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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (June 1, 2016)
2]VM-);<-:67:-/768):-6< Parents: A few pointers for the next sporting event By SUZANNE KENNEDY It’s summer, which means chances are good that you have a ďƌĞĂŬĨƌŽŵŬŝĚƐ͛ƐƉŽƌƚƐ͘ƟŶLJŽŶĞ͕ ŵĂLJďĞͶĂƚůĞĂƐƚŽŶĐĞ>ŝƩůĞ>ĞĂŐƵĞ ŝƐŽǀĞƌ͘tŚĂƚĂĨĂďƵůŽƵƐƟŵĞƚŽƐŝƚ back, unwind, and replay all of the ƐŝĚĞůŝŶĞƉĂƌĞŶƚĂŶƟĐƐƚŚĂƚŐŽŚĂŶĚ in hand with sports. You might rec- ŽŐŶŝnjĞĂůŝƩůĞďŝƚŽĨLJŽƵƌƐĞůĨŝŶŽŶĞ ŽĨƚŚĞƐĞĚĞƐĐƌŝƉƟŽŶƐ͘ Mr. “I Didn’t Sign up to Coach, ďƵƚ/͛ŵ'ŽŝŶŐƚŽzĞůůŝƌĞĐƟŽŶƐ Anyway.” If you want to coach, get ŽƵƚŽŶƚŚĞĮĞůĚ͘<ŝĚƐĐĂŶ͛ƚŚĞĂƌƚŚĞ actual coaches when parents are yelling at them. Sure enough, I have called out to my child to “choke up on the bat.” Keep in mind that I ŚĂǀĞƉůĂLJĞĚŽŶĞŐĂŵĞŽĨƐŽŌďĂůůŝŶ my life, and that was a game be- tween two stores in the mall where I worked as a teenager. The Gap had nothing on us. DƌƐ͘͞/KŶůLJŚĞĞƌĨŽƌDLJKǁŶ Child.” Step out of your bubble. Your kid plays on a team. Only cheering for your child gives him or her an exaggerated sense of self. Raise a team player. It’s also fun to confuse your child by cheering for the opponents when they complete a great play. The Loud Talker.^ŽŵĞŽŶĞƐŝƫŶŐ at the other end of the bleachers should not be able to hear your ĐŽŶǀĞƌƐĂƟŽŶ͕ǁŚĞƚŚĞƌLJŽƵĂƌĞ speaking to someone next to you or talking on your cell phone. We are not interested. Unless it actually ŝƐŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƟŶŐ͘/ŶƚŚĂƚĐĂƐĞ͕ƉůĞĂƐĞ expect to see a lot of other parents Columbia River Community Health Services 541-481-7212 • 450 Tatone St., Boardman, OR 97818 Mon. 7:30 am - 7:00 pm; Tue. - Fri. 7:30 am - 5:00 pm See us for all your medical needs. Most major insurances, Medicare and Oregon Medicaid accepted. We are an insurance exchange and Medicaid Assistor Site. Please give us a call for more information. Hablamos Español nudging each other and nodding in LJŽƵƌĚŝƌĞĐƟŽŶ͘ dŚĞZĞŚĂƐŚͲƚŚĞͲ'ĂŵĞͲŽŶͲƚŚĞͲ tĂLJͲ,ŽŵĞWĂƌĞŶƚ͘You know how you feel when you work really hard on something and someone points ŽƵƚƚŚĞŽŶĞƟŶLJƚŚŝŶŐƚŚĂƚǁĂƐ missed? That’s how your kids feel when the ride home from the game becomes a play-by-play of “should have.” The only things you should ďĞƐĂLJŝŶŐĂŌĞƌƚŚĞŐĂŵĞĂƌĞ͗͞/ƚ was so much fun watching you play!” and “Please take a shower ďĞĐĂƵƐĞLJŽƵƐƟŶŬ͘͟ dŚĞhŶĨƌŝĞŶĚůLJ>ŽŶĞƌ͘ Look, some days, we are all miserable out there watching our kids play. It’s too hot, too cold, too windy, the bleachers are too hard, and our camp chairs have no back support. dŚĞƌĞ͛ƐŶŽŶĞĞĚƚŽƐƵīĞƌĂůŽŶĞ͘ 'ĞƫŶŐƚŽŬŶŽǁŽƚŚĞƌĨĂŵŝůŝĞƐ makes it more fun. You never know, you might end up on another team ƚŽŐĞƚŚĞƌ͘ǀĞŶďĞƩĞƌ͕LJŽƵŵŝŐŚƚďĞ ĂďůĞƚŽďƵŵĂǁĂƚĞƌŽīŽĨƐŽŵĞŽŶĞ when your child forgets to bring one even though he was reminded ϭϳƟŵĞƐ͘^Ž͕ŐĞƚŽīLJŽƵƌƉŚŽŶĞ and join in the fun. Well, it’s okay to be on the phone if you are order- ŝŶŐĂĐĂŵƉĐŚĂŝƌǁŝƚŚďĞƩĞƌůƵŵďĂƌ support. If that’s the case, get one for me, too. Okay, here’s some serious ad- vice. Never, and I mean never, shout out comments about a bad call. It’s just not your place. If your beef is with the referee or umpire, ƐƉĞĂŬƚŽLJŽƵƌĐŚŝůĚ͛ƐĐŽĂĐŚ͘,ĞŽƌ she will know how to take care of it. If you have an issue with the coach, ǁĂŝƚƵŶƟůLJŽƵĐĂŶƐƉĞĂŬƉƌŝǀĂƚĞůLJ͘ The athletes should not hear any ŽĨŝƚ͘dŚŝƐŐŽĞƐĨŽƌƌĞůĂƟǀĞƐĂƐǁĞůů͘ Grandmas and grandpas gain noth- ing from yelling out insults, even if they are in the right. It’s embarrass- ing for the other parents and for the team. Most importantly, listen to your children. If they ask you not to yell, or not to call out certain things, ĐŽŵƉůLJ͘^ƚĞƉƉŝŶŐŽƵƚŽŶƚŽƚŚĞĮĞůĚ is like stepping out onto a stage. Most athletes feel like all eyes are on them and kids are so easily embarrassed. By following these simple rules, you can keep the joy in Mudville for another day, even if your kid is the one who strikes out. ________ ^ƵnjĂŶŶĞ<ĞŶŶĞĚLJŝƐĂĨŽƌŵĞƌ middle school teacher who lives in WĞŶĚůĞƚŽŶǁŝƚŚŚĞƌŚƵƐďĂŶĚĂŶĚ three children.
