Hello Friends,

This is my introductory blog. I am new at this so please be patient with me as I learn how to be interesting to a number of people. My blogs will be similar in nature, focusing on youth sports and all of the aspects (good and bad) youth athletics have to offer. I am hoping to generate some discussions for coaches, parents, and anyone else who has a passion for youth sports.

I think I will start with a question.

Do we, as parents, have a responsibility to point out the poor decisions that some of our kids' idols are making (aka Tiger Woods)?

I find that my boys follow and idolize certain players, like Kobe Bryant for example. When my younger son (7 at the time) was gushing about how much he liked Kobe a couple years ago, I found myself pointing out all of the off-court trouble that Kobe got himself into, feeling that they needed to know and in effect busted their Kobe bubble. Would it be better if they didn't know?

I tend to agree with Charles Barkley in that we (parents) should be our kids' role models, not professional athletes or Hollywood stars. However, I'm also a realist and realize that they do look up to these players. Did I do the right thing in explaining the poor choices these athletes are making or should we only focus on their performances?

I'd love to get your feedback on how to handle this issue.

Thanks for checking in.


Dave Giffels