Bad dads. Crazy parents. Lunatic fans. Mama Drama. Win-at-all-cost rec ball dad. And on and on the list goes. You have already read several blogs from me where we talk about all the things that can go wrong when parents go too far.
Well, let’s get one thing clear. For every lunatic parent there are a bunch of good ones. We always talk about the crazy people because they are the most notable. They get the headline and just like TMZ or The National Enquirer, we are all drawn to the extreme examples.
We know the squeaky wheel gets the great but we’re here today to talk about the opposite end of the spectrum. It is time for us to recognize the “Good Dad” for once. What evidence is there to back up the good dad hypothesis?
Dads are spending more time with their kids today than at any other time in history. Sports provide the perfect breeding ground for kids and parents to bond. The parent’s understanding of the strategies of the game offer an opportunity for conversations about a shared interest. Parents also can use sports as a natural setting to teach life lessons. Things like aggressiveness and competitiveness can be easily taught and understood in the athletic venue where they might be harder to demonstrate in other areas of your life.
So while we know the headlines will always be dominated by the bad actors, let’s give credit to the good dads who are involved in their kids lives in the appropriate way. Give them a pat on the back and a thank you! They deserve it.
