A football coach is yelling at his players –
“You have the opportunity today to rip their freakin’ head off and let them bleed!”
“This is where you earn your play time!”
“I don’t care how much pain you are in. You don’t quit.”
Nothing that unusual for football, right?
How about if the coach is yelling this to 8 and 9 year olds?
“There should be no reason you don’t make the other teams cry. I could care less if they cry.”
“If that kid comes across, I want you to put it in his helmet, you understand? I don’t care if you don’t get up. Let’s go!”
The video is from EsqTV about a show they started running in January called Friday Night Tikes. It is about the Texas Football Association Rookie League of 8,9 year olds in San Antonio.
In another video, the announcer espouse this league as one of the “most competitive sports leagues in America.”
I am very troubled by this on so many fronts.
- I am troubled that these coaches and the Network define competition in this way.
- I am troubled that these coaches are lauded as models to follow who tout “we are suiting up, getting ready to go to war!”
- I am troubled that these coaches define masculinity in this way.
- I am troubled that parents are allowing their children to be exposed to this kind of environment.
- I am troubled that the Network thinks there is a market for this kind of show.
I want to cry. Our sports are so, so broken. Remember again, this is 8 and 9 year olds! Where is the idea of sports as a means of play for these kids? Of fun?
We are so confused, so lost in our pursuit of sports, of our kids “becoming champions.” We have got to see this brokenness and the damage it is doing to kids, parents, and coaches.
If this gets you, like it gets me, will you please pray? Will you ask God to open our eyes and break our hearts to what is going on? Will you ask him to tear down this idol and redeem the realm of sports?
