bat on their hand the longest?
8. When your team makes playoffs/states.
Now, you have a chance at a bigger trophy! Playoffs were the most exciting and nerve wracking part of youth sports. You want to win, to show everyone that you’re the best at least for that season and you want to make your coach proud and show that you weren’t just messing around during those drills you ran for hours and hours.
9. When you buy new gear and finally get to use it.
New shoulder pads, new helmets, new bats, as a kid anything new is cool. But it’s even better when everyone thinks it super cool, and you just feel on top of the world. Shopping for sports equipment was one of my favorite things to do, because as a catcher, I needed a full set of pads to remain safe. Having three gloves in my bag when no one else did was a thing of pride for me, which now seems very petty.
10. When you finally are too old to continue with youth sports.
I remember my first day of softball and basketball, and I remember my last. I never played in high school, and I wish I did. However, I met some incredible people along the way, some who have since gone on to be amazing college athletes and some who coach youth teams of their own. Whichever path was chosen after the last run was scored and the equipment packed away, the love for the game lives on, and is something unforgettable.
