Volleyball Trip Travel Issue

So how far is too far?

The following isn’t supposed to be a shaming post on those involved.  Read this from a leadership, improved decision-making upon reflection perspective.  All of us have made bad decisions.  As a courageous leader, it’s not our job to make everyone happy.  It’s our job to lead. And this post will ruffle some folks' feathers, and that’s ok.  I wasn’t placed on this earth to sit back and watch, I was placed on this earth to challenge others, and their thinking, and grow people to be the best version of themselves. 

I have read the story of these families involved in a tough trip going home from a volleyball tournament in KC.  And as I read and saw comments, I see people applauding and celebrating this moment of return.  Of which the safe return of all families through an extreme life-threatening storm is to be celebrated.  But my mind always is in problem-solving mode, reflection, and decision-making mode in a life of self-improvement, and I asked myself, “How did these people get in this decision, and could this all have been avoided?”  Because people could have truly died. 

We certainly celebrate they made it home safely, but if I read between the lines, it appears to me sound judgment and discernment weren’t made initially to keep all families involved safe from potential harm or even death. 

Initial decisions were made by a volleyball association to continue with a kid’s volleyball tournament while all news outlets were forecasting a massive dangerous winter storm, starting with ice and ending in a blizzard.  This was all forecasted.  Secondly, the coaches of all these teams decided it was ok to take their teams and place them in harm's way all for kid’s sports and the sake of a few games.  Now if one adult or one family wants to make their own individual or individual family decision to put yourself and your family at risk, that is one thing and your decision.  But as leaders, we must make decisions with regard to other people’s lives, not our own, when our decisions can and do affect others. 

I bring this forward to hopefully shed some light on the subject to hopefully bring about improved decision-making by these youth sports leaders.  Can you imagine if a superintendent or an athletic director would have put a team on the road to this event and got them stranded, and those ramifications??  Can you imagine if someone would have died in this scenario?  If this were a school, the public would be blasting their stupidity in decision-making, and “calling for the heads of the superintendent and athletic director.  But in this scenario, we have people celebrating this as being heroes and applauding this decision-making and behavior.  Is this really how our world is evolving, all for the sake of youth sports?  The reality is, I’m afraid, it is. 

So, for me, I feel someone needs to speak up, again, not to shame those involved, but to bring about stimulating thought and perspective for all to be thinking about going forward in this youth sports-crazed phase our society is in.  The reality is that poor decisions were made by many, and as a result, lives were at stake, all for youth sports.  The other reality is the parents of these kids have no decision either.  If they choose to stay home, many coaches retaliate against the kid for “not showing up”!  So, what do they do, they go.  The reality is that the parents of these youth athletes get put in a very tough situation.  You may disagree with my thought process, and that is okay.  I only want the broader world to be thinking about these decisions with improved discernment going forward and not place other families in harm's way, only for a few youth sports games. 

The reality is, death was a potential based on the informed decision-making made in this scenario.  Public or private schools would be crucified for such decisions, so why the double standard?   Keep in mind that our family’s perspective is vastly different than 99.9% of the current parenting populations based on our life journey and near-death experience.  Hopefully, you all appreciate this perspective, and thought stimulation, and will look at these same potential decisions differently going forward, especially the coaches, the leagues, and the venues involved.