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HARD WORK ALWAYS WINS ⠀
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💚 EDITED TO ADD THIS IS NOT A DIG ON SPORTS, it’s simply a cultural observation 💚 Today at school it’s ‘wear your favorite sports team’ day. You’d think it would be a fun day and for some it probably is. But for someone who really doesn’t follow sports, as an outsider, I see how fan CULTURE is hurting our kids. ⠀
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You’d be amazed to hear how many students ask teachers, peers, and associates who their favorite team is. And how many times they respond with “BOO, your team SUCKS” or “Our team is BETTER than yours”. Some of them do so jokingly (maybe) but a lot of them mean it. They are 6,7, and 8 years old. ⠀
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WE are teaching our kids an US vs. THEM mentality. In youth team sports, as collegiate and national team fans. ⠀
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I don’t think it’s the TEAM that is the issue. When you are part of a team, athletes must rely on EACH OTHER to make it work and to get a win - when one of you succeed, you all succeed. You strive to bring out the best in each other!⠀
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The issue I’m talking about here is FAN CULTURE. Fan culture brings out hate. How many times have you overheard a parent at a game yelling at a kid (on his own kids team) and saying “what a stupid move!” (or worse). How many times have you heard people belligerent and yelling over THEIR team, another team or a bad game?⠀
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This kind of behavior teaches children that it’s OK to put others down for making mistakes, to bully others based on their differences in likes and dislikes, and that being mean is alright if you’re just ‘joking’. ⠀
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Not all fans participate in this behavior, I know, but when this occurs IN MY ART ROOM where I see the kids for 45 minutes once a week, during football season and on team days, I know it’s a bigger issue than it seems. Our kids see and learn from EVERYTHING we do. ⠀
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Let’s work on building each other UP instead of tearing each other DOWN. Supporting one another for WHO WE ARE AND THE LIFESTYLE WE CHOOSE. Loving others instead of hating. I’m wearing my @garycantrell sweatshirt today to honor hard work and the idea that if we put in the work, we are #winning. Like @ryanplowery says, we must make #makepositivitylouder
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