tough coaches, delicate balance

There were an article in the Kansas City Star magazine about coaches yelling at their athletes, saying that players are quitting organized sports before the age of 13, blaming overly aggressive coaching more than any other reason.

Personally, I grew up in environment where I wasn't able to talk at dinner,had to be back at home at a certain hour after school, being respectful to the rules, being polite all the time. It always annoy me when a kid comes to my house and don't say "hi".

"The win-at-all-costs mentality" is it the reason? Coaches are forgetting that they are kids? Or are we pushing then too far? My friends is pushing me more all the time and he is telling me when he was young, he was doing this and that... but at the end of the story, we should ask ourself, Why?

Personally, I am trying to find a balance. I want for my players to be able to enjoy and also perform but with fun. I think when we saw the way they played last weekend, they provided great soccer. That was beautiful. Should it be enough? Or when our team stops to win, though, society begins to shine a spotlight on coaching behavior?

Then we're more likely to say "hey, that's wrong"... difficult balance!