CREDO

A KID'S BASKETBALL CREDO

I'm a kid and I only have 2 jobs in the whole world. One is to do ok in school. My second job is to have fun. When I'm older I can worry about the rest of the things older people worry about. But right here, and right now, it's my time! I'm supposed to have fun!

I play lots of sports, because sports are games, and games are fun. I play volleyball, basketball, baseball/softball, soccer, and a whole lot more. Of all the games I play, I love basketball the best. Why? Because basketball is the fastest game of all. You don't just stand there and wait for something to happen. Every second I am on the court, I have to move, just to make something happen.

A home run is a great feeling. If you are lucky, you get to experience that 10-20 times a season. In bowling, you can only get that feeling for 10 frames. With basketball, I get that feeling every time I make a basket, or get an assist, or block a shot, or steal a pass. In just one basketball game, I get that feeling more than I do in 10 baseball games. I play sports for fun, and I play basketball because I love it.

I know that I will make mistakes. I know there will be times when I frustrate my coach and my parents. My coach has the right to tell me what I'm doing wrong. Like my school teachers, he has the right to grade my performance. My coach has the right to bench me. He even has the right to throw me off the team.

My coach does not have the right to curse at me. He does not have the right to scream at me like I'm a mad dog. My coach does not have the right to try to take away my love for the game. No one has the right to try to take away my love for the game, NO ONE!

I'M A KID AND I ONLY HAVE TWO JOBS IN THE WHOLE WORLD. ONE IS TO DO OK IN SCHOOL. MY SECOND JOB IS TO HAVE FUN. REMEMBER I AM JUST A KID! YOU ARE THE ADULTS, ACT LIKE IT!

Where did this come from? About 4 years ago, I was upset with my favorite basketball website discussion board and did not plan on posting on it for a while. Only problem is that there were a bunch of coaches posting things about their players at the time that I totally disagreed with. So I anonymously posted this response in hopes that some of those coaches might try to think of their players in a different light. I think the premise made in Kid's Credo will hold true as long as there are youth sports.