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    • Quotes from MLB star Jeff Francoeur that sports parents should get along with
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    Quotes from MLB star Jeff Francoeur that sports parents should get along with

    Harry Posted on

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    Jeff Francoeur admits that he is not always right; especially as a father, and especially when it comes to his children’s sports.

    Even as a longtime major league baseball player and well-known broadcaster during MLB’s playoffs, he relies on conversations with friends for advice. Like George Brett, who once coached his son’s travel baseball team.

    Even after entrusting their 11- and 12-year-old children to the Hall of Fame, parents couldn’t resist tipping their sons. Lift your back elbow up! – while they’re batting.

    “These kids couldn’t think straight,” Francoeur recalls. “And George said, ‘One day I called all the dads to practice and I threw KB at the dads and they stinked.’ He told them, ‘You can’t hit, stop yelling at your children to do it.’

    “To me, it’s a change of perspective.”

    Sharing such stories sports celebrities but it also has the spirit of Francoeur’s youth sports podcast with the parents he meets at fields around Atlanta. Pure Athlete.

    Francoeur spent 12 years as a major-league outfielder, but in many ways he is now one of us trying to surpass his children’s athletic journeys.

    “I tell people, I love sports. It gave me my life,” he tells USA TODAY Sports, “but I also know that if it’s done the wrong way, it can ruin a lot of friendships.”

    Francoeur, 40, shares the studio with two more experienced sports dads, Britt Lee and Brad Williams. From toxic parents to participation trophies, she offers an unfiltered take on hot topics while coaching her four children.

    “The idea of ​​all 12 teams in the league winning trophies, what are we teaching our children?” he says. “You want to give everyone a trophy for playing when they are six, seven or eight years old, I don’t care about either one. But as they get older, you have to win this cup.”

    I came home to watch World Series After covering the ALCS with his family, Francoeur offered four quotes parents of athletes should consider:

    (Questions and answers have been edited for length and clarity.)

    ‘Relationships suffer from sports’ unless you’re having fun

    Francoeur’s father, David, was an educator in the Cobb County (Ga.) school system and viewed his youngest son as “a stupid 13-year-old kid playing sports” rather than a candidate for big-league success.

    For Francoeur and his older brother and sister, sports were kept in perspective and could be quickly eliminated.

    “Do you know how many games I missed because of schoolwork or lied about my test scores growing up?” Francoeur says.

    USA TODAY: How did your upbringing shape your sports experience??

    jeff – Frankeur: My father was very old school. If you are determined to play, you will complete the season. But there were also a few top travel teams in Georgia and the Southeast that wanted me. And I always told my dad that I wanted to play on a little travel team in the park with my friends. We took our lumps, we weren’t that talented but we always had fun. As my dad says, I don’t care what team you’re on as long as you’re passionate about it, learning about it, and having fun. My father never showed up to high school baseball practices or football practices. He never missed a game, but now there are parents who are at every high school practice and watch their kids at 2:30 after school.

    USAT: When did he really think of you as a next-level athlete?

    : He probably didn’t know until I was 17, when I was playing for the US national junior team. I can’t tell you how many parents (ask): “My son is 10 years old, what to do?” And I said, “Let him be a child.” I’ve talked to a lot of college baseball coaches, some of the best in the country, and they’ll tell you the same thing: “I’m not even looking at a kid until he’s 16.” You never know who will be there three years from now, especially with the NIL and the change of coaches. I always like to tell people: “Keep playing because if you’re good enough you’ll get an opportunity eventually.”

    USA TODAY: What’s a parent’s biggest pet peeve?

    : “My kid played baseball the whole time,” said the parent. This is what I tell parents: There are exceptions to everything. You’ll always have your Serena Williams, your Bryce Harper, your Tiger Woods. They are really good. They never experienced burnout. They love it. But we speak to 95% of parents. We talk to the majority of parents who have an average kid who just wants to play in high school and have a great experience.

    I think the reason why parent and child relationships are damaged is due to sports in its seriousness. And I think a lot of parents now have confused the issue of sports coming first. Family time is lost because of our passion for sports. There is a family with three children and perhaps the eldest is the one who gets all the attention because they travel and the other children don’t get that opportunity.

    ‘If you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to do it’

    Sports were never forced on Francoeur, who naturally gravitated towards football and baseball (where he was a first-round pick). It wasn’t so easy for her own children – Emma Cate, 11; Brayden, 9; Ellie, 6; and Camden, 4 – given his freshman background.

    At first it seemed natural to be baseball or bust.

    USAT: What have you learned about yourself since becoming a sports dad?

    : My kids need to be passionate about what they do. Boy, you’d think he’d love baseball. I used to be like, “Dude, why isn’t he excited?” I was thinking. And sure enough, one day, in the car on the way home after practice, I said, “Dude, do you like playing? If you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to.” He’s been playing lacrosse for two years now. She absolutely loves it. We come home after school, we have training, his bag is packed, he’s ready to go. Let your child use his passion. It may not be what you want, but it has been a great relationship for me and my son; For me, learning the game with him and growing with him.

    USAT: What did you learn from the coaching experience?

    : One of the most important things I try to teach my children is to fight against the individualism of sports. My wife and I don’t post sports-related things about our kids on social media because it gives your kids a false sense of expectation. We know a family in the area that does this a lot and a few weeks ago they posted a photo of their son scoring points, which is awesome. I’m happy for him. And then you find out from someone else that he was 1-for-16 in the series and that was his only hit.

    I always tell my kids: Just compete and be a good teammate. That’s why Aaron Judge is one of my favorite actors. (Giancarlo) Stanton hits home runs. The judge was forced. However, he constantly pushes his teammates. That’s what I’m really trying to teach my kids: Let them trust their own type of players, (but) put other people first.

    Coach Steve: What is entertainment? Not winning. YesT Just ask Andre Agassi.

    ‘Your child is not that well yet and that’s okay’

    Aaron Boone, playing for the Yankees in Game 7 of the ALCS 21 years ago, homered in the 11th inning of a tying game against Boston. He swung and connected on Tim Wakefield’s first pitch.

    Boone was a late-game replacement amid the blur of the Yankees’ frantic comeback. Actually, he didn’t have much time to think. But as a child, he had plenty of time to dream about this moment.

    What about our children?

    USAT: Did this escape the attention of parents today? Are you keeping your children entertained through sports?

    : One of the things we talk about (on the podcast) is free play. Instead of having an organized baseball practice every night, why not let the neighborhood kids get together and play a basketball game on Wednesday? Play something they can imagine. We talked to Boonie. He says: “Sending us to the World Series was the biggest blow of my life. I’ve been dreaming of winning a World Series since I was a kid.” Kids don’t play pickup games in the backyard anymore. You are sitting in an organized training and the coach says: “Hurry up, let’s go.”

    And I always say that kids’ ability to adapt and have fun, parents, we often ruin that. Children are smart. There are 11-year-old kids on the traveling softball team. And if I asked them to rank the girls from 1 to 11 based on their abilities, I bet they’d be pretty close. The problem is that parents don’t do this. “Why can’t my child do this?” Your child isn’t that well yet, and that’s okay. In fourth, fifth, sixth grade, there’s that one boy or girl who’s just stronger, faster, bigger, and then suddenly you hit puberty, you get to 10th grade, and it’s like your son or daughter has completely passed by. he.

    ‘Does this mean we won’t have ice cream?’

    When Francoeur woke up on a 10-day West Coast swing in 2023, he was broadcasting an entire season of Atlanta Braves games. He called his wife, Catie.

    “I can’t do this anymore,” he told her. “I went too far.”

    He was down to 25 games last season, mostly at home, and was sidelined for two weeks at the end of the season.

    “The two guys I did this (podcast) with have kids that are grown and there are a lot of things they would change on their journey,” he says. “Enjoy the time you spend with your children, because you’ll never get it back.”

    USAT: Has there been anything that surprised you about being a father and a coach?

    : You say, “Come on, take a shot, make that free throw.” You want this so bad. But we should also not want them to miss it. We need to let them know that you can’t win every day. There was a tournament last year where my daughter got in the car and said: “Dad, did I suck today?” “I’m glad you could see that.” I said. Does this mean I love him any less? Does this mean we won’t eat ice cream? No. I think kids sometimes think: “If I keep doing better, my family will love me more.” I told him, “I’m more proud of you realizing there are some things you need to work on than having 10 hits.”

    USAT: What closing advice would you share?

    : Just be aware and be aware. This is a billion and billion dollar business, youth sport. There are a lot of parents who think, “If I don’t do this, my child will be left behind. If we don’t do that practice or miss this tournament, my son will have no chance.” “

    This is believing a lie. Because of the money, and the amount of money thrown around in youth sports — $100 for a 45-minute hitting lesson — there are people out there who will take advantage of it. Our families tell me this. Their batting coach said they should be fourth in the lineup. And I said, “How much do you pay them?” I asked. Of course they will say that.

    Coach Steve: Is it worth it? 10 questions athletes should consider if they play on a travel team

    Steve Borelli, aka Coach Steve, has been an editor and writer at USA TODAY since 1999. He spent 10 years coaching his two sons’ baseball and basketball teams. He and his wife, Colleen, are now the athletic parents of two high school students. His column is published weekly. Click here for past articles.

    Harry
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