70 percent of kids drop out of sports by the age 13……
Dear Coach,
Im 11. I love lacrosse. My mom bought me my first stick this year for my birthday, it’s blue – my favorite color. My dad restrung it for me from videos on you tube. It’s perfect.
I spend tons of time in the backyard running around with my stick, trying to hit trees with the ball and chasing my dog around while he tries to steal the ball from me.
I wasn’t able to sign up for your travel team last summer because my family had too much going on and we didn’t have enough money, but I thought those uniforms you picked out were amazing. I can’t lie, I really wanted one and I wanted to be on that team. You definitely seem to like the kids from your summer team a lot more than some of the other players. Im going to ask my parents to get me signed up next summer!
Dear Coach,
I don’t always know how you feel I’m doing at practice. I’m scared I’m going to make a mistake and get called out in front of the team. It’s so embarrassing. That one time you high fived me for doing something right – I’ll never forget it! I replay that moment over and over. I haven’t been able to get that again so I must not be doing anything right.
I try to do things that will catch your attention at practice but often when I do something right you’re looking the other way and you miss it and then I mess up right in front of you and you see it. I feel like I’m never going to get any better. You seem like you’re in a hurry or busy, Im scared to ask questions.
Dear Coach,
I sit on the bench a lot. Actually, I sit on the sideline a lot at practice too. It feels like I’m not important to the rest of the team. The first line stays in at practice forever. I love lacrosse but I’m so bored at practice that I know I’m getting distracted and not learning like I should.
I wish you would tell me I was doing something well. I wish you didn’t yell at the whole team when one or two people are goofing around and I was trying so hard to show you that I care and want to be there. Do you see that I was standing quietly and listening and that I ran super fast and collected the most ground balls after practice? My mom was mad at me for taking so long to leave practice but I know you needed help. Did you notice?
Dear Coach,
You always seem mad at us unless we are winning or scoring. Do you care about us at all or are we just a record? When we win you get so excited and pat us all on the back, but some of those teams are hard, sometimes we struggle but we still felt like we tried really hard but you call us lazy if we don’t win.
My mom’s been sick in the hospital, today you yelled at me when I misheard the directions and went the wrong way. Boys are supposed to be able to handle being yelled at. Why does it bother me so much? Getting yelled at during every practice is so hard after being in school all day. I thought lacrosse would be different than this. Im no good and Im having a hard time at home and at school.
Dear Coach
I’ve decided I don’t want to play anymore. I still love lacrosse but I don’t really like being on a team. It seems like the players are always arguing and the coaches are always mad at us. Yesterday we ran for half an hour because we didn’t win last night. I never even got a chance to play. In fact, I never do, but I always pay the team punishment. I wish I got the chance to help the team play better, im just not good enough.
Dear Coach,
Today is my 13th birthday, I gave my blue stick to a friend of mine who is thinking of playing. I don’t need it anymore. I’m done with sports, what a waste of time.
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