The above quote came from another thread that I choose to not contribute to anymore. They may be the best comments on the whole thing as of recent. I wonder how many beer commercials will we watch on television tonight, especially with the Super Bowl? How about inappropriate behavior on television period? How many of our kids wrestlers have observed their kids or HS coaches drinking at various events over the years? How many parents have double standards? How many coaches violate their own standards of decency placed on their athletes by smoking or using chew, or any other form of team policy? How many of us have double standard of one violation of team rules being more important than others?

Another person made comment about checking on their kids or at places like myspace, how many parents have done so? I agree. I am concerned, we as parents and educators are practicing a double standard and it is no wonder many of our youth get into trouble. It is easy to get on here and place blame at a team or individuals when in reality those making the posts may have issues on their own and couldn’t be a role model to a cockroach at the trash dump. It is easy to throw blame around, and sometimes that blame is deserved. But I wonder how much blame do we as adults deserve over letting things get so out of hand? I’m not taking a morality trip here, but I am saying I firmly believe we as parents, and adults in general deserve some of the blame because these types of things are as much our fault as it is the fault of the youth. For anyone who doesn’t believe this type of thing, as well as promiscuous sexual activity is not a rampant problem, you simply have no clue. Not only all sports are facing this problem, but so are all students. With the behavior of some of our parents, coaches, and whoever, is it any wonder? The truth is, while many of us got away with it in the past, we knew there was a price to pay, but even then, it wasn’t readily promoted on the WORLD WIDE NET. Far more are guilty of these behaviors today than yesterday. We really need to ask ourselves what we can do to better resolve these problems. While no offense is intended, the schools have never been the answer. The answer starts at home, and even sometimes with the best of intentions, kids still make mistakes. A good home cannot compete with the peer and societal pressure that exists. While it is easy to talk about what is best for a kid, maybe we need to first ask, what can we do as adults to provide a better image, and be more appropriate. Yes we are all hypocrites, but we can change our own behavior, then, and I believe only then, will we have a right to talk about what is best for the kids. Many of us say, don’t do as I do, do as I say. When we live this kind of life, and express these kinds of “truths,” we have to expect problems. When those problems occur, maybe we shouldn’t be pointing the finger nearly as much as looking into the mirror. I would hope, and I firmly believe that the kids parents and coaches in the recent events have asked themselves the questions about what more they could have done to prevent the problem. If they have answers to those questions, hopefully they apply them, an easy way out is a policy that has serious or severe consequences. I also hope that we don’t always take the easy way out, but take the way that is likely to help the athlete or youth. Personally, I know as a youth I did things I should have never done, I also know that it was very hard to get by with those things on a school sponsored event because of the strict supervision by parents and coaches that was provided.

Let me ask these questions. On school sponsored trips, either for club or athletic purposes, how many parents or coaches will on occasion have a beer? How many will smoke a cigarette? How many will have a dip, even while coaching? How many will make a sexual comment? I could go on, but you likely get my point.