What are we teaching our kids when we sign them up for a team sport and can't get them out to the game? Why should your child play on a team if they can't come to practice?

What makes some so special that they can get to play in games when they don't show up for practice? Worse yet, people sign their kids up and then take off for a month to go on vacation.

I know many will disagree on this one but if you are going away for as long as a month, don't sign up for a team sport... sign up for an individual sport or activity. Often times people don't show up for crucial games or practices with no explanation.

People, let's be considerate. Other parents and their kids are committing their time to what should be a team effort. Coaches are volunteering their time and efforts to imparting their knowledge to your child in most case for no pay or honorarium. Do we not owe them any respect or consideration? There is a disconnect when you show up for a practice and only a third of the team shows up. If you can't make it, the proper thing is to advise the coaches.

Often times people cannot make it to every game or practice for work commitments, family commitments or things like having more than one child enrolled in different activities at the same time. Let's not find excuses people. Buddy up with someone else. Start acting like a community of people that work together.

Be fair, be reasonable in your requests of others and let us illustrate to our kids what it takes to be a good citizen of this beautiful city that we call home. If you are signing up your child for a team then they should not only be learning about the finer points of the game like shooting, scoring, and playing defense, but also qualities like dependability, courtesy, respect for authority and dealing with disappointment as well as respect for other people's time and efforts.

To be fair, on every team my kids have been on, there have always been a core group of really committed parents, but for others much is to be desired.

I would love to get some discussion going on these issues. If nothing else, it might help to create better leaders of tomorrow and a community that we can be proud to say we belong to.

Anthony Henry