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2 years old. Loved sports from the get go!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Nate has played 4 seasons of basketball, 1 season\u00a0of baseball, 1 season\u00a0of soccer, and 3 seasons\u00a0of flag football. \u00a0And because he\u2019s the biggest kid on the team (every single season, not one teammate has been taller on any of those 9 teams), he\u2019s usually been one of the best kids.<\/p>\n
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From 2015, love his intensity.![\"\"](\"https:\/\/scontent-sjc2-1.xx.fbcdn.net\/hphotos-ash2\/v\/t1.0-9\/945424_10200485017380807_22922441_n.jpg?oh=973cc93620ddaa0d808a6c411622f909&oe=57092FB9\")
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It doesn\u2019t hurt that he was at a high school football game the fifth day he was alive; I was a Head Football Coach at the high school level at the time, 2006. \u00a0He\u2019s grown up around the fields and gyms as I\u2019ve been a high school Athletic Director for 6 of his 9 years.<\/p>\n
They\u2019ve had two basketball practices this year, today was their first game. \u00a0I\u2019ve been to both\u00a0practices. \u00a0I told my wife after the first one, \u201cwell this is going to be an interesting season for Nate. \u00a0He\u2019s not the best player on the team this year.\u201d \u00a0I\u2019ve got a very realistic view of my kid\u2019s talent. \u00a0I know that most of his success so far has been because of his size.<\/p>\n
The first year he played basketball, his team would win 14-4 or 18-12, and Nate would score 10 or 14 points. \u00a0The coach LOVED him. \u00a0But look how easy it was for him to score! He was a giant!!<\/p>\n
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The biggest kids are usually going to score the most points! I get that. Guess which one is Nate?! This was his first year playing basketball. 2013<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The next year, his coach told him to shoot a whole lot more than I thought he should. \u00a0I would tell him to pass the ball more, so other kids would have a chance, and he would say \u201cDad, my coach told me not to, cause the other kids can\u2019t make them like me.\u201d<\/p>\n
So I was worried about how he would react to the first time he wasn\u2019t \u201cthe man\u201d on this team, the first time he wasn\u2019t a starter. \u00a0I wondered when that would be.<\/p>\n
For the first time ever my son didn\u2019t start today. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Today when I watched the coach sit the whole team down on the bench, and then call out 5 of the 9 and 10 year\u00a0olds to take the court, my son wasn\u2019t picked. \u00a0Nate was one of the three left on the bench. \u00a0My heart kind of sunk. \u00a0For my kid.<\/p>\n I was worried about this day, when he wasn\u2019t the best kid, or at least one of the top ones on the team. \u00a0I was worried \u00a0for my kid. \u00a0How would he react? \u00a0I\u2019ve been working with unrealistic parents for 15 years as a high school football coach. \u00a0I definitely DO NOT want to be THAT dad! \u00a0So, I wasn\u2019t worried about me, I was worried about my son.<\/p>\n And you know what?<\/p>\n He\u00a0<\/span>NEVER<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>even mentioned not being a starter, not one time today did he even hint at it. \u00a0I even tried to get him to. \u00a0\u201cWhat was your favorite part of the game?\u201d \u00a0 \u201cWhat was your least favorite?\u201d \u00a0\u201cWhat was the best thing?\u201d \u00a0\u201cWhat was the worst thing?\u201d<\/p>\n His favorite part: \u201cWe won!\u201d<\/p>\n Least favorite: \u201cThe one basket I missed.\u201d \u00a0(He did score 2 points)<\/p>\n The best thing: \u201cWe won!\u201d<\/p>\n Worst thing: \u201cThat the game was over.\u201d<\/p>\n Parents: your kids will be fine if they don\u2019t start! \u00a0As long as you\u2019re fine!!!<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019re teaching your kids all along the way that the TEAM > i<\/strong><\/em>, then when he doesn\u2019t start, it won\u2019t be a big deal.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re teaching your kid to shake the coach\u2019s hand, and say thank you<\/strong><\/em> after every single practice and game, he will\u00a0<\/span>have a healthy respect for his coach; it won\u2019t matter when he doesn\u2019t start.<\/p>\n If you teach your kid that every single person has a role to play on a team<\/strong><\/em>, starting at a young age, then it won\u2019t be a big deal when he doesn\u2019t start.<\/p>\n If you teach your kid to \u201cjust play hard and have fun,\u201d<\/strong><\/em> then it won\u2019t be a big deal when he doesn\u2019t start.<\/p>\n If you use teachable moments while watching the NFL to teach your child that you don\u2019t always get what you want<\/strong><\/em>, it won\u2019t be a big deal when he doesn\u2019t start.<\/p>\n I was more proud of my son today then I ever have been. \u00a0He was the only one on the bench standing and cheering for his teammates.<\/p>\n And this afternoon, while there was a commercial break during the NFL game, I asked him why he likes to cheer so much for his team when he isn\u2019t in the game. \u00a0This little 9 year old looked up at me and said \u201cDad, I like to treat others the way I want to be treated.\u201d<\/p>\n For the first time my son didn\u2019t start today, and I couldn\u2019t have been more proud!<\/strong><\/p>\n Author Chris Fore is a veteran football coach and athletic director from Southern California.\u00a0 He has a Masters degree in Athletic Administration, is a Certified Athletic Administrator, and is on the California Coaches Association Board. \u00a0Eight Laces Consulting<\/strong><\/a>, his business, provides dynamite resources for coaches.\u00a0 He is the author of\u00a0<\/em>An Insider\u2019s Guide To Scoring Your Next Coaching Job<\/strong><\/a><\/em>,\u00a0<\/em>Building Championship Caliber Football Programs<\/strong><\/a>,<\/em>and the\u00a0<\/em>Outside The Lines Manual for Football Coaches.<\/strong><\/a>b<\/em><\/p>\n<\/section>\n Original Article HERE<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![\"IMG_0915\"](\"http:\/\/coachfore.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/IMG_0915.jpg\")
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