SUPERECWFAN1
10-05-2005, 02:46 PM
This is about kids being pushed to hard to be Sports Icons. In the past some parents have really started pushing thier children to be breakout stars eithor in the NBA, Golf , NFL or MLB.
The parents can't take most losses well. If thier child gets cut or they handle a loss the parents have been known to react bad at times. My old HS Football Coach told me a story where a parent one time threatened him to have a winning season while his son played or else. The Coach remained cool and told the father: " If you threaten me again your son will be cut. Got that clear ? Good now sit down and stop emberessing yourself."
Right now lets examine a few sport players and whethor thier parents may have pushed them.
The Todd Marinovich Story: No player had more raw talent and a Gun than Todd Marinovich. The man was freakin built from the day he was 6 years old to be a QB by his father.
But his father was less than human at times and allowed Todd few friends. He also pushed Todd to pass for hours and hours on end. Then Todd was kept on a non-fat diet and it was almost humerous. The Coach of his College team nearly choked when Todd said that he had never ate at McDonalds. A man , 18 yearsold , never eating at a McDonalds ?
Todd was drafted in the 1st rd of the 1991 NFL Draft. Everyone felt he was a STAR on the rise. But what happened ? Todd finally wanted his freedom from his over controlling father and when he did he broke loose into booze , drugs and other problems.
Marinovich told on HBO he never felt he had a childhood due to his father's relentless pushing. That he really had no idea how to communicate with people outside football and it hurt him.
Tiger Woods : Of course not every story ends up as bad as Marinovich's. Tiger Woods story is drasticlly different. Same pushy father who put golf clubs in his hands at a young age. Same dad who wanted his son to win.
The results was that Tiger seems well adjusted as a young man and became a success at what his father groomed him for. Its rarely a son becomes way better than his father but it happened.
Right now the Mannings of the NFL have gotten all the press. Archie Manning himself has claimed he never pushed his sons towards the NFL. That they saw what he did growing up and wanted it on thier own.
Is that an approach that works ? Roger Clemens oldest son was drafted by the Housten Astro's recently. Clemens claims he has slightly prodded his son to be a pitcher due to the fact that his son has a 90 MPH Fastball and started a few HS games where he pitched no hitters.
Clemens son however wants to be a HR hitter and thats where he's playing for.
So in the end....is it alright for parents to influence thier kids and push them towards sport success ? Or is it wrong on certain levels and the parents should let the kids want it ?
The parents can't take most losses well. If thier child gets cut or they handle a loss the parents have been known to react bad at times. My old HS Football Coach told me a story where a parent one time threatened him to have a winning season while his son played or else. The Coach remained cool and told the father: " If you threaten me again your son will be cut. Got that clear ? Good now sit down and stop emberessing yourself."
Right now lets examine a few sport players and whethor thier parents may have pushed them.
The Todd Marinovich Story: No player had more raw talent and a Gun than Todd Marinovich. The man was freakin built from the day he was 6 years old to be a QB by his father.
But his father was less than human at times and allowed Todd few friends. He also pushed Todd to pass for hours and hours on end. Then Todd was kept on a non-fat diet and it was almost humerous. The Coach of his College team nearly choked when Todd said that he had never ate at McDonalds. A man , 18 yearsold , never eating at a McDonalds ?
Todd was drafted in the 1st rd of the 1991 NFL Draft. Everyone felt he was a STAR on the rise. But what happened ? Todd finally wanted his freedom from his over controlling father and when he did he broke loose into booze , drugs and other problems.
Marinovich told on HBO he never felt he had a childhood due to his father's relentless pushing. That he really had no idea how to communicate with people outside football and it hurt him.
Tiger Woods : Of course not every story ends up as bad as Marinovich's. Tiger Woods story is drasticlly different. Same pushy father who put golf clubs in his hands at a young age. Same dad who wanted his son to win.
The results was that Tiger seems well adjusted as a young man and became a success at what his father groomed him for. Its rarely a son becomes way better than his father but it happened.
Right now the Mannings of the NFL have gotten all the press. Archie Manning himself has claimed he never pushed his sons towards the NFL. That they saw what he did growing up and wanted it on thier own.
Is that an approach that works ? Roger Clemens oldest son was drafted by the Housten Astro's recently. Clemens claims he has slightly prodded his son to be a pitcher due to the fact that his son has a 90 MPH Fastball and started a few HS games where he pitched no hitters.
Clemens son however wants to be a HR hitter and thats where he's playing for.
So in the end....is it alright for parents to influence thier kids and push them towards sport success ? Or is it wrong on certain levels and the parents should let the kids want it ?