The coach grimaced as he watched his young ice hockey team. At one point during the game, he called one of his 7-year-old players aside and asked, “Do you understand what cooperation is? What a team is?” The little boy nodded affirmatively…
“Do you understand that what matters is not whether we win or lose, but how we play together as a team?”
The little boy nodded once more.
“So…” the coach continued. “I’m sure you know that when a penalty is called, you shouldn’t argue, curse, attack the referee, or call him a pecker-head. Do you understand all that?”
Again the little boy nodded.
He continued, “And when I call you off the ice so that another boy gets a chance to play, it’s not good sportsmanship to call your coach a dumb asshole, is it?”
The little boy nodded yet again.
“Good.” said the coach. “Now go over there and explain all that to your mother.”
