Rants and Raves for 2022

It’s that time again, where
we all look back at the last 12 months to reflect on the happenings of the year. Ever
since Covid, things have changed, and while overall we are in a much better place than two years ago, there have still been ups
and downs.
As per usual, I will start my reminiscence of the year with my rants, as I always like to end on a positive note — especially when maneuvering into a new year.
My rants are actually rather few this year. I know that some are more than happy to bid adieu to 2022, however I am mostly grateful for the normalcy that has returned after what seems like an age since Covid. 
Therefore, my No. 1 rant is once again the shortage of officials and coaches in high school and youth sports. I don’t know if parents and fans simply refuse to believe that “someone” won’t step up to fill these vital roles or what it is, but the abuse heaped upon these brave souls who put themselves in the bullseye from said parents and fans is apparently getting to be too much.
In a perfect world, everyone’s child would be equally as talented as everyone else, so they would get equal playing time. Believe me, everyone, including coaches and officials, would be overjoyed if that were the case. 
But the fact of the matter is that they are not. As parents, we need to be able to see our children, and their teammates, objectively and be ready to admit that our child may not be the most talented on the team. 
We also need to be able to put ourselves into the shoes of coaches and officials and figure out if we could do the job better. If so, maybe then we need to step up and fill some of those shortages.
Coaches give up a lot of time with their families to coach your kids, and they are not doing it for the money. When I was coaching, I figured out what my hourly wage was, and it was less than 20 cents an hour. Now, I haven’t coached since 2009, but the pay for the job I did is still the same today. 
When you sacrifice all that you have to in order to coach youth sports, it makes it so much more difficult to have your character and abilities slandered. 
We need to be better.
With that said, it’s on to my raves for the year.
To start, I want to rave on those brave souls who continue to coach and officiate despite the hardships associated with the jobs. 
Thank you for having the passion and love for sports and kids that makes it possible for you to stay with this thankless job. 
I must temper my last comment. When I say “thankless,” I don’t mean that you get nothing from it. That is about as far from the truth as possible. 
The benefits of coaching far outweigh the drawbacks. There’s not a lot that can compare to getting to spend time with kids, teaching them how to be the best they can be in the sport they love. 
The relationships you are able to build with young people when you spend that amount of time with them — often in rather emotional situations — continue long after your time on the court or the field with them ends. 
That’s why you do what you do, and, again, I thank you for your dedication.
I also want to rave on those parents and fans who wholeheartedly support their children’s coaches even if they don’t always agree with them. What you do for the team means so very much, and knowing that you stand behind the program means the world. 
I’m sorry that the few bad apples out there make it hard for everyone.
Of course, I need to rave on those athletes who give everything they’ve got to play the sport they love. 
It’s a rare occasion when every single player on a team is fully satisfied all of the time. They disagree with coaches and officials. They have good games and not-so-good games. It is often painful to play sports. The physical demands are not for the faint of heart, and injuries can and do happen. 
But they play despite the pain, and we all thank you for that.
So, with that said, I am very much looking forward to 2023 and hope for nothing but raves in the coming year.