| Are you ready to cheat to win? Are you those | | | | center players who are famous to win their |
| which believe that the end justifies the | | | | face-offs. They all cheat. They always move |
| means and that it is necessary to do | | | | too quickly. Sometimes, they get caught by |
| everything to win? I am not talking about | | | | the referee but they get to a point where |
| the use of steroids or any other illegal act. | | | | they succeed in being right on the line of |
| No, I am talking about the small cheating | | | | the acceptable one. And this line varies from |
| that we make and which, sometimes, seems to | | | | one referee to another and they have to |
| be part of the game. Indeed, who never gave a | | | | adjust. One often speaks about experience in |
| small kick on its golf ball or 'forgot' to | | | | these cases... but that remains cheating ;-) |
| count a penalty? Hmmm? Who never pretended a | | | | And what about those soccer goalkeepers |
| fault in basketball after loosing the ball to | | | | during penalty shots?As parents, how does one |
| influence the referee? Hmmm?I thought about | | | | have to react? I know that the majority among |
| this after a friend spoke to me about a | | | | you would have made the same choice as my |
| comment his son made to him the other day. | | | | friend. How I know it? Notice your reaction |
| His 11 years old son is a goalkeeper in | | | | when a referee error disadvantages you; you |
| hockey. During a game, there was a tight play | | | | criticize and you protest. But when this same |
| close to the goal and the young keeper | | | | error supports you, not a word ;-) Don't |
| stopped the puck right on the goal line... at | | | | feel bad, it is completely in the human |
| least it is what the referee saw. The other | | | | nature to act like this. You cheer for your |
| team players believed to have scored but the | | | | children. You want them to win because you |
| decision of the referee remained and the game | | | | know that they will be glad to win. And you |
| continued. On the way back home, his son | | | | get carried away. In any event, your child |
| acknowledged to him: "You know, dad, the | | | | would be the first to complain if you do not |
| puck had crossed the line." My friend was a | | | | react; -)This said, there are limits, you'll |
| little bit disturbed. A side of him said that | | | | agree with me. Fair-play must always be a |
| it is not correct and the other side said | | | | golden rule in sports and this must be taught |
| that it is part of the game and that it is | | | | to the children. It is the coaches and |
| the duty of the referee to call the shots. | | | | parents duty to delimit what is acceptable of |
| However, it is the second side that won. | | | | what is not. As a coach, it happened to me a |
| Which side would you have chosen?Personally, | | | | few times, for example in basketball, to ask |
| I would have also made the same choice. To | | | | one of my players to give the ball to the |
| cheat or, if you like better, to play with | | | | opponent or to voluntarily throw the ball |
| the rules, are in fact part of the game... up | | | | outside to compensate for an error of the |
| to a certain limit, of course. And this limit | | | | referee. At first, the players and the crowd |
| is determined by the judgment of the referees | | | | look at you strangely: "That's it! The coach |
| and the interpretation which they make of the | | | | lost it!" But after thinking, the message is |
| rules. Moreover, I am of the opinion that the | | | | understood.Victory acquired in the code of |
| champions are often the best cheaters. Look | | | | practice is more appreciated than a victory |
| for example with hockey, still. Look at the | | | | acquired while cheating... |