The intangibles

I'm a collector of quotes, quips, pithy proverbs, and deep thoughts, especially when the words within are spoken or written for coaches and/or athletes.  Two of my favorites that appeared in my Twitter feed this past week:

I'm not here to bash on parents, but the intangibles listed as the direct reflections of parenting are exactly what will lead to success in sports, so it follows that success, too, indicates parent quality.

It's easy to tell coaches what they shouldn't put up with, especially in high schools where cutting players out of programs can turn into a nightmare.  But the coaches who get this and don't put up with  the bad generally are surrounded by the good.

Both of these sayings sum up the power of attitude over talent.  The inferior importance of the things we can see versus the things we can't.

It's so dangerous for coaches, especially youth coaches in the elementary grades, to anoint stardom upon the shoulders of a fast kid, tall kid, strong kid, or smooth kid.  Many times the selections of young stars are done with superficial vision by coaches who don't see beyond the muscle tone to the inner strength, or lack thereof, of the individual.

Parents have a responsibility to raise kids who understand the definition of human decency and how to display it.  Coaches have a responsibility to raise the importance of that decency above strength and speed.  If neither adult group takes their responsibility seriously we produce nothing but strong, fast jerks.

My Friday night thoughts.  Take 'em or leave 'em.