Strange places

Sports can take people to strange places. I never thought that I would be promoting Women's Pro Soccer on Memorial Day Weekend in New Hampshire. I was the only person thrilled that New Hampshire was a place that the Breakers market too. I love the state and my drive was very convenient.

I was in Amherst, New Hampshire which isn't all that far from Manchester and Nashua or Ashburnham.

I've never really been to a big soccer tournament before because I never played soccer. I think it's amazing that people travel so far for games. Some travel from Rhode Island on both Saturday and Sunday for games. Those parents are really committed to their children. They spent their weekend with soccer.

One thing I found really unique about this tournament was that I heard what sounded like a tons of mosquitoes above my head. I looked up and instead they were high tension wires. I'd say today was the first sporting event that I was at that had high tension wires going above the parking lot and were almost going above a field or two.

I think the tournament represents so much that is good about sports. It brings families together, kids play and run around and have fun with friends and learn the game of soccer.

I also think it can bring out some of the worst in sports. I think one of the worst things about sports are over zealous youth coaches and parents. Parents who get so involved that they think they coach the team and coaches that take themselves so seriously that they do their best to act like Patton did when he forced the Germans out of North Africa.

Today I saw a really bad slide tackle that could have injured someone. The parents went nuts and yelled at the referee who at these sort of events are in such a bad situation as far as I am concerned. They aren't respected the way referees in a major soccer game are barely respected. They also don't have the luxury of being sent through a tunnel so that they can avoid parents and fans. When I umpired I had one father complain to me after a game wondering how I could possibly let his child play baseball through DRIZZLE. He said he was going to call the league on me. I can't wait for their parent to complain that it was too sunny and that the game should be canceled because the children hurt their eyes looking for a pop fly. Trust me at the rate things are going a lawsuit is coming on that last one.

Another thing I don't understand are things like soccer academies. I don't know that six year olds should be signed up to join an academy to play soccer or any sport all the time. I feel that some parents often falsely invest money in their kids with the hopes they will get a scholarship. Few realize how few actually get a scholarship let alone a full one. Soccer academies and training centers are great for serious athletes who want to be the best that they can, but I feel like some people might feel pressured to join those things because everyone else is. I think its bad if a child goes to that but doesn't really want to be there.

I hope that well educated people coach in youth sports. It's needed, especially a coach who understands not only the game but sports psychology, so that the game can be made educational and fun at the youth level.

Today I also ran into an 11 year old and he made me feel old. I started talking about the Breakers and tried to explain to him who Kristine Lilly was. Then I realized that this kid was either not born or a few months old when the World Cup game took place. I felt old.

I can't tell you how Happy I was to work in New Hampshire today. I can't tell you how many of my co-workers were relieved that I was going and that they didn't have to.

New Hampshire rocks. Best state in the union.