When I was younger, I was a cheerleader. My brothers played basketball and baseball. When we played, we had fun! We went to practice maybe two or three times a week. We made friends. We learned camaraderie, teamwork, sportsmanship, and passion. My mom signed a list to rotate providing snacks. It was a time when it was truly for the love of the game.
Although there is still team building in sports, now it seems the intent of the connection is dwindling. First and foremost, it seems it’s more about sharpening your sales skills and big business. Yes, the price of lots of things has gone up, but sports?!
Students are doing more and more fundraisers for band, football, basketball, volleyball, cheerleading, track, uniforms (before, during, and after), shoes, equipment, travel, you name it. You see several requests to buy popcorn and wrapping paper (which you then have to not only pay for but also have shipped to yourself), buy discount cards, and pay for carwashes. What happened to “for the love of the game”?
Now, they even have specific companies that send out emails and texts for donations. It’s not just one time of year but all throughout. And this is just one aspect. Parents and guests have to pay, in some cases, at least $5 to $10 for parking, and at least $8 per game per person to watch. Imagine a family of three or four to support your loved one… for one game. What if the team makes it to the playoffs or the student plays multiple sports? Wow! Can you imagine how much that can cost? It has to be for the love of the game, right?
Also, summer break is cut short. Students get out of class early on game days. Practice is almost every day of the week, including Sundays. Students have to watch films and complete conditioning.
Then, when you attend games, you may want a snack from the concessions. You can’t bring in outside food. Do you buy or wait til 9 or 10 pm when the game is over?
Finally, we’ve made it into the game, and some parents are showing just as much of their “passion” as the players, yelling and cussing at the refs, players, and/or other parents. Super intense, right?
Sports are definitely a sacrifice for all— players, parents, friends, and other family. The sacrifice is costly for the love of the game.
Amye Mathews, M.A, PHR
Amye Mathews is from humble beginnings. She was raised in the small town of North Augusta, South Carolina. But who says BIG things can’t come from little packages?
Amye currently lives in Florida. She graduated from the University of South Carolina –Aiken and Webster University with majors in Business Administration and Human Resources Development, respectively. Amye has been coordinating events for over 15 years. She has planned events for schools, churches, summer camps, family reunions, girl getaways, weddings, corporate events, and private/social parties. In addition to organizing events, Amye provides business and human resource consulting to entrepreneurs and individuals.
Her consulting services include streamlining processes, developing training classes, workshops, resume writing, situational coaching, motivational experiences, and creative solutions to reinvent small businesses. Some of the organizations Amye has worked for include International Paper, Bank of America, Central Baptist Institutional Church, Promise Land Academy, INROADS, and Shaken or Stirred.
Her “worker bee” performance and positive #Let’sGetIt attitude provide a relevant approach to level up any business or professional. She collects angels and loves the show Touched by An Angel. From these various situations came the birth of An Angel’s Touch. Amye loves to make things happen!
