Hit the Sports Parents Out of the Park

Every week, I meet a friend at some local tennis courts. A good percentage of the time, we'll be into our second set when the Forced Tennis Labor Camp rolls into the parking lot in an ominous gray minivan. The minivan will park and disgorge a seemingly endless stream of children, most of them related. None of the children is older than 9.

There is at least one parent with them, who leads a relentless round of drills, exercises and criticism. I know too well who is playing badly that night, but I have no idea who is playing well. I certainly have no clue if any of these kids are enjoying themselves. I think each of them is a bit too young to be "focused and committed" to the degree that the taskmaster of the day would prefer.

These kids can all play tennis, no doubt about it. Maybe one day they'll be professional players. Maybe they'll just get a college scholarship. On the other hand, maybe they'll just burn out.

It would be nice to see the parents work as hard developing their kids' love of the game as hard as they work on their two-handed backhands. With a lighter touch, the worst thing that could happen is they'd develop a healthy, stimulating hobby that will stick with them throughout their lives.