I was watching a bunch of 5-year-olds play soccer over the weekend and was reminded how much I love little kids floating around, uncertain of what they should be doing or where they should be standing.
It is a pure kind of sports and never fails to make me smile.
But it also reminds me of my days of coaching, and a father who called me an absolutely filthy name at the top of his lungs because I didn't start his 6-year-old son who was blessed with two left feet and cursed with his dad.
And I wonder, today, about parents and what they think about youth sports.
One school of thought is that kids ought to learn that winning brings joy and satisfaction and losing is what happens when you don't try or don't practice or don't pay attention.
The other school of thought, of course, is that you should just let kids play. Eventually they will discover winning and losing on their own and that parents and grandparents should just stay out of their development.
For me this has always been a tough call. I wanted my kids to know that winning was better than losing but I didn't want them crushed when they lost. I wanted them to enjoy competing and playing.
It was a real parental dilemma decades ago and I wonder if it's any less a dilemma for today's parents.
With a history in Milwaukee stretching back decades, Dave tries to bring a unique perspective to his writing, whether it's sports, politics, theater or any other issue.
He's seen Milwaukee grow, suffer pangs of growth, strive for success and has been involved in many efforts to both shape and re-shape the city. He's a happy man, now that he's quit playing golf, and enjoys music, his children and grandchildren and the myriad of sports in this state. He loves great food and hates bullies and people who think they are smarter than everyone else.
This whole Internet thing continues to baffle him, but he's willing to play the game as long as OnMilwaukee.com keeps lending him a helping hand. He is constantly amazed that just a few dedicated people can provide so much news and information to a hungry public.
Despite some opinions to the contrary, Dave likes most stuff. But he is a skeptic who constantly wonders about the world around him. So many questions, so few answers.
