Over the years teachers have had to deal with unruly parents and their children year in year out. Students now get the teachers in trouble so easily that teaching and learning take a back seat to quieting unruly parents who think their children can do no wrong. Then there are the students themselves who are just downright and cruel to their peers that’s the fact, Why should we run away from the fact.’
The mystery question is what has prompted such uncivil behaviour even to property? Have we not learned the do’s and don’ts from our parents and teachers? Are we so on the edge of sanity that otherwise normal people, children and adults, just lose all rational thought? Is family, work, school or recreation too stressful? Is our fuse that short? What is going on in Fair Helen just days before it celebrates 31 years of Independence?
I believe the fault, if it is to be assigned, goes to the parents. Through apathy or ignorance, it has become acceptable to let our children grow up without restraints. In the absence of guidance, they seem to have no manners, no self-control, and no shame. Maybe we can use more than heavy duty dose of grand parenting to make up for the effects of poor parenting and the absence of parenting.
If a friend can cause his friends to start smoking before a game, so what next? Then violence in the movies, violence on television, and violence in the computer games can certainly cause children to become aggressive bullies, take it or leave it. This assumes, of course, the absence of parental guidance, one may not accept what’s said, but in real life that is the truth and its reality.
One may ask what can be done to reduce or eliminate this violent behavior. For starters, maybe we can come to grips with the idea that all children are not alike, and that children are not like adults.
Those people that are interested in youth development and the many sports academies can come to an understanding about the purposes of youth sport. Fun comes to mind first of all. Learning new sport skills is good too but then they need to get to play in order for that to be accomplished. If my memory serves me right, I can recall last year at the Vigie Playing Field in a youth football encounter a particular player so upset that he was not given an opportunity to play, angrily removed his team uniform and left the venue and no one dared says anything. At that age can you imagine an under 13 player, what next by the time he turns 16.
Interestingly one believes the various captains and vice captains can help their coaches, parents and officials understand that the games are for education and entertainment and by the look of things there is an enormous amount of help right now, only if they are willing to take advantage of it.
Maybe the big time sports reporters can stop saying things like, the fans paid their money. To whom did they pay so they have the right to boo and use the four letter word. For some it sounds a lot better than our very own national anthem and say all the nasty things they wish and not stand at attention when the national anthem is being played. One must congratulate the parents who travel all the way from the south to lend their support to their children in the under 16 and 19 basketball finals at the Vigie Multi Purpose Sports Complex.
When will we come to realize that it is just as difficult to mix the poorly skilled players with the well skilled on the field and court as it is to mix poor readers with good readers in the classroom? Or before the year 2020 will realize that there is more than one way to run sport programs for children. Miniaturizing what is shown on television is not the only way to operate a program for youth.
If we continue on our present course, I believe that there will be less and less distinction between the world of children and that of an adult. It is clear to me from the event that took place in Soufriere at the weekend that we really need to get a grip on our collective selves and shape up. I do not even want to dwell on the consequences if we are unable to manage our own behavior in public and private places. No one is bigger than the sport, you come, you play, you retire and the sport stays for generations to come. Think about it.

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