Absent Father Says Parents Are "Too Involved" in Youth Sports

By Clay Beyersdorfer

LOUISVILLE - If you’re a coach, volunteer, referee, or even just a fan, you may be too involved in your child’s youth sports career, according to a Stanton man.Keith McTavern, a twice-divorced father of three who hasn’t seen his own children in five years, shared in a Facebook post on Sunday that he believes some parents are “too involved” in their kid’s sporting events after a video surfaced of some fathers fighting at his own son’s t-ball game in Kentucky late last week.“Well my ex-wife posted this when I guess it actually happened last week, but I just saw it and had no idea what had happened because I don’t get to many of my son’s games,” McTavern, who is unemployed, said when reached for comment. “But those dads are so embarrassing, those kids are going to be screwed up for the rest of their lives I bet because of this.”“I can’t even imagine being that invested in my child’s life to the point that I would fight for them,” he added. “Who would care that much about something? What a bunch of losers.”The expanding role of fathers and parents within youth sports is something the self-described “recovering alcoholic” says is “the fucking problem with this country.”“Look at where parents are today, too invested in their children’s lives, not allowing them to be free and make decisions for themselves,” McTavern said. “Out there setting a bad example for our kids, fighting over a game just so they can make themselves feel good.”As the sports world has advanced over the years, the prevalence of parents' involvement in youth sports, whether it be at games or even setting up training programs at birth, has seen massive growth, leading to some gaining celebrity status like LaVar Ball, the father of NBA players LaMelo and Lonzo Ball.“That guy is a complete wack job,” McTavern, who lost custody of all three of his children in 2016 following his fifth DUI arrest, said of Ball. “Look how hard he pushed his kids and where they are. Sure they make millions of dollars playing the game they love and living a life of luxury, but he was there every step of the way, that was probably super annoying growing up.”The renewed discussion surrounding parent involvement in youth sports comes at a perfect time, as Father’s Day weekend celebrations across the state typically feature youth baseball and softball tournaments.When asked what his plans were for the commemorative holiday, McTavern quickly ended the call, saying he had to “run out for some milk real quick,” and “that he would call us right back.”At the time of publishing, EOTB had yet to hear back.

Clay Beyersdorfer is a writer and comedian living in St. Louis. He can be seen attempting to achieve stardom at open mics or getting turned down by satire editors and television producers. He tackles issues like his unhealthy obsession with food, sports ball, and living as a veteran.