did not want to hijack Alph's thread so here is a new one

[Oss]

There is the official school team and there are other organizations and clubs for when kids are older

I coached AYSO   soccer for 8 years starting when my kid was 6-7 yrs old after being an assistant coach for a year.  There were anywhere from 4 to 6 teams for each age in our town and we would play each other and other  towns as far away as Mount Vernon and Scarsdale. We had no busses we parents car and van pooled. And I knew nothing about the game when I first volunteered to help as assistant coach and lineman

It cost maybe 20 bucks  or so to sign your kid up for the season which covered the equipment and uniforms (shorts and a soccer t shirt and socks ) Parents were responsible to buy cleats and every 6th week bring oranges and water to the game for the team  I went to some classes taught by great british players AYSO brought by maybe 10 times to learn to stay a page ahead of my kids

Best 8 years of my life One of my kids was scouted by Div I college Unfortunately his dad (also a great player in his day) is one of those bloodthirsty ones where if we were up 5 goals and his kid was playing that quarter as full back in front of goal he would yell for his kid to score....again

We played some teams where the kids were obviously richer (ya can tell by all the mercedes in  the parking lot of the field) but our kids from a mixed hispanic, portugese, american and african black and different kinds of white  community held their own and learned a lot about each other and life.  Ossining is also a place where 1 school has all the kids in each grade till HS so everyone knows everyone. It was one way to desegregate in the 1970s and it has stuck and for the better. My kids have all kinds of friends like I did growing up in the Bronx

Its sad that some coaches and parents and schools (before HS years) are in it just for the bloodlust of winning
Sure the kids want to win, but they also need time to play and to learn  to depend on each other

The other side is with austerity budgets when the town defeats a school budget unless the parents pay there is NO TEAM AT ALL   So dont judge the parents and kids too harshly unless you know the district budget was defeated and this is the only way the kids can even field a team

I still sit on the stone wall some sundays for a spell and watch the kids play and can hear the coach yelling go left.... no the other left    Cool  great memories  Thanks Alph for the post !

And its great when a big bearded 20 yr old  kid comes up to me somewhere and says Hi coach

If you have kids I recommend coaching its worth it in the end

How many of you have had the opportunity and took it.

[cookiedough]

I did a few years of basketball and baseball for youth in our school system ages around 7-9.  I offered to help coach softball as well but the coach and his buddy wanted to do it alone and they are a little more hard-core coaching yelling at kids than I liked to be and that is the main reason my daughter did only 1 year of softball around age 10 since the coached yelled at the kids - not my cup of tea.  That is why I quit softball after High School.  The team I was on was out for blood and yelling all the time.  Some parents I know in town need to learn it is just a game and you can be competitive without yelling all the time.  I get that way at times, but not near the extent some parents go to way out of line.  I'd like to give a few parents I know a piece of my mind out back away from the crowd.

[Jabba]

I did some assistant coaching for my sons wrestling team this year.

It's REALLY tough on me to coach 4-7 year olds wrestling.

Especially when my son is such a meathead and doesn't even TRY.

I had to stop so I didn't beat him.   

jabba

[Bonzo]

I never coached my kids in "regular" school or sports. I did coach for 11 years in "Challengers Little League" for handicapped of both sexes and all handicaps I assisted a great man in doing it for 4 years than I took over. It was a tremendously rewarding experience and I still hear an Occasional "Hey Coach"   that always makes my day!

[Oss]

lol

jabba the  thing I liked also was I had MY kid every year

What my son hated was his #$$)%#++@@$#  father was his coach every year

[WamegoRob]

And its great when a big bearded 20 yr old  kid comes up to me somewhere and says Hi coach

I coached baseball for about 10 years (as well as some soccer, basketball and football), and the memories of watching my sons throw a no-hitter or run with a smile after driving one to the fence are the best.  But a close second would definitely be hearing, "Hi Coach" years later =)

[grandpaweaver]

I started coaching when my son came home from little league practice his first year and said they wouldn't be playing because they didn't have enough coaches. My wife said they do now ( must obey) coached him for 3 years until he moved up to an older group then my daughters till they moved to softball. Then decided to see what coaching would be like without my own kids on the team.

All in all I coached for 15 years until my son wanted to take over so I started Umpiring. My son continued for over 20 years, we also coached football and basketball together.

Some of the best years and like Oss said it great when they come up to you 20 years later saying hi coach. I always need to ask their name saying come on you were 12 old the last time I saw you.

[Jess from VA]

In law school, I coached a women's (legal secretary) softball team for a big firm where I was clerking. (not making it up OSS)

Only two gals knew how to play at all, or any of the basic rules.  Despite my coaching and training (I really tried), every time someone hit a pop up, everyone on base ran like hell, resulting in triple plays.  The third baseman could not throw far enough to hit first, ever.  Opposing pitchers were hit with thrown bats.  Someone would slide, and come to a stop 10 feet from the bag.  Even though it was just supposed to be fun, I tore my remaining hair out.  It was a comedy of errors (the husbands would bring beer and LTAO)......... and I quit.                 I still have my jersey.