Terrifying Vision of The Future

Every week I spend time with an elementary school student during his lunch and recess. No, it is not court ordered community service; I actually volunteer. It's pretty much the same routine each week. We eat and then go outside to play games with his pals. And each week it's pretty much the same result, I get driven insane watching the little maniacs make a complete mockery out of the games I used to love playing as a kid. Most importantly, kickball and football. They embarrass themselves on the soccer field too, but who cares? They ought to be ashamed of themselves for even wanting to play that joke of a sport. 

Let me illustrate what one of these debacles is actually like. They split into teams that are usually lopsided, get marginally organized for a play and then it breaks down into total chaos. For the next fifteen minutes they are just running around in random directions, throwing the ball, or sometimes balls, all over the place, and occasionally taking breaks to argue or have a quick wrestling match. My old gym teachers would cry like the indian in that famous public service announcement about littering if they had watch.

To anyone who says that I am overreacting and that it's just kids being kids, I say, I don't think so, bud. Wake up and smell the chocolate milk! Sports is a microcosm of life. If our kids can't even get focused long enough for a game of kickball, then we ain't ever going to cure cancer or go to Mars. My generation may have it's problems, but we played two-hand touch football with the respect the game deserves.