Interpretation

Every situation is open for interpretation.   Recently, while attending a high school football game, I was in ear shot of the motivational speech the opposing team’s coach was giving.  He was passionate in his delivery, but his message left me unsettled.  The match up was pairing his school, a public school, against my son’s school, a private school.  His message to his players consisted of  “they think they are better than you”, “they look down on you because they pay a lot of money for their education” and “they don’t think you are worth anything”.  As I listened, I really wanted to step in and correct this well-meaning coach.  Yes, I understand that it was a speech to rile the team up, but are we, as a society, so limited in our ways to motivate that we stoop to degrade others to gain a win in a football game?

Whatever the tactics, this inspires nothing but resentment racially, socially, and most of all, it promotes hatred.  Apparently, my analysis of this scene amused the males that I shared this with while watching the game.   Most of them have been in a coaching capacity and felt that this type of tactic is not only necessary, but helpful for the success of a game.

Still, I felt uncomfortable about the message.  My interpretation may be wrong, but my outlook darkens as I watch young men grow into adults spreading the same message not only to their players, but to their own kids because that’s is what has been instilled in them.