[CaptainCrunch]

Having just finished my run as a volunteer football coach (Job issues killed the timing)

I can say that its a real bittersweet experience.

On the good side, I got to work with some really great kids, a lot of whom were playing football in an organized fashion. I got to coach for the most part a team of kids that weren't great (Div III) but I gave high marks for desire, and at times they did play some inpired football, but it balanced off when they played the role of fragile Freddie.

I had troubles with the headcoach because he was an outright control freak, he'd argue with everyone of my play calls and counterman me on them, then after the game, he'd apologized for stepping on my toes, then he'd do it again the next week.

I didn't really mind though, because I love football, I love the sideline atmosphere, I really loved teaching football.

There were some other things that while they didn't sour me, they made me think twice.

The parents of kids are awful, they treat the coaches like they're getting paid for the role and yell some pretty awful things from the stands. I had one mother who was 4 foot nothing get in my face after a game and give me a profanity laced tirade that would have made a CWO blush, all because I didn't play her son (A junior) more then any of the seniors on the team in the last game of the year.

The girls that hung around the team and the trainers, were practically predators. They dressed skimpy, flirted with the coaches, tried to initiate physical contact. The works.

While most of the players were good, there was a small core of players that I could do without. They didn't listen, rarely showed up at practice. ranted and raved and screamed at the coaches. We had one who loved spitting in peoples faces, and because we had a no cut policy, there wasn't much that we could do and keep our required roster size.

Would I do it again? Yeah, I think I would, like I said, I love the idea of building a football team. But I think that I would look for a better program. But yeah the good outweighed the bad, and some of the kids really make it worth while.

Like the one kid that came to us, he was struggling in school, hadn't played football before, and we made him into one of the best cornerbacks in the division, and pushed him on the academic stuff, so that he ended up going to university.

Or the skinny linebacker who didn't say a word for his junior year, and we turned the kid into a great middle linebacker and a team captain who really demanded and got respect.

Or the d-lineman who was pretty much a bully, and we got him to practically kill offensive linemen (That one not so good, because he did break a opponents leg after the opponent chopped him the play before. He swore up and down that he didn't mean to, but I'm not so sure)

Anyways, don't know if this ads to the discussion, but if you want to coach, coach, don't let politics or parents stop you. If your scared of the parents, or a inappropriate contact thing, then just make sure that your never alone with them.

But sports for kids needs good coaches, and kids need good teachers.

Just my 2 cents.