Like parent, like child Published May 2, 2006 By Tech Sgt. Kevin Williams 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- As a little league coach, I see all kinds of personalities from different players — from shy, calm, tense and natural leaders. A lot of these traits are learned from their parents. Unfortunately, they also learn poor sportsmanship from their parents. One of the boys on my team, whom we will call Billy, is good at blaming other players, coaches and umpires when things don’t go his way. If he misses an easy pop fly on a cloudy day, it’s because the sun was in his eyes. If he strikes out swinging, the bat was too heavy. If the team loses a game, it’s because the rest of the players made too many mistakes. He is very vocal and animated when he expresses his displeasure. I’ve pulled Billy aside a few times and tried to explain what it takes to be a good teammate. I told him a loss is not the end of the world and a team should stick together and back each other like a family. Teammates should praise each other when they do something good and after encouragement when they make a mistake. I also told him that his loud outbursts make him look like a sore loser. He seemed to take what I said in good faith, but he still never changed. Before our game last week, Billy came up to me excited to tell me his dad, who had just returned from a TDY, would be at the game for the first time all season. I thought Billy’s poor attitude might have come from him missing his dad, until his first at bat. The first pitch hit the outside corner of the plate. When the umpire called it a strike, Billy’s dad yelled, “Come on, blue! That was way outside! How much do they pay you for this?” Billy hit the next pitch foul down the third base line. After two pitches in the dirt, Billy struck out looking at a third strike. Walking back to the dugout, he yelled, “bull crap!” because he didn’t agree with the call. The umpire called Billy over to him and told him if he had another outburst like that again, he would be ejected from the game. Billy’s dad was not happy about that. He proceeded to yell at the umpire, insulting him on everything from his attire to his family. Billy was watching and listening carefully from the dugout. His dad left the game in the first inning after being ejected from the ball field. That’s when I realized where Billy got his negative attitude. It doesn’t take Dr. Spock to see children learn mannerisms from their parents – good or bad. Unless Billy’s dad changes, Billy will end up just like him. I encourage all parents to learn from Billy’s dad. If your child plays on a sports team, take a moment to talk to them about good sportsmanship and then lead by example. Even if your child loses the game, he will end up a winner in life.