When is an athlete/coach/parent a whiner?
Aug. 13, 2008 @ 5:51 p.m. by Joannaby joanna
Not sure if you heard about the issue surrounding Mark Spitz and the fact that he’s irked that no one invited him to Beijing to see Michael Phelps, probably, break his record of 7 golds in one Olympics. I’m a little irked that there are folks ripping him for complaining. My feeling was made even worse by some CNN or something news woman ripping him, saying, come on, do record holders in other sports get invited to games when their record is about to be broken? I mean the look on her face was one of “this is the most stupid thing ever.”
Well, they usually are. Roger Maris might be dead, but his family was there during Mark McGwire’s quest to hit No. 61.
But this brought to my mind, when do we consider a coach/player/parent’s comments whining and when do we understand it’s a pretty normal thought?
I think Spitz should have been invited to Beijing. He’s considered one of the greatest ever, his record has stood for a very long time, he should be there. As an invitee.
But what about when a parent complains about their kid’s playing time? Sounds like whining to me. I think parents should keep their mouths closed about playing time.
How about when a coach complains to an official during a game about the calls being made? Hmmm, depends on the coach. Some coaches just get that whiny, baby look on their faces, and that’s whining. But when your kid is out there getting hacked and pushed around and nothing is being called, feel free to complain. It’s part of working the game as a coach, and it can be done right.
How about a player? I think the label whining is legit when a player gives one of those shocked looks at the officials, throws his/her hands in the air after a call or no-call. Yep. That’s whining. I do think it’s OK for a player to go to an official — like, once a game — and say something or ask for clarification. Otherwise, it’s whining.
So do you think Mark Spitz is whining? What’s your definition? Examples, please.
August 13th, 2008 at 10:05 am
i think spitz should have been invited. in any of the 3 major sports it would be different.the fact that it is an olympic record makes it even worse.
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
August 13th, 2008 at 10:17 am
When is an athlete/coach/parent a whiner?
When they play/coach/cheer for TIS…
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
August 13th, 2008 at 10:45 am
A parent is a whiner anytime they forget the reason their kids are out there playing….for fun and they undermine the coach. As long as the coach isn’t physically or mentally damaging the athlete or the athlete isn’t getting away with something he/she shouldn’t (i.e. cursing) than the parent should just let their kids play and enjoy watching. X’s and O’s shouldn’t be questioned and neither should playing time. Not out loud atleast and not to their son/daughter
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
August 13th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Spitz should have been invited, somebody dropped the ball on that one!
In my opinion, a parent is a whiner when they try to handle an issue for their kid before the kids tries to handle it first.
As for a coach being a whiner, I realize there are coaches out there who complain about everything, but it is there job to stand up for the kids when they feel something is unfair.
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
August 13th, 2008 at 11:32 am
Lou Gehrig? I’m sure you meant Roger Maris.
Lou Gehrig’s family might have been at Cal Ripken’s record breaking consecutive games.
Parents are whiners when their kids don’t get into ballgames because they are athletically not worthy of playing time. Always bothers me when they get onto a coach about playing time.
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
August 13th, 2008 at 11:49 am
Crap!
I fixed it up above. I have no excuse — well, I have many, but none that I’ll bore you with.
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
August 13th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
That’s not always the truth. In fact, I have found that to be true about half the time. Your kid is on the team to participate as well. I remember when my kids were young and dads did the coaching. So many made sure their kids and their friend’s kids got plenty of playing time. Their kids NEVER sat, not ONE single inning. I am being honest here. There were kids on the team who were plenty worthy of playing more than 2 innings of baseball per game or during football games their kids were in on nearly every play and the “other” kids would get in 5 or 6 plays. I don’t think it’s whining if you ask in a respectful manner what your child needs to do to get more playing time, but nothing ever changed no matter what your kids skill level. After all, that is why your child is on the team…to play. And let’s face it…is it really reasonable when the score is 15-2 in a baseball game and the starters continue to play?
Many of these kids gave up and went on to other things. I wonder what could have been? I see a good number of these “superstars” don’t even play baseball or football anymore or have just average skill in the game now that they are older. As my kids have grown, time and time again I will see a kid who was finally given a chance to succeed surprise everyone.
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
August 13th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
… at birth.
Sometimes it doesn’t show until later in life, usually when that eighth grade B game score isn’t on the front of the sports section.
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
August 13th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
Jasper, i dont doubt you at all but why dont you just join another team thats more inline with your thinking ?
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
August 13th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
I agree if you don’t like the team, parents should just quit the team instead of complaining. It probably drives me nuts more than anything about kids sports, to hear the parents in the stands at kids game in their own little group complaining. I have never coached any of the teams that my kids have played on up do this point. I have also NEVER complained about why isn’t my kid doing this or that. This thing with the coach playing his kid all the time (or his friends kids) is nothing new. I can’t believe everyone hasn’t caught on to that already. And I have never had a problem with it. The coach is using his time to coach the team so as far as I’m concerned he can play whoever he wants. I don’t know how many times I have asked someone I knew, “why don’t you start your own team and then you can do it however you want”. They usually come up with some lame excuse why. And NO COACH is gonna sit someones kid if the kids is just out dominating at what ever sport it is. Its just not gonna happen. And it’s not a bad thing for a kid to pick something other than sports to do. Kids always realize before the parents that they are not very good at a sport. And usually would rather find something else to do but some parents just keep telling them they are great, the coach just doesn’t know what he’s doing! Or keep them playing YMCA sports because it is equal playing time for everyone and you can do it up till at least 8th grade.
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
August 13th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
I don’t mind the coach who takes a stand for his team or a player if he or they feel a call is wrong. As long as you understand and know the game of whatever sport it is you’re playing fine. My problem comes with spectators, parents, or coaches who complain about things that don’t simply don’t know or don’t understand. That’s whining.
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
August 13th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
It is a tough call because even though everyone wants to think they are for the team and the teams success is the most important, they are parents and it is their job to care the about their own kid the most. They want success for their kid sooo bad that sometimes it is easy for judgments to get thrown off tilt. Little league sports are getting out of control though with everyone trying to groom their kid to be the next ARod or Lebron. I think parents need to remember that it is suppose to fun and should not be work at least until the kid is at the high school level. If your kid is not playing the options are to find another team or work with your kid and make them better so the coach can’t keep them on the bench if they want to win. The parents who are whiners are the ones who don’t work with their kid or spend anytime trying to help the kid get better and yet still complain. I can understand if the dad or mom actually knows something but also are spending the time to make them better. I do think that at the high school level parents need to understand that it is no longer about participation, where everyone plays, it is about winning and if those coaches want to keep their jobs then they better get some wins. I also don’t understand the parents who complain about playing time to high school coaches. If a player is going to help the coach win they will play them, because they want to win. You just can’t please everyone all the time.
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
August 14th, 2008 at 5:23 am
It is the coaches who complain about every single call that goes against their team that are the whiners. Some of them wouldn’t be happy if the other team was called for 50 fouls and they were called for one. They would whine about the one. I think a referee will give more consideration to a coach who only complains occasionally, on the theory that maybe there’s something to it. The ones who are constantly complaining are just background noise after a while.
I suppose Mark Spitz should be there. But it would have been kind of presumptuous to assume from the outset that Michael Phelps would win 8 gold medals (and he hasn’t yet). It isn’t quite like a career home run record or a consecutive games played streak, where, barring injury, you know at a certain point that it is going to fall eventually. Phelps came within an eyelash of not winning the gold in the 4×100 relay, and that win was actually considered an upset (he had and has a CHANCE for eight gold medals - the American relay team was not favored in that particular race). There are airplanes flying back and forth every day. Why can’t Spitz still attend Phelps’ 8th race?
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
August 14th, 2008 at 7:16 am
Mark Spitz is still alive?
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
August 14th, 2008 at 8:53 am
I have more than one child and had this experience with all my children. We did move to on to other teams. I think it’s ridiculous to sit a kid at the age of 5, 6 and 7 and so on before you have even given a kid a chance to prove himself/herself. You can be competitive without being selfish, and you can find opportunities to play all kids. These are the years a kid is supposed to be learning and developing.
We did work with our kids to develop their skills away from the team. I am sure many parents do that. But we all pay our money to participate, so we should be given the same opportunity.
Not everybody has the skills or opportunity to be a coach. It’s not always about making excuses, it’s just how it is sometimes. Being a coach for your son/daughter should not be just about making sure that your son or daughter and your buddies’ kids get all the playing time. A good coach and good human being will develop all players, seek opportunities for growth and understand that they are shaping lives. When it’s done responsibly it can be a great experience for everyone. If you have been given the time and opportunity to do this, I think it could be very rewarding if done with the right motives.
We were able to find this type of coach for one of my sons. He was able to find good balance with all the kids on the team. He treated his own son like all the other kids on the team. We had a very competitive team and won our share of tournaments. Even today, when I run into that coach I tell him what a great experience we had with him.
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
August 14th, 2008 at 10:15 am
Back to the original topic. Spitz is whining.
First of all, it’s a bit different with the Olympics as opposed to a MLB, the NFL, NBA. These are sports run by a specific organization. Who is responsible for inviting Spitz? The International Olympics commmittee, the U.S. Olympic committee, the swimming committee? Who?
Second of all, why does Spitz care so much? Is it the fact, he hasn’t really moved on. Don’t get me wrong, what he accomplished was amazing. But if you are waiting for an invitation to something, your hanging onto your glory years, much like a 40-year-old janitor reliving his high school glory years in his mind over-and-over again.
I guess if I was Spitz, I don’t think I’d want anyone to know my life revolves around what I did 36 years ago, even if it was wonderful.
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
August 14th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Hey Cueball, weren’t you telling me just the other day about those four touchdowns in one game you scored for Polk, er Wellington High your senior year. I bet Smackdaddy was blocking for you wasn’t he.
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
August 14th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
I don’t think Spitz is whining. The US delegation should have/should make it available for Mark to be there this Saturday/Sunday when Michael wins the eighth gold to celebrate with him and congratulate him on his accomplishment. Mark is not the one that brought the subject up. NBC has been talking about this ever since the US Olympic trials made it a possibility. NBC should take Mark to the event for the publicity they have been giving this possibility.
Mark Turgeon is a whiner as a coach, just look at his reaction every time a call goes against his team. A good coach works officials by talking to them before, during and after the game. Roy Williams is a good example of this. Watch the number of times he is laughing with the officials during a game. When it comes time to complain about calls, those officials respect his questioning their calls at that time and it does get his team better calls during games. When you are pleasant with officials it makes a difference, they don’t make as many ticky tack calls as when they whine about it. Sometimes officials will call the ticky tack things just to see a whiner make an idiot of themself.
[REPORT A VIOLATION]
September 5th, 2008 at 3:08 am
btdv pkzbxsfc jrlw gvmzi qnus wlbzhj tanoybeug
[REPORT A VIOLATION]