Since my last post about coaching kids in youth sports, the coaching label has been bestowed upon me 5 more times.  Tee ball, basketball (twice), flag football (twice) and soccer.  3 head coaching 3 assistants not to mention the occasional help here and there.  

 

My favorite time of the coaching season involves the first meeting of the new team.  The child is excited to meet their new teammates and beginning another adventure in athletics and friendship.  The happiness of getting reacquainted with last season’s new buddy and relive the wins and losses.

 

For the parent’s on the other it is a totally different experience.  An opposite set of feelings are about to take place.  Dilemmas such as how much more is this going to cost me?  $8 for the name on the jersey, $5 dollars for socks, $12 for shorts.  Are we putting first or last names on the back?  Is everyone else buying the color coordinated socks to match the shorts we have to buy?  What color are the uniforms anyway?  What size are you getting your kids shorts? All this only to find out after you purchased the entire set again that it is the same uniform, color and all as the last season.

 

My stance is very simple on uniforms, every kids needs to have the same uniform, name and all.  In previous sports I have quietly paid for the additional shorts for those that didn’t/can’t order them.  You just never know when the uniform company will accidently send an extra pair of perfectly sized shorts for the odd kid out.

 

Youth sports is about building a child’s self confidence and ability to work within a team Having the same outfit is a basic component to that.