Cracklin' Rose

Mar 24, 2006 at 14:43 o\clock

Once a quitter?

by: Cracklin_Rose

So in an effort to help my daughter maintain a healthy weight we signed her up for soccer. She was gung ho. It was actually her suggestion.

Four practices down and she hates it. In fact she spent the last practice sitting on the sidelines crying. Charlie pulled me aside and suggested that I might still be able to get my money back if we pulled her out before the first game. Said that she just didn't want to be there. Said maybe it was because it's her first year and she's not as skilled as the other girls, or maybe it was because she doesn't have any friends on the team yet, but whatever the reason she's unhappy.

I will have to admit that my first reaction was disappointment in the Bear. I wanted to get all Sgt. Carter on her and tell her to suck it up. No one's good when they first start out. It takes dedication, practice, a stubborness. NO ONE LIKES A QUITTER!!!

Then I slid into annoyance with her coach. How dare he suggest that he doesn't want my kid on his team. He's the coach, figure out how to motivate her. Figure out how to get the other girls to include her more. COACH HER so that she becomes a better player!

But then I looked into my child's tear stained face. How can I force her to continue with something that's making her miserable? There are other things out there we can try if it's her level of physical fitness we're worried about. What harm will it cause if I nod wisely, like I've considered all the options and say, "Sure honey, let's try something else"?

Thing is, I don't want to raise a quitter. I struggle with giving up when things get difficult. I don't often do it, but it's definitely in me to just say, "Screw this" and walk away. I don't like that I'm like that and I don't like that I see it in Bear. I want her to learn how good it feels to finish something out of pure will alone. I didn't think I could do it. I didn't even want to do it. But I did it and I FEEL AWESOME! She deserves to know how good that feels, but how am I going to give her that opportunity if I show her it's okay to give up?

WWYD?

Comments for this entry:

  1. bf325 wrote at Mar 24, 2006 at 21:59 o\clock:I was one of those quitter types, and my parents just let me be one for years. I changed schools and was a cheerleader at my old school and loved it.. but I had just entered this extremely awkward phase (the BEST time to change school.. ugh) and was SO self-conscious. I tried out, made the team.. but the thought of being the \"ugly\" cheerleader that everyone wondered how in the heck she made it on the squad.. I couldn\'t handle it. I quit. I signed up for softball two or three times. Usually I\'d quit after the first or second practice. The last time I made it so far as to buy all my equipment and my uniforms. Then I quit. My parents let me. At the end of my junior year of high school, I looked back and realized I had done NOTHING. So I tried out for Color Guard (flags in the marching band) and made it. Ordered all my equipment and uniforms and paid all my fees, went to band camp and about three days in to it I wanted to quit. Mom and Dad FINALLY put their foot down. So, I finished out my year in Color Guard and looking back now I am SO glad I did.



    I do regret not doing Cheerleading. I don\'t so much regret the softball. I always felt like I was the one who sucked on the team, and the other girls were always SO competitive and I was horrified of what would be said if I struck out, or didn\'t catch that ball or get that player out. Makes me nervous just thinking about it!



    I probably wasn\'t much help here, but she may be kinda the same as me, as far as participating in competitive sports go.



    Good luck!
  2. BusyCincyMomma wrote at Mar 24, 2006 at 23:43 o\clock:I know this great little gymnastics place that little Mary Lou would love to show Bear around at. Maybe if you looked into something that isn\'t to focused on being the center of attention (like when she has the ball) to maybe something more like gymnastics or swimming where it is more instructional than a game....just a thought. Most places like that give you the First time is free pass to try out. I sure hope it all works out. Being the ackward one too, I was more into the group activities than the sports, Brownies, Girl Scouts, Ballet, Baton..

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