i feel used

[weedmaster]

recently i've had alot of things to sort out for a kids football club i run.i give alot of free time to this,but most parents just look at it as a place to get rid of their kids for a few hours.i only have 2 parents who help out the rest aren't interested. it's makeing me feel like an unpaid child minder and it's started to depress me,i feel like throwing it all in, but theirs noone else who is willing to do it, and i dont want to let the kids down. sorry for going on but i just needed to vent my frustration.

[ToDrunkToFish]

Well do they work? Do they show up at the games or whatever you do?

Oh wait unpaid? Damn. vent away.

[Scottydoo]

lol demand a paycheck, atleast that is what I would do :)

[weedmaster]

most dont work at the weekends i have to get most the kids to the games,like i said they just use it to get rid of their kids for a couple of hours.

[Skink]

You were chosen to make these kids feel wanted...

[rebgirl420]

wow hun, im sorry! Yeah vent away. You deserve too

[Storm Crow]

But remember, you are there for the KIDS! The parents can take a flying leap, but those kids are important. When they get older, YOU will be the happy memory of childhood- not the parents. As their character forms, YOU will be the guiding light. People, like us, who choose to work with kids, have an "echo effect" through the generations. We change lives for the better. We offset the effects of having parents who are apathetic, abusive, or absent. We make the difference!

I work in special education and with "normal" kids (two part-time jobs at the same school. I work from 8 AM to 5:45 PM, every day). In just the last couple of weeks, I've had among my kids- two yanked from their homes and placed in foster care, another's Mom was arrested during his 10th birthday party, a father abandoned his family-leaving two crying little girls, two more grieving for their dog that was run over as they watched, one 6th grader who is clinically depressed, and more. These are the kids we are sent to help.

Get your focus where it should be, on the kids! And thank heaven for those two caring parents! They are rare!- Granny:hippy:

[BizzleLuvin]

parents.......heh.

[napolitana869]

Sounds like those parents should have never had kids in the first place. When I played sports as a child I almost always had at least one parent at games watching. There were several other kids who's parents I never saw. Those are the parents who are shocked when their kids start skipping school and getting into trouble. At least your there for those kids, even if its not fair to you.
Maybe you could send a letter home with the kids asking for more parents to help out or something

[LIP]

Your doing a great thing man - those kids wouldnt be getting the excersise, and they wouldnt get to meet up and enjoy themselves - but i know exactly what your saying - the other parents should be staying, helping out. It should be an even load - but your the one who does it coz you care - and theres not enough people like you mate - and you know i mean that!

[cambam]

I have wanted to coach a kids footy team for a while now. Well, not exactly coach, but help out with training and watching the raw talent turn into good skills at the end of the season. I played footy for a team when I was younger, and really enjoyed it. Exercise, new friends, different places every other week, team spirit etc are just a few of the great things you can possibly get out of it.

[Storm Crow]

I don't think so... Like I said, I work at a school and we rarely have parents volunteering, even for a day. Out of two 7th grade classes, we were hard pressed to get the required number of parents for a field trip to see a play for free (a free lunch was included). In my special ed class only 2 out of about a dozen sets of parents volunteer and only one regularly. No, the days of parents in the schoolroom have passed.

What I think is harsh, is that most parents are willing to let others to have constant and complete control over their kids without even checking up on how things are going, much less helping in class. I don't know if they just don't give a damn or what!

Have you ever been to your kid's class when it was not an "Open House night" or a required parent-teacher meeting???

Granny:hippy:

[blazed620]

is it tackle football??? whats the age group?

[cambam]

is it tackle football??? whats the age group?

Soccer football. The REAL football.

[LIP]

The ONLY football.

[blazed620]

Soccer football. The REAL football.

my bad:stoned:

[GreenLadyOfDankDowns]

I know it gets frustrating when you have no help, but what you need to do is focus on the positive influence you bring to these children. I volunteer at the local library every Thursday, teaching the kids arts and crafts. The feeling of gratitude and admiration you get from the children after you help them learn something new more than pays for the time spent. If your problem comes from being overwhelmed and short-handed why not send out a notice that it is mandatory for one of each child's parents to assist with practice and transportation at least once a month? Include a schedule of events and your phone number. If they don't call you to pick their help date within a week, call them. It should effectively force the parents to take minimal interest in their kid's activities.

[weedmaster]

thanx for all your support it,s a small (soccer)club with only 14 kids,we started 5yrs ago and have been very successfull. they come runners up in the league this season,they are very good.i have asked the parents for their support many times and use to get it, but now the kids are getting older (u 16s nearly adults) the parents aren,t interested.i do love helping the kids though, you can see how much they love it and most of the time i love doing it.

[cambam]

thanx for all your support it,s a small (soccer)club with only 14 kids,we started 5yrs ago and have been very successfull. they come runners up in the league this season,they are very good.i have asked the parents for their support many times and use to get it, but now the kids are getting older (u 16s nearly adults) the parents aren,t interested.i do love helping the kids though, you can see how much they love it and most of the time i love doing it.

Its the sense of satisfaction and gratification you recieve once you see the transformation of the little people. Plus you get to see the end product, what you helped out on, by influencing (in which ever way) and you can see improvements. Then you stand back and think; 'This is all down to me'.


I would LOVE to get into helping out in childrens football.

[Runaway Jim]

As I think about it, my parents were amazing. Perfect marriage, loved the shit out of me, raised me right, and then the wheels fell off...

[NightProwler]

parents.......heh.

yeah dawg i know