I approached the brink of a facebook war with a "sports parent" (but then pulled back) in contemplating going after a big ass celebration at my kids HS over "National Athlete Signing Day" where every kid "that will be playing sports at the collegiate level" gets the joy of the dreaded hat reveal.

I don't get why some field hockey player is more special than the kid that is going to a service academy....or a special ed kiddo who graduated and is going off to community college....or a kid accepted into an apprentice program for a construction trade...or a kid going off to Juliard. Feels like every life journey is worth celebrating and I guess i just don't get what makes it special for someone playing sports over other things.

But I am willing to be wrong on this. Anyone want to take the pro side?

socaltownie said:

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I approached the brink of a facebook war with a "sports parent" (but then pulled back) in contemplating going after a big ass celebration at my kids HS over "National Athlete Signing Day" where every kid "that will be playing sports at the collegiate level" gets the joy of the dreaded hat reveal.

I don't get why some field hockey player is more special than the kid that is going to a service academy....or a special ed kiddo who graduated and is going off to community college....or a kid accepted into an apprentice program for a construction trade...or a kid going off to Juliard. Feels like every life journey is worth celebrating and I guess i just don't get what makes it special for someone playing sports over other things.

But I am willing to be wrong on this. Anyone want to take the pro side?

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not me, no

There are too many celebrations filtering down to elementary school

socaltownie said:

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I approached the brink of a facebook war with a "sports parent" (but then pulled back) in contemplating going after a big ass celebration at my kids HS over "National Athlete Signing Day" where every kid "that will be playing sports at the collegiate level" gets the joy of the dreaded hat reveal.

I don't get why some field hockey player is more special than the kid that is going to a service academy....or a special ed kiddo who graduated and is going off to community college....or a kid accepted into an apprentice program for a construction trade...or a kid going off to Juliard. Feels like every life journey is worth celebrating and I guess i just don't get what makes it special for someone playing sports over other things.

But I am willing to be wrong on this. Anyone want to take the pro side?

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I totally agree. That sports admittance scandal from a few years back really opened my eyes to things I hadn't thought much about before. Why does a kid rich enough to play crew get special treatment for college? Why do we throw so much adulation at football players? Any of them? I'd rather cheer for good musicians.

I have to admit, it soured me on sports and I used to enjoy sports a lot. Now it's hard for me to get past the silliness of it all.

dajo9 said:

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socaltownie said:

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I approached the brink of a facebook war with a "sports parent" (but then pulled back) in contemplating going after a big ass celebration at my kids HS over "National Athlete Signing Day" where every kid "that will be playing sports at the collegiate level" gets the joy of the dreaded hat reveal.

I don't get why some field hockey player is more special than the kid that is going to a service academy....or a special ed kiddo who graduated and is going off to community college....or a kid accepted into an apprentice program for a construction trade...or a kid going off to Juliard. Feels like every life journey is worth celebrating and I guess i just don't get what makes it special for someone playing sports over other things.

But I am willing to be wrong on this. Anyone want to take the pro side?

---

I totally agree. That sports admittance scandal from a few years back really opened my eyes to things I hadn't thought much about before. Why does a kid rich enough to play crew get special treatment for college? Why do we throw so much adulation at football players? Any of them? I'd rather cheer for good musicians.

I have to admit, it soured me on sports and I used to enjoy sports a lot. Now it's hard for me to get past the silliness of it all.

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I didn't realize all crew kids were rich. I thought Cal took tall, strong kids and turned them into elite rowers.

"I don't get why some field hockey player is more special than the kid that is going to a service academy….."

The real question is the one that the field hockey player and his parents have to ask themselves :

Is the reason they came up with field hockey so that boys from suburbia that suck in hoop, football and baseball can delude themselves into thinking that they are legitimate athletes in a varsity sport?

*Anyone that gets into Juilliard is lapping the field by a substantial margin.