The win-at-all-costs (WAAC) mentality — and all its ramifications — is sadly becoming more and more pervasive in our society. Two recent events highlight how warped some people’s priorities can be when it comes to youth sports.
After his son’s team lost a game, an angry dad allegedly attacked the coach of the opposing 6th grade basketball team, including biting off part of the coach’s ear.
This incident comes on the heels of a hockey dad who was booted from his daughter’s high school hockey game for attempting to blind the opposing team’s goalie with a laser pointer.
One of my favorite sayings is, “There’s too much adult in youth sports.” That should probably be modified to “There’s too much adult ego in youth sports.”
We obviously have a lot of work to do in order to reign in overzealous parents and coaches in the world of youth sports. Striving to win isn’t the problem. Striving to win at all costs is the problem … along with putting the outcome of a game above the personal development of the players and the teaching of like skills.
— Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans
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