Sometimes Being a Dad to a Teen-Ager is SO Hard..

[IndependntLogic]

So last year my daughter tried tennis and decided she liked it. Dad's an advanced player. I worked with her for a couple months and she loved it. Then she made the team at school as an alternate.
She worked SO hard over the summer! She would practice every day after school (I volunteer as a coach) and then we would practice after practice and on week-ends. This year at age 14, she's a starter on a High School Tennis team that has made regionals or better every year. They worked hard, played hard and made Regionals again this year. And it rained. And Rained. (In Vegas!). So she had to play one match this morning and they won! But then an hour later, they had to play Sectionals (the next level up) with a team that finished their Regionals last week. 3 matches per girl. Our girls had to play 6 matches each, in one day.
It was tied all the way to the end and the last match bieng played was my daughter against an 18 year old who's been playing over 10 years. She got the lead... and then lost.
Geez I'm practically crying just typing this. Even though 7 other girls on her team lost their matches, the pressure was all on my daughter. EVERY girl and coach was watching when she lost.
I told her how proud I was of her and all the usual dad love's you and is proud of you etc... but the poor thing was just inconsolable and finally cried herself to sleep.

GEEZ IT'S TOUGH BEING A DAD SOMETIMES!

Okay, enough venting. Time for a glass of 18 year old Single Malt...

 

[editec]

Defeat serves your child's psychological development as well as victory.

Its hard for a parent to witness it, though.

 

[blastoff]

Yeah, it hurts when you can't do anything to console an offspring. Parenting...toughest job in the world.

 

[B. Kidd]

You sound like a great father. Go out and have another practice session ASAP.....as there's a number of sunny days ahead!

 

[9thIDdoc]

Count your blessings. Mine died two weeks short of her 20th birthday.

 

[High_Gravity]

Hold on to that Scotch, raising kids is very difficult.

 

[B. Kidd]

Count your blessings. Mine died two weeks short of her 20th birthday.

Well, that puts things in a proper perspective.
Let me be the first to say I'm so sorry.
Alot of USMB members are crass unless they get to know ya'.

 

[IndependntLogic]

Count your blessings. Mine died two weeks short of her 20th birthday.

I'm so sorry.

 

[MeBelle]

Defeat serves your child's psychological development as well as victory.

Its hard for a parent to witness it, though.

Yeah, it hurts when you can't do anything to console an offspring. Parenting...toughest job in the world.

You sound like a great father. Go out and have another practice session ASAP.....as there's a number of sunny days ahead!

I agree with all ^^^
Sounds like she did a DAMN fine job, given she is fairly new to the sport!
Keep her going!!

 

[MeBelle]

Count your blessings. Mine died two weeks short of her 20th birthday.

I am so sorry for your loss.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

Sometimes Being a Dad to a Teen-Ager is SO Hard..

Tell me about it.

Of course with only boys I deal with a different set of issues. And judging from my younger brothers, girls present the greater challenge.

Count your blessings. Mine died two weeks short of her 20th birthday.

My condolences, tragic, simply tragic.

 

[Foxfyre]

To 9thIDdoc, my heart goes out to you and also my appreciation for bringing us back into focus re what is really important.

But yes, it is soooo difficult to allow your child to take the risk of failure and then dealing with the pain, embarrassment, disappointment or whatever of them coming up short.

Then again, people who have never failed have never taken a risk, tried something that stretched their potential to the fullest, gone after something larger than their own world. Such people often live peaceful lives but without much joy or exhilaration or pride in accomplishing something great.

Failing is never really failure unless the person doesn't get up and try again. It requires character to pick yourself up and go again. And then the ultimate triumph when you win is so much sweeter than it is for somebody who never knew anything else.

 

[IndependntLogic]

Defeat serves your child's psychological development as well as victory.

Its hard for a parent to witness it, though.

Yeah, it hurts when you can't do anything to console an offspring. Parenting...toughest job in the world.

You sound like a great father. Go out and have another practice session ASAP.....as there's a number of sunny days ahead!

I agree with all ^^^
Sounds like she did a DAMN fine job, given she is fairly new to the sport!
Keep her going!!

Thanks. I am. I volunteer at the school as a coach and after talking it over with my daughter, I'm starting a year-round program beginning next week for the girls who can't afford lessons. Think about that. She could have been the only girl who got private lessons. That would be a real edge. Then she thought of her friends who can't afford lessons or come to the club (covered and a/c!) to practice. She's quite a kid. There is not one single thing I find disappointing about her.

 

[syrenn]

yep its though being a dad in that situation....

But that being said... is that a pic of your daughter in your avi...and did she give you permission to use her image?

 

[flacaltenn]

It's always that 1st major competition that determines whether the love for the sport will survive the reality of how hard the task is. You gotta be the coach and explain how much more there is to learn.

Being tested in competition only shows you what's next on the training schedule. If a teen EVER gets the idea that they've actually failed -- they'll never be able to see the nuances and techniques that can improve their game to trophy level.. And spending more time at the mall starts looking like a better deal.

The fact that they were THERE was the win. THe fact they had to play so many games in one day was the win. Just being against more experienced players should be a TRAINING experience. Not an exam.

<<< Take hands now and insert team cheer here >>>
((I'm available for short motivational sessions for free))..

 

[IndependntLogic]

yep its though being a dad in that situation....

But that being said... is that a pic of your daughter in your avi...and did she give you permission to use her image?

LOL! Yes she did, for the whole day! It's even on our corporate website (privilege of owning the firm) with a brief "In the News" article!

 

[syrenn]

yep its though being a dad in that situation....

But that being said... is that a pic of your daughter in your avi...and did she give you permission to use her image?

LOL! Yes she did, for the whole day! It's even on our corporate website (privilege of owning the firm) with a brief "In the News" article!

good to know you got her permission....

 

[Skull Pilot]

Yeah, it hurts when you can't do anything to console an offspring. Parenting...toughest job in the world.

It's also volunteer.

You people wanted to have rug rats and now you whine about how hard it is.

 

[earlycuyler]

So last year my daughter tried tennis and decided she liked it. Dad's an advanced player. I worked with her for a couple months and she loved it. Then she made the team at school as an alternate.
She worked SO hard over the summer! She would practice every day after school (I volunteer as a coach) and then we would practice after practice and on week-ends. This year at age 14, she's a starter on a High School Tennis team that has made regionals or better every year. They worked hard, played hard and made Regionals again this year. And it rained. And Rained. (In Vegas!). So she had to play one match this morning and they won! But then an hour later, they had to play Sectionals (the next level up) with a team that finished their Regionals last week. 3 matches per girl. Our girls had to play 6 matches each, in one day.
It was tied all the way to the end and the last match bieng played was my daughter against an 18 year old who's been playing over 10 years. She got the lead... and then lost.
Geez I'm practically crying just typing this. Even though 7 other girls on her team lost their matches, the pressure was all on my daughter. EVERY girl and coach was watching when she lost.
I told her how proud I was of her and all the usual dad love's you and is proud of you etc... but the poor thing was just inconsolable and finally cried herself to sleep.

GEEZ IT'S TOUGH BEING A DAD SOMETIMES!

Okay, enough venting. Time for a glass of 18 year old Single Malt...

Sounds like it was a good one. Well, sounds like your girl is a competitor. Shell be back. just remind her that she did her best.

 

[strollingbones]

it is easy to win with class......much harder to lose with class......life is just that...life....


i hope she rebounds quickly