Conflicted Feelings - for the parents in the group

[TexanMark]

So, I gave my kid 2 options this morning.

1. play the basketball game and potentially be late to the football game.
2. skip the basketball game and get to the football game on time, and perhaps toss the ball around a little beforehand.

His response: "I do NOT want to miss kickoff".

Wow: The kid is smarter than you already at 6.

Next thing in your bad parenting checklist: get it cleared to bring your son to a Cuse hoops game at Tally in March. Stay at Wakulla Springs...he will remember that trip for a long time. My boys still talk to me about trips to see SU play. My youngest son loves telling the story of the Duke/Cuse Sweet 16 game at St. Pete when Dad talked his way out of a ticket with a Florida Trooper in a real redneck part of the state and how he scalped tickets by walking away and having the scalper come back and agree to his price. This is quality Father/Son time.

 

[CusePitt]

I go to SU games for selfish reasons. My kid likes football, but no question, it is something we are doing for me. My 6 year old gets bored by halftime, especially in 0-56 losses. And how often do you get to see the #2 team in the country in a classic gameday environment like Doak?

I also coach my kid's teams as well. Too many experiences where the other volunteer coach knew nothing about the sport in question. My kid loves it. I love it.

However, my kids game is at 10:30 in Orlando. Wouldn't get out until 11:30. If I flew, I wouldn't make Tallahasee until 3. So I'd miss the before game tailgate, which I'm sure will be much more fun than the post game tailgate. And tailgating is really half the fun of the game.

My 1-game replacement coach actually knows more about hoops than I, so I'm not worried about that. But, I'm still bummed. Any other parents ever been in the same boat?

Coach the game---remember "Cat's in the Cradle"

 

[Forza Azzurri]

So, I gave my kid 2 options this morning.

1. play the basketball game and potentially be late to the football game.
2. skip the basketball game and get to the football game on time, and perhaps toss the ball around a little beforehand.

His response: "I do NOT want to miss kickoff".

That deserves a Marv Albert, "YESSSS!!!".

Just wait until he gets a little older and really gets what he's watching..

My 10 year is so into the players, our ranking, the tourney, possible bowl games etc...

 

[BayonneOrange]

Take your boy to Tallahassee. He'll remember that and talk about it much more than one of his own 6 year old games. In the coming years, things will shift. Practices and games will be more important for the boy and you'll end up missing many events for his stuff. So, get it in now.

Believe me, I have a 10 year old, and my list of events keeps getting shorter and Matty loves going to SU games/events. But, as he gets older, the commitment to his teammates becomes much stronger.

 

[BayonneOrange]

That deserves a Marv Albert, "YESSSS!!!".

Just wait until he gets a little older and really gets what he's watching..

My 10 year is so into the players, our ranking, the tourney, possible bowl games etc...

That's so true. Matty flipped open this weeks Sports Illustrated that has a NCAA hoops bracket that has SU losing in the Elite 8. He was pissed..."We can beat Michigan State dad, I can't stand that Big 10 basketball!" Boy did I laugh...that apple hasn't fallen too far from the tree! )

 

[Forza Azzurri]

That's so true. Matty flipped open this weeks Sports Illustrated that has a NCAA hoops bracket that has SU losing in the Elite 8. He was pissed..."We can beat Michigan State dad, I can't stand that Big 10 basketball!" Boy did I laugh...that apple hasn't fallen too far from the tree! )

10 year old in Bayonne? What sports does he play?

 

[BayonneOrange]

10 year old in Bayonne? What sports does he play?

His sport is baseball, but he plays everything...hoops, flag football, floor hockey. But, baseball is his thing.

Where you at Forza?

 

[billsin01]

Alternative view.

He's six, it's one game, it's an unique event as you pointed out. You are going to have a lot more games to coach in the future.

What's really 'unique' about it? seriously? I'm on board with it only being one game but it's not like there won't be plenty of opportunities to drive four hours to see SU football get waxed (potentially -- not trying to be a pr!ck here, but just point out what's by far the most likely event to happen) by a really good opponent.

 

[billsin01]

"You'll never be able to turn back the sands of time" You're going to miss a bunch of six years running into each other and falling down. Go watch SU players run into each other and fall down and stare at the FSU cheerleaders like the big creep we all know you are

I was about to post that he shouldn't go to the game but only b/c it's a long drive and SU is likely to suffer a humiliating beat down. But I completely forgot the FSU cheerleader/co-ed part of the equation. I'd still skip the game, but the leering would be worth the drive.

 

[billsin01]

Sounds like my son. He gets pissed when he has a game and it conflicts with a Syracuse /Giants game. It means you brought him up right on both sides of the fence.

My oldest could not possibly care less. He'll go to the Sox/O's game or Cuse/G'town with me, but only because he knows he wants cotton candy or popcorn ... or both ... and a frozen lemonade ... and a sausage sandwich. I basically pay him like $10/hour to sit through the event with me.

 

[Antiprodigy]

I look at it from a different standpoint. I look at it as you and he made a commitment to the team when you became coach and he chose to play on the team. You committed to coach the kids and they committed to play as best they can. No quitting, no skipping for other things. If you want to do other things, do them, but don't do them when you have practice or games. Or, alternatively, if those things are more important than the team, don't join in the first place.

SU will play FSU again, down there. It isn't a unique situation. His game is more important. And that he understands commitment and responsibility to others, is even more important.

 

[cuseincincy]

Been there done that, still do to some extent. I still coach my kids in basketball and baseball. They're teenagers now so to some extent I let the one affected make the decision. If he would rather miss his game (and the team has enough players) then we go. If not we don't. When they were younger I never missed a game of theirs and would feel guilty about not being there even if my son wasn't able to play. This past season my son played exactly 1 1/2 games of his 24 game baseball season due to injury on team I was the manager of. I even had to miss several of my other sons games to coach "my" team (that was really tough). As the season went on other parents stepped up so i was able to make some of my other son's games that I would have missed but coaching committment is not as strong as the parental committment. There will always be other SU games. Go to the game late and tailgate afterwards, people might wonder why you're having such a good time afterwards though! If they ask just respond !

 

[GoSU96]

I look at it from a different standpoint. I look at it as you and he made a commitment to the team when you became coach and he chose to play on the team. You committed to coach the kids and they committed to play as best they can. No quitting, no skipping for other things. If you want to do other things, do them, but don't do them when you have practice or games. Or, alternatively, if those things are more important than the team, don't join in the first place.

SU will play FSU again, down there. It isn't a unique situation. His game is more important. And that he understands commitment and responsibility to others, is even more important.

It's six year old basketball.

Yeesh.

 

[Antiprodigy]

It's six year old basketball.

Yeesh.

I understand that it is six year old basketball. But, at what age is it important to start teaching proper values? And how do you explain that a few years ago, it was okay to skip out, but now it isn't? Consistency is very difficult, but it is very important for kids.

Maybe my son is different, but he is always the first to point out if I am not being consistent (only when it affects him adversely, of course!)

 

[HastingsCuse]

As a parent of 3 kids spread out in age (22,17 and 10) I have coached 48 teams of youth soccer, basketball, baseball and softball since 1996. I have never missed a game my kids played in order to watch a college or pro sporting event. Although we have missed a couple games to travel to Syracuse as a family to go to a Cuse basketball game, or a football game at parents weekend, the kids were always with me. When the kids were younger (12 and under) if my son or daughter wanted to go to a miss a game to attend a Cuse bball game and it wouldn't cause a problem with the team (forfeit, not a playoff game, other coach available etc) we'd go. It's your time with your kids that important, whether at a Cuse game or his/her own game.

My oldest son's first game in the Dome at an 11 year old was Melo's last game in 2003. We had a great time and it is probably the main reason he has a SU degree. Go with your son, whether it's at his game or at the Cuse game. No regrets.

 

[GoSU96]

What's really 'unique' about it? seriously? I'm on board with it only being one game but it's not like there won't be plenty of opportunities to drive four hours to see SU football get waxed (potentially -- not trying to be a pr!ck here, but just point out what's by far the most likely event to happen) by a really good opponent.

Yeah it's unique, this FSU team is one of the

I understand that it is six year old basketball. But, at what age is it important to start teaching proper values? And how do you explain that a few years ago, it was okay to skip out, but now it isn't? Consistency is very difficult, but it is very important for kids.

Maybe my son is different, but he is always the first to point out if I am not being consistent (only when it affects him adversely, of course!)

It's pee wee basketball for six year olds, not a hitch in the army. I coached a bunch of years and we just asked to let us know if you won't make practice or make a game.

It's assumed that other things will get in the way at times.

It's not big deal.

 

[swish7]

SU will play FSU again, down there. It isn't a unique situation. His game is more important. And that he understands commitment and responsibility to others, is even more important.

I hear ya. For the record. I bought the FSU tickets before committing to hoops. And, I committed to hoops well before they created the schedule. I probably should have asked them to move the hoops game to 9:30.