Floppers!

Ugh! I hate soccer players who flop (Okay, so "hate" is a bit strong, but it is very annoying). I'm doing a U-12 game on Monday and I have a boy from one team who continually flops and begs for the call. Rather than own up to the fact that he messed up his attack, he's on his knees with arms outstretched. Gee, I wonder where he learned that trick?

It's the same in all sports. The kids pick up the habits of the adult players ... usually the bad and obnoxious ones. Later in the same match, the boy scores and then does a "fly-by" as he heads back for the re-start. "It's just youthful enthusiasm," some say. I would respond that it is choreographed. The young man did not think of these moves by himself ... he's imitating. Fortunately, this team has a coach who jumps all over that type of behavior. I suspect the young man will have toned it down the next time I see them.

I know that in other parts of our society, young people are imitating some of the better aspects of life. I just wish that it would be more true of those in the athletic arenas. Sadly, what we continue to see (and have reported) is the taunting, thuggish type of posturing.

Read about the last days of King Saul and his sons in 1 Samuel. I felt kind of a sadness as I realized that Jonathan (the friend of David) went down with his father. It gives me pause to wonder how many good people have "gone down" because they insisted on trying to rehabilitate those who refused to grow.

1 Samuel 30-31