In the words of the erstwhile beguiled Britney Spears, "Oops, I did it again ... got lost in the game ... I'm not that innocent."
To those who asked — yes, last week's offering got kicked out for lack of sports-related content.
And, to those who asked — its focus was a commentary on and in reaction to the jihad that took place in Paris, and was, at its most basic level, a call for (religious) tolerance, including an urging to show kindness toward everyone. It pointed out that Christians, Hebrews, and Muslims all share a basic and common greeting of a wishing of peace upon one another, and urged for a practice of such universal peacefulness. (It also pointed out the sad reality of the unintended miscegenation of hate-based-and-driven messages and methods between hyper-conservative Christians and Islamic extremists.)
But, the bottom line is that it got me benched, which got me thinking — about getting cut.
Yes, this was cut-week for most winter sports programs, and, in being certain to stay within the lines (or to at least not go entirely out of bounds), we're going to talk about that — how to deal with getting cut.
First, to get it out of the way:
To the parents — your kid (probably) deserved to get cut. Sorry. I know. I know. Your kid is the next Kevin Durant.
"He killed it on the AAU circuit this summer."
"This high school coach just has it out for him."
"Why should that [freshman/sophomore] make it instead of [insert your kid's name?]"
Nope. Your kid deserved it. Sorry. It's just the truth.
Oh, and if you're still adamant that it's not (the truth) — it is. Trust me.
More importantly — get over it. Get over yourself and your want, er, need to live vicariously through your kid. You want to know who doesn't get cut? The kids that work hard and show (a want for) improvement. There's always room on the team for that kid!
But, again, get over it. Your kid is looking to you for (sage/parental) advice. (S)He is hurting. Stop focusing on the wrong thing — and, again, you're wrong, (s)he deserved it. Help your kid learn some version of an important life lesson, and more importantly, help them to move on in a healthy and productive way.
My boss' kid got cut this week. Like any parent, he was prepared to go to bat for his kid, and he did. But, in the end, everyone involved, his son, the coach, and my boss (and his wife) realized the kid deserved to get cut. To be clear, he's a great kid.
But, in this instance, there was a coming together of the perfect storm of sorts of sports-related reasons that he just sort of deserved to get cut. And he did, get cut.
To the kids out there that got cut. Don't sweat it. Something about, "in the grand scheme of things..."
Seriously, don't sweat it — at all.
Now, don't use it as a reason to also slack off, let your grades drop, start and/or get caught doing dumb (or illegal) things (or both. Don't become an introvert. Don't get depressed.
Do think about it a bit. Process it. Own the part that is on you for what you could have done better. Then — move on.
Move on.
In sports we're taught to get to know our uncle Ralf – yes, with an "F." It's not misspelled. Ralf is a coach-created acronym that stands for the steps for dealing with making a mistake.
But, it also applies aptly well here – to dealing with getting cut, and/or being honest with yourself about "why" you got cut.
With Ralf you:
Recognize your mistake, or in this case what we'll just call your "why;"
Admit it;
Learn from it; and
Forget it.
So, if you got cut, spend a few days with your uncle Ralf, then move on. Find something else to put your time and energy into. If you're really young, and you have a real passion for that sport that you just got cut from, get right back to practicing. There's always next year.
Wait for it...
Wait for it...
Wait...
Remember, Michael Jordan once got cut from his high school team, and we all know how that turned out.
If you're a little older, and this was your last chance/season, channel those energies into something that's going to help you better and/or further yourself for your future — study a subject you're struggling with, work on your college applications and essays, pro-actively seek out ways to diversify yourself and grow as a person. (This means do something other than come home from school and play video games, make snapchats or Instagram posts, post to Twitter, etc.
Whatever you do, don't let someone else's opinion of you define you, because it (that other person's opinion) most certainly does not (define you)!
Getting cut hurts. But, that pain should only be temporary, and the amount of time and the extent to which you let it get you down should only be to healthy degrees. (To be clear, I'm speaking here to you too, parents.)
Oh, and back to the parents — let it go! The last thing your kid needs is you telling him or her why its their fault (s)he got cut. They already know the what and why. Even if it was somehow their "fault," they certainly don't need you piling on right now.
So, if you got cut — head up. Life goes on, and in this case, your first silver lining is just four days away because you don't have to get up, with a stomach still full of turkey, and go to practice at 8 a.m. on Friday morning. You can sleep in, just not too late.
And, there you have it — a sports column about sports.
Tune in next week for my annual ode to non-stop holiday music – hopefully. I'll just have to find a good sports tie-in this year.
("They didn't let poor Rudolph play in any reindeer games…" Bingo.)
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