Published: Feb. 14, 2015
Adults not doing their part
We want what’s best for our kids, right? Of course we do.
Why wouldn’t we? So why do we feel it is necessary to do something that would
embarrass and/or punish our kids?
At last week’s Wisconsin Little Ten Conference championship
wrestling meet at Oconomowoc High School, a fight broke out among a handful of
parents from Wisconsin Lutheran and West Bend East.
The details on how and why the fight started are sketchy. We
don’t know who started it. We don’t know who pushed whom first. It doesn’t
matter.
Then, this week, the Jackie Robinson West Little League team
out of Chicago had its U.S. title stripped because of illegal recruiting, where
the organization redrew the boundaries without proper notification.
What are we told as kids and what do we try to tell our
kids? It’s never good to fight to solve a problem and it’s never good to cheat.
There is a line between being supportive of your children.
But don’t dare cross it. Otherwise, more harm than good is taking place.
Handle situations like mature adults. As adults, we are role
models. We have to act like it. We’re trying to teach how to respond and act in
various situations of adversity. Fighting left one person with an injured and
bloodied nose, and another person on a battery charge.
So was it worth it?
It took away the accomplishment of the wrestlers and changed
the mood in the building. It was an embarrassing sight to see, people fighting
at a high school sporting event. Can you imagine what it must’ve felt like for
the kids whose parents were involved in the mess or even the ones who weren’t
involved?
You have to feel sorry for them.
What lesson was learned here?
Again, the reason it went down is moot. But if it was
because someone’s vision was impaired by someone standing up in front of
someone else, then get an event administrator.
It’s disheartening to see the lack of respect people have
for other people these days.
With the Jackie Robinson West Little League team, it’s a
harsh penalty the kids have to pay for. There is just no other way to punish
what happened. The adults were ignorant and it cost them a heart-warming
accomplishment by their kids.
If we’re not careful, something like what happened in
Indiana can occur.
A fight broke out after a hard foul was committed in a boys
basketball game. The video of the fight between Hammond and Griffith high
schools in northwest Indiana was jaw-dropping.
The state’s high school association did the right thing: It
forfeited the rest of the season for both schools.
There was a difference. It started with the players on the
court.
However, the message was sent: Behavior like this will not
be tolerated under any circumstance.
Thankfully the fight at Oconomowoc was short-lived and no
one else was injured.
However, how do we know it won’t escalate further next time
where someone could get seriously hurt or even die?
At that point, just be lucky or grateful to have the rest of
a season canceled.
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