Episode 306
World Cup Fever Meets Youth Soccer Reality
Host Bill Donohue welcomes author Karen Scholl, whose book Surviving Soccer: The Chill Parent's Guide to Carpools, Calendars, Coaches, Clubs, and Corner Kicks takes a humorous look at the often chaotic world of youth soccer parenting.
With the World Cup creating excitement around the sport, Scholl joins the show to share stories from her years as a soccer mom, along with practical tips for handling packed schedules, endless carpools, team politics, and the challenges of supporting young athletes without getting caught up in the pressure.
Along the way, she offers plenty of funny and relatable anecdotes that will resonate with parents who have spent weekends on the sidelines, reminding listeners that while youth sports can be hectic, they can also create some of the most rewarding family memories.
Show Takeaways:
- Karen Scholl discusses the unpredictable nature of youth soccer schedules, which change frequently, complicating parents' lives significantly.
- The importance of carpooling among soccer parents is emphasized, highlighting its potential to ease logistical challenges of getting children to games.
- Scholl humorously compares navigating youth soccer to a game of Chutes and Ladders, capturing the chaotic journey of soccer parenting.
- She reflects on the emotional complexities of witnessing injuries, noting the instinct to rush to a child's side despite the necessity for restraint.
- The show highlights the unique social dynamics of sitting in specific areas during games, where parents navigate team loyalty and community interactions.
- Scholl shares insights on the pressure of punctuality for parents, equating timely arrivals at games to a reflection of their worth as individuals.
Transcript
The views expressed in the following program do not necessarily represent those of the staff, management or owners of wgbb.
Speaker A:Live from the WGBB studios in Merrick, New York, this is Sports Talk New York.
Speaker B:Good evening and hello again, everybody.
Speaker B:Welcome welcome to Sports Talk New York on WGB Merrick, Long Island, New York.
Speaker B: th day of June in: Speaker B:Our engineer Brian Graves is with us.
Speaker B:As always, I'm happy you're here with us wherever you might be tonight.
Speaker B:We have a great show for you tonight.
Speaker B:Up first, we'll welcome in the author of a great new book, parents and Soccer.
Speaker B:Karen Scholl will be here to speak with us about her book.
Speaker B:It's from our friends at Triumph in Chicago, surviving A Chill Parent's Guide to Carpools, Calendars, Coaches, Clubs and Corner Kicks.
Speaker B:How about some alliteration there, Brian?
Speaker B:You like that?
Speaker B:Yeah, it's great to talk with Karen tonight, especially during this World cup time that we're in right now.
Speaker B:And in the second half, we'll welcome in the great pitcher from the Savannah Bananas, local boy Frankie Moscatello.
Speaker B:We'll talk some banana ball with Frankie.
Speaker B:So sit back, relax, enjoy some great sports chat tonight on Sports Talk New York.
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Speaker B:Well, our first guest, she's lived every aspect of the soccer parent experience and we'll talk about them tonight.
Speaker B:She has a new book out from our friends out in Chicago, Triumph Sports, titled Surviving A Chill Parent's Guide to Carpools, Calendars, Coaches, Clubs and corner Kicks.
Speaker B:Like to welcome to Sports Talk New York tonight, Karen Shoal.
Speaker B:Karen, good evening.
Speaker C:Hello.
Speaker C:Good evening.
Speaker C:Thanks for having me on.
Speaker B:Nice to speak with you tonight, Karen.
Speaker B:Now, as far as the book goes, soccer schedules, let's talk about that.
Speaker B:They make life very hectic for you.
Speaker C:They do.
Speaker C:They do.
Speaker C:Well, you know, they, their practices are all the time.
Speaker C:You can practice anywhere from two to four, five, six days a week.
Speaker C:So you're doing it a lot.
Speaker C:On top of everything else, you're doing for your kids, and then they change all the time.
Speaker C:One of the big things at the beginning of the season, you get that email that says, okay, here are all the practices.
Speaker C:It's going to be on this day at this time at this place, and it's not going to change.
Speaker C:And then every week it changes.
Speaker C:So it's hard enough to get your kids there, but there's all the keeping up with it.
Speaker C:Oh, you find out an hour beforehand that you've moved to another field or it's back an hour or it's moved up.
Speaker C:Always, always keeps us on our toes.
Speaker B:Now, you compare it, Karen.
Speaker B:I found it very interesting.
Speaker B:The younger folks may not know what we're talking about, but you compare it to a game of Chutes and Ladders.
Speaker C:Yeah, you're always, you know, you think you're going one way and then you, you know, you get everything.
Speaker C:You got the kid in the car, you got everything going and you, you're going.
Speaker C:And then there's a detour and you're, you're backing up and you're turning the other way, literally.
Speaker C:Or, you know, you're everything just always.
Speaker C:I think you have to be very flex sports parents know that you always have to be up for something to change, and you think you're going to go one place and you end up somewhere else.
Speaker B:Oh, boy.
Speaker B:Now, you mentioned living in your car.
Speaker B:Now, people may think that somebody's without a home here, but living in your car takes on a different meaning when you're talking about surviving soccer.
Speaker C:Oh, it does.
Speaker C:It does.
Speaker C:Because, you know, when you're for parents, you've got to, you know, first of all, it is all the driving.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:You've got to get your kid places and get back.
Speaker C:And sometimes when you play travel, you know, Chloe, we had a home field one year or a couple seasons.
Speaker C:That was an hour and a half away just because the nature of things.
Speaker C:So you're driving a lot.
Speaker C:But then you're, as a parent, you're, you know, you've got to get to the field early.
Speaker C:So then you've got all that time.
Speaker C:You're sitting in your car waiting and after the game and if you're in the tournament between games, so there's a lot of.
Speaker C:You turn your car into your home office.
Speaker C:It's your, it's your kitchen because you're figuring out how to, you know, put meals together in between games or, you know, or they're doing homework in the backseat.
Speaker C:It's, it's, you know, car.
Speaker C:You're.
Speaker C:You're in your car quite a bit.
Speaker C:At least we were.
Speaker C:And, you know, all of it just.
Speaker C:Everything revolves around being in our car, getting.
Speaker C:Getting somewhere, hanging out.
Speaker B:Now, you also talk about people who drive minivans, Karen.
Speaker B:They're basically driving around a room in their house.
Speaker C:Well, it always seemed that way.
Speaker C:We.
Speaker C:Most of us.
Speaker C:I had a. I did a short stint with a minivan.
Speaker C:I had one for about six months.
Speaker C:But other than that, we were.
Speaker C:We were in an old jeep.
Speaker C:But I found that people who drove minivans, they had everything you needed.
Speaker C:They had an extra inhaler.
Speaker C:They had an extra pair of shin guards.
Speaker C:They had an extra snack.
Speaker C:They had.
Speaker C:It was like everything I would.
Speaker C:You'd get in their car, and they just somehow had everything you possibly needed.
Speaker C:So it always felt like it was.
Speaker C:It was basically like driving around part of your house.
Speaker C:They just took it all with them.
Speaker B:Gotcha.
Speaker B:We're speaking with Karen Shull tonight on Sports Talk New York.
Speaker B:Great new book called Surviving Soccer from Triumph books out in Chicago.
Speaker B:Now, carpooling.
Speaker B:I never knew it was that involved in getting kids to a soccer game.
Speaker B:Let's talk about carpooling.
Speaker C:Carpooling.
Speaker C:You know, it kind of.
Speaker C:At first I was hesitant.
Speaker C:It was kind of like, you know, getting socks for Christmas.
Speaker C:You don't really want them.
Speaker C:And then when you're in your 30s and 40s, socks are great.
Speaker C:And carpooling sounded awful until you've got multiple kids to get multiple places, and then it is the best thing ever.
Speaker C:And so carpooling was great.
Speaker C:I think the thing I learned about carpooling was it wasn't at first we tried to get into carpools with the kids who live near us, the family, which, you know, makes sense, the people who are closest to you.
Speaker C:But then I learned that the best way to carpool is with the people who have the same kind of sense of timing that you did.
Speaker C:Because it was the families like ours that, like, we always had to be there early.
Speaker C:And you don't want to be with a family that's a.
Speaker C:Just get there in time family.
Speaker C:So we would.
Speaker C:We kind of found the people who were, you know, had the same vibe and intake we did, who would.
Speaker C:We'd be comfortable with that way, but.
Speaker C:And you learn a lot about your kids in the carpool.
Speaker C:If you've got kids who don't maybe don't always share with you and the kids, when there's a group of them in the backseat, they all talk and you hear all the good.
Speaker C:All the good information that you Might miss.
Speaker B:Now, you mentioned driving is the new dinner.
Speaker B:Talk about that.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:You know, with, with practice in the evenings, especially if you've got multiple kids getting to multiple sports in different parts of the city.
Speaker C: pm or: Speaker C:So, you know, I mean, this is kind of silly, but also was so true with my kids.
Speaker C:Like we, our quality time was in the car together.
Speaker C:Like we, I, you know, you're both.
Speaker C:When they were old enough, they're in the front seat or I guess even when they're in the back, they're not facing each other.
Speaker C:So you don't have that eye contact issue.
Speaker C:And so I learned so much from my kids during that time.
Speaker C:I really like as much as sports parents, soccer parents, we complain about all the driving they have to do.
Speaker C:It was really quality time.
Speaker B:Yeah, I can understand that.
Speaker B:I can certainly see that.
Speaker B:Now you mentioned, Karen, also, that it's weird driving around other people's kids.
Speaker B:You've mentioned that.
Speaker B:And you can listening to them chat, they open up to each other.
Speaker B:They don't realize that you're in the front seat driving and taking all this in.
Speaker B:Can you give us an example of something that some kid spilled the beans on that probably if the parents found out, they'd be mortified.
Speaker B:Any, any, any little tidbit you can.
Speaker C:Well, you would get little things here and there, like about how, you know, dad wasn't really on that business trip he said he was on or, you know, like you do little things or, you know, I remember one of the one child was talking about his expensive fancy like, jersey he got.
Speaker C:And all the other kids were all, I don't know, they all got upset about how this one had the fancy jersey and the expensive, expensive cleats.
Speaker C:But there's a few.
Speaker C:They would share things about what was going on at home.
Speaker C:And I was like, I, I don't want my kids sharing that stuff in a carpool with other people.
Speaker C:What, you know, what happened with one parent's job or a relationship situation.
Speaker C:So, you know, kids are kids, they'll just say what's going on?
Speaker C:And so my goal was always to stay as quiet as possible.
Speaker C:Like I wasn't there.
Speaker C:Now I learned not to ask questions and just to be invisible in the car.
Speaker C:And then they would just say silly things that they talk about, you know, things that happened at school that maybe my son didn't want Me to hear about a test or that kind of thing.
Speaker C:So all across the spectrum, got you.
Speaker B:All right, now, everything is a rush.
Speaker B:Packing for the kids, soccer game is a skill that you really didn't know you needed.
Speaker B:But everything is a rush.
Speaker C:Yeah, it is.
Speaker C:You know, there is a kind of a meme going around a couple years ago about like math, different kinds of math and sports, Parent math is, you know, how you get, like if the games at, I mean, you have to be there, you have to back up to like when you have to be there, when you know, when you have to leave the car, leave the house, when you have to pack.
Speaker C:And so it's just there's always, you've got to get there and there's, you know, what if there's traffic, what if there's a detour?
Speaker C:What if you get to the park but the field is very far from the parking lot?
Speaker C:You're just always rushing to get there.
Speaker C:And you know, getting there on time, which is kind of complicated what on time means for your team.
Speaker C:But getting there on time is just, that's kind of status.
Speaker C:If you get there late, you get benched if you're not there early enough.
Speaker C:So we're always rushing, rushing to go get the water, rushing in between things, rushing home to get home for, you know, homework and bath before it's full the next day.
Speaker C:So I felt like I was rushing for 16 years.
Speaker B:Yeah, you probably were.
Speaker B:Now you talk about making the kids take responsibility for packing their own stuff, like their shin guards, their water, the ball.
Speaker B:They gotta have the right jersey on or you're in trouble.
Speaker B:That's dangerous, isn't it?
Speaker B:Leaving that up to the kid?
Speaker C:Well, I mean, I would say that, but there is a responsible, you know, a good parent might also say, well, if they forget, if that's a lesson they learn, right?
Speaker C:So I always, I was always pretty nervous about like, how much to give them, you know, how much of a mistake to let them have.
Speaker C:And so with my kids, I always reminded them, like, you've got your stuff, right?
Speaker C:And they go like, yes, yes, yes.
Speaker C:You know, and then I would maybe pick up a few items and they say yes.
Speaker C:And my, my older son, I made him so paranoid that he would spread his stuff across the backseat so that when I asked him, he could look and it would be there because I made him nervous.
Speaker C:But we were, we live in, we were in Columbus, Ohio, and we had a game, a weeknight game in Cincinnati, which was a two hour drive.
Speaker C:And so, you know, it was like getting out of school, getting in the car and getting there through rush hour traffic.
Speaker C:And we were an hour, you know, we were halfway there and I, you know, I, I was like, you got, you got.
Speaker C:I think I said when we left, you have all your stuff?
Speaker C:And he said, yeah.
Speaker C:And then I think halfway there he goes, oh, gosh, I don't have my cleats.
Speaker C:And like, you know, it was just, you know, so you drive, then you're halfway there and then you go find a, you know, a dick sporting store and you get a cheap pair of cleats.
Speaker C:Or you, or do you let your kid just, you know, miss out on the game because they learned the hard lesson?
Speaker C:So it's a tough one.
Speaker C:I think parents go both ways on that.
Speaker B:You talk about your arrival time says a lot about your actual value as a human being.
Speaker C:Well, you know, it's again like, you know, the game is at 12 and that means they're on the field at 12.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:But I mean, there's warm up time and there's getting their stuff together.
Speaker C:And so you would always just kind of see the kid.
Speaker C:Like my sons always wanted to be there very early.
Speaker C:They like to be there first and take their time.
Speaker C:But you know, if you, you know, the kids get benched if they're not there early enough, if they're not there on time.
Speaker C:And so, you know, then, you know, you're paying all this money, let's say for club sports and you're paying to watch your kids sit on the bench because you are late.
Speaker C:And so the other parents are, everybody knows how much you're all paying to be there.
Speaker C:And then you just, I have to say, when I, when, whenever I slipped up on timing and getting them, I just felt like a horrible person.
Speaker C:And it just felt like it's like, you know, the coach yells at your kid because the kid is late and the kid can't control you.
Speaker C:So it definitely sunk into my sense of self and my own value at those moments.
Speaker B:Yeah, I can understand that.
Speaker B:Karen.
Speaker B:Karen Scholl with us Surviving Soccer from Triumph Books.
Speaker B:Let's talk about coaches.
Speaker B:You just mentioned coaches.
Speaker B:I know from other kids that I've dealt with, coaches can be a real problem.
Speaker B:Give us your view on that.
Speaker C:Well, you know, we generally, I mean, I'll say with our personal experience, we generally had really, you know, mostly good coaches.
Speaker C:People are at least, you know, trying hard.
Speaker C:Whether they were doing the right thing or not wasn't always clear.
Speaker C:But you know, I did think it was kind of funny the whole like, you're not supposed to talk to the coach.
Speaker C:Like you want to talk to the coach as a parent, but you're not supposed to.
Speaker C:And, like, the whole thing of, like, texting the coach and explaining what you know.
Speaker C:And some coaches have rules, which I think are very smart for them, about, like, do not talk to me or text me for the first 24 hours after the game because everyone's emotional and I'm tired and, you know, so, I mean, I.
Speaker C:And my son, my youngest son, after he finished playing, he did coach for a couple years.
Speaker C:So it was fun to see it on the other side.
Speaker C:But, you know, I.
Speaker C:Coaches have a tough job, and I think, you know, this might sound silly, but, you know, when you talk to people who are veterinarians and, you know, because they go into veterinary schools, they want to work with animals, but a lot of their time working with the humans, I think a lot of these coaches who want to coach kids, they end up dealing with the parents more than maybe they want to.
Speaker C:And we're not always on our best behavior.
Speaker C:We're not always bringing our best selves.
Speaker C:So the coaches are.
Speaker C:We have some great ones, but I think it's.
Speaker C:I don't know that they're always trained to really work with parents who can be neurotic about our kids and the success we want our kids to have.
Speaker B:Yeah, you got a very good viewpoint on that, Karen, that's for sure.
Speaker B:Now, feeding the kids, I mean, you mentioned you're out on the road.
Speaker B:You're going from Columbus to Cincinnati.
Speaker B:When do these kids have time for a healthy meal?
Speaker C:Well, you know, I don't know that they necessarily do.
Speaker C:We always try, but, you know, when you're standing on the.
Speaker C:You know, after practice, when you're waiting for the kids to finish up, you're standing with the other parents, it's usually, you know, where are you.
Speaker C:What drive through.
Speaker C:Are you hitting on the way home for dinner?
Speaker C:So it was tough, but, you know, those.
Speaker C:Eating out what you find in your car.
Speaker C:Was it the vending machine at the.
Speaker C:You know, at the park, or, you know, grabbable things, cheese sticks and yogurts and all that kind of stuff.
Speaker B:Hey, I got a box of Tic Tacs here.
Speaker B:What do you say, guys?
Speaker C:Yeah, it's late.
Speaker C:You're tired.
Speaker C:You know, we learned how to, you know, scrounge dinner out of a convenience store.
Speaker C:Like, okay, we can get a protein bar and a cheese stick and a, you know, in a juice.
Speaker C:So, yeah, it was definitely pretty.
Speaker C:I mean, as a parent, I think it's tough feeding your kids three times a day, just period.
Speaker C:And then you throw in like traveling all over with sports and it's.
Speaker C:It's challenging.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's challenging enough feeding a kid not on the road going to soccer.
Speaker B:So I can imagine that the problems and the issues that the parent does face when trying to feed their kids.
Speaker C:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker C:And you know, when there's tournaments, you've got to pack, you know, for between games.
Speaker C:And some families are going to the sports bar between games to chill out and then it's all fries and nuggets and pizza.
Speaker C:So we packed a lot.
Speaker C:We did the restaurant sometimes, but I tried to pack, but it's just, you know, when you're packing all the stuff they need for the game and then you're everything else, it's hard to remember to like, oh, I need some apples and carrots and peanut butter sandwiches.
Speaker C:So it's a lot.
Speaker B:What about the parent who brings the snacks?
Speaker B:I've seen that a lot at kids games.
Speaker B:My nephew's T ball game.
Speaker B:One mom's in charge of bringing the snacks.
Speaker B:And did you often face that with surviving soccer?
Speaker C:Yeah, when the kids were little, we did.
Speaker C:There was always a snack sheet that gets passed around or now I'm sure it's an online sign up and, you know, everybody's nice and up and there's always a little bit.
Speaker C:There's a family, you know, that brings the oranges and there's the family that brings the little Debbie cakes.
Speaker C:It's a little bit of you got, you know, we did that for years and then eventually the kids got old enough where you just, you stuff some granola bars in their sports bag and, you know, and an apple and an orange and a Gatorade and you wish them well.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And they're on their own.
Speaker B:Yes, I can see that.
Speaker B:Now.
Speaker B:One particular chapter that I found very interesting, Karen, was deciding where to sit at your kid's game.
Speaker B:That's a whole thing.
Speaker B:Now, who would think about that?
Speaker B:But let's delve into that.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Well, you know, I thought, you know, I was going to sign my kids up for soccer and I would just sit on the sidelines and cheer and everything would be great.
Speaker C:And it's not that simple.
Speaker C:It's.
Speaker C:You think in middle school you go into the cafeteria and you sit down at a table and eat lunch, but it's not that simple.
Speaker C:So it kind of felt like that where you sat made a difference.
Speaker C:And you know, I, in the book, I kind of diagrammed it out because I feel like, you know, they're the people who are the.
Speaker C:And I was, I will say I was in a lot of these groups over the years, like the zealots.
Speaker C:You're right there on the right in the middle.
Speaker C:You want to see everything, you know, and you're with all the, you know, you want to make sure you have a good view of the whole field when that's all that matters.
Speaker C:And then, you know, some people sit with, you know, kind of the in crowd.
Speaker C:You sit at the spot just close to the middle, but you're with all your friends and it's very social.
Speaker C:And I did that for years when I had good, you know, I had close friends, parent friends on the team.
Speaker C:But eventually I got to the socially distanced spot where I would just sit far down the field because you can see from anywhere.
Speaker C:And I learned that for my sanity and my son's sanity, I had to be away from the yelling.
Speaker C:And both our teens and the other teens, they didn't want to hear any of it, so.
Speaker C:And then you've got some parents who stand and pace, right.
Speaker C:Because they're so nervous that they can't even sit down.
Speaker C:And then the most controversial.
Speaker C:And there's, I don't know about other sports parents.
Speaker C:I know soccer parents get pretty chatty about this, but is the.
Speaker C:When, you know, in the way the field is set up, you know, one team is on one side of the field and one team is on their bench and the parents are supposed to sit across from that bench even when after the half and they switch halves.
Speaker C:And so, you know, you should stay on your side.
Speaker C:And I'm a rule follower and I don't like other parents cheering right in my ear against my theme.
Speaker C:So I follow that.
Speaker C:But there are a lot of parents, like you can sit wherever you want.
Speaker C:So they'll sit on the other side and, you know, they'll cheer for their team.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:You know, when your kid gets knocked down and it's right in your face.
Speaker C:And so there tends to be a little bit of tension around that.
Speaker C:So there are some people, I call them spies and double agents because you're over there sitting in the middle of the other team and you can hear all the things they're saying.
Speaker C:So.
Speaker C:And then there's a handful of people who self exile to their car because it's too stressful.
Speaker B:Wow.
Speaker B:I'm sorry.
Speaker B:Yeah, that must be tough now.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Sitting amongst the enemy, Karen.
Speaker C:Ugly.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:I mean, that can, that can really get to you.
Speaker C:I can and you know, I I know, you know, sports parents, we get a little overexcited about things.
Speaker C:But I was out of the game.
Speaker C:My younger son, we were in Indiana.
Speaker C:It was a big tournament.
Speaker C:It was a huge complex.
Speaker C:So there, you know, the weekend of so many games, thousands of people.
Speaker C:And there was a man from the other team, a father sitting on our side, and he was really loud.
Speaker C:He was sitting next to me and he was really loud.
Speaker C:And it was really affecting my experience of the game.
Speaker C:Not the.
Speaker C:About me, but I, at one point I, I said to him, and I think I said this right kindly, but I said, would you mind sitting with your team?
Speaker C:And he got so mad, he kind of.
Speaker C:Personally, I, I have another parent from our team kind of with me because I, I actually didn't feel safe for a little bit.
Speaker C:And he came up and found me later in the weekend and yelled at me again about, you can sit wherever you want and we should all be adults.
Speaker C:I'm like, yeah, yeah, we should be.
Speaker C:But so, yeah, it gets, it can get dicey.
Speaker C:And I.
Speaker C:A lot.
Speaker C:Some people are like, let's just be adults and wherever you want.
Speaker C:And I love that.
Speaker C:But I also don't want, you know, it's because my team winning means your team is not.
Speaker C:And so when I cheer, it's, your team is sad.
Speaker C:And I just, sometimes I don't think that mixes well.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And how about the cringe, the cringeworthy parent, Karen, who's screaming at the referee and yelling at their kid.
Speaker B:You ever have any experience with that?
Speaker C:Oh, yeah, plenty.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:Yeah, I was gonna get knocked in my stomach.
Speaker C:Especially when it's on your team, you're like, oh, yeah, you shouldn't do that.
Speaker C:They would say yell mean things with the ref, things to their kids.
Speaker C:I just, yeah, I would definitely do it.
Speaker C:When my kids were in high school, I would usually go pretty up, far up in the bleachers because that just really unglued me sometimes I'm like, let's just be more respectful.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:Referees are people too.
Speaker B:You know, they have kids and they don't have an easy job of it.
Speaker B:When you think about it.
Speaker B:You got to understand.
Speaker B:And I've seen parents like that and that's really tough to deal with.
Speaker B:We're speaking with Karen Scholl tonight on Sports Talk New York.
Speaker B:She has a great new book called Surviving Soccer.
Speaker B:Got a great write up recently.
Speaker B:I think it was the 13th, which was yesterday in the USA today, so you folks should check that out.
Speaker B:Karen, review of her book in the USA Today.
Speaker B:And Last topic, Karen.
Speaker B:Injuries.
Speaker B:Your kid gets hurt.
Speaker B:Not a very good experience for you.
Speaker C:No, no.
Speaker C:You know, as parents, we are kind of trained when your kid is hurt to run to them.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:And especially when they're little.
Speaker C:And, you know, when your kid is on the field, that is the last thing you're not.
Speaker C:You know, you're supposed to stay put and wait for the raft to assess them and then maybe the coach to assess them.
Speaker C:And then.
Speaker C:So I always felt like I wanted to, you know, jump out of my chair at a run, and then that is not what you do.
Speaker C:So it is tough, and you can't.
Speaker C:And sometimes they're really hurt, and sometimes they just kind of fall down.
Speaker C:Because if my kids told me, because they needed to catch their breath, so them falling down was a little bit of drama.
Speaker C:But, yeah, it's tough.
Speaker C:And then, you know, you've got.
Speaker C:When you know, if your kid gets hurt, that means the kid or the parent next to you, that their kid gets more playing time.
Speaker C:You know, they get to go in.
Speaker C:And so it's this weird thing of like, I'm sorry you're so hurt, but I'm glad my kid is getting on the field.
Speaker C:Yeah, yeah, it's tough.
Speaker C:And unfortunately, my kids didn't suffer anything really serious.
Speaker C:We saw a couple serious ones over the years, but most of the time it was.
Speaker C:It was, you know, little stuff, and it was.
Speaker C:You could, you know, laugh about it later, but it's definitely a weird, you know, and then you.
Speaker C:The people assessing them on the field are not necessarily medically trained, you know.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Oh, boy.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:You have the referee who is, you know, a butcher or something, determining whether your kid needs medical help.
Speaker B:And I saw that you noted, Karen, that soccer parents always note where the urgent care and the H signs for the hospital are on the way to the park.
Speaker B:Just in case.
Speaker C:Just in case.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:You know, you're driving to another city because, you know, we all.
Speaker C:We know all the urgent cares around us because we go there all the time.
Speaker C:But when you're driving to another city in another state, I would always.
Speaker C:As we get closer, I'm like, okay, there's one.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker C:Oh, the hospital's just at the next exit.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker C:You know, and you're like.
Speaker C:Because you never know.
Speaker C:And I found that I was not the only parent who did that.
Speaker C:So it's always good to know.
Speaker C:Just in case.
Speaker C:You never know what might happen.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Have you come up with one of your children with an injury like that that needed medical help?
Speaker C:Not as a way game One of my sons in high school had a shoulder injury and we have concussion, but it was like go to the doctor the next day kind of thing.
Speaker C:So we didn't have any.
Speaker C:Fortunately, anything that urgent.
Speaker B:Good.
Speaker C:But you never know.
Speaker B:Excellent.
Speaker B:Now, do you have any upcoming plans for the book and any new appearances scheduled, any book signings, etc.
Speaker C:Well, I'll be in Chicago the end of this month for the ala, the American Library Association.
Speaker C:So I'll be doing a book signing there.
Speaker C:So that's the next one out.
Speaker C:But other than that, they're available online and some of the major bookstores.
Speaker C:You can ask for them in lots of libraries.
Speaker B:Yes, Amazon, folks.
Speaker B:Karen, it's been a pleasure.
Speaker B:I thank you for taking time out of your Sunday evening to spend it with us here on Sports Talk New York.
Speaker B:The book again, folks, Surviving Soccer A Chill Parent's Guide to Carpools, Calendars, Coaches, Clubs and Corner Kicks.
Speaker B:Again, it's from Triumph Books in Chicago.
Speaker B:And Karen, we wish all the best to you.
Speaker C:Thank you.
Speaker C:Thank you so much for having me on.
Speaker B:Thanks again, Karen.
Speaker B:That's Karen Scholl, ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker B:Up next on Sports Talk New York, we hope to get Frankie Moscatello on.
Speaker B:He just had a delay landing in Savannah, Georgia.
Speaker B:We'll get him on when we can, but welcome him we will.
Speaker B:And stick around after the break, folks, because we have some Knickerbockers talk coming up.
Speaker B:We'll talk to you in a second.
Speaker A:You're listening to sports talk new york.
Speaker A: fm and: Speaker A:You're listening to sports talk new york on long island's wgb.
Speaker A:And now back to the show,.
Speaker B:Folks.
Speaker B:We're back.
Speaker B:We're back with Sports Talk New York on wgbb, waiting to hear back from Frankie Muscatello.
Speaker B:As I said, he just landed in Savannah.
Speaker B:He had a delay on his flight, so we will try to get him on as soon as possible.
Speaker B:I'm waiting to hear back to see what time would be good for the Frankmeister.
Speaker B:We're back with you, folks, from WGB AM FM radio.
Speaker B:We're live we're live from beautiful downtown Merrick, Long Island, New York, usa, North America, Planet Earth, Milky Way galaxy.
Speaker B:I hope you're able to find us with Those directions.
Speaker B:Hope everyone out there is well and enjoying the program tonight.
Speaker B:It was a pretty magnificent Sunday here on Long Island.
Speaker B:I hope it was your way too.
Speaker B:A great story in sports took place last night with the New York knickerbockers winning the NBA championship for the first time in 53 years.
Speaker B: emember the Knicks winning in: Speaker B:The year that the jets and the Mets won championships as well.
Speaker B: three clubs, and that was in: Speaker B: st time the Knicks won was in: Speaker B:A little different chemistry on the ball club, but still.
Speaker B:Walt Frazier, Bill Bradley, the captain, Willis Reed, Dave DeBusscher, of course, rebounding the basketball.
Speaker B:And Earl the Pearl Monroe joined the cast.
Speaker B:Also a very interesting ingredient was Jerry Lucas, a 68 center.
Speaker B:Used to draw the big man from the other team outside and just pile three.
Speaker B:Well, they weren't three pointers then, but they would have been if they had the arc on the floor.
Speaker B:But just long range jumpers.
Speaker B:And it was a joy to watch.
Speaker B:That and some notes that I have about the Knick game last night.
Speaker B:The San Antonio spurs again lost four games to one in the series.
Speaker B:And somehow they're able to say that they were the dominant team.
Speaker B:I don't understand that.
Speaker B:Why did you win one game then if you were the dominant team?
Speaker B:And this center on the San Antonio spurs, nobody shook any hands of the Knickerbockers after the win, which I thought was very poor.
Speaker B:So sportsmanship, the center, the big guy, Wemby for the San Antonio spurs, just, I'll say it, a dirty player.
Speaker B:A dirty player.
Speaker B:Flagrant fouls all over the place.
Speaker B:Many of them weren't called.
Speaker B:It makes you think that the NBA is protecting this guy to try to make him the new face of the National Basketball Association.
Speaker B:But just very obvious fouls that weren't called.
Speaker B:And really it looks like an intent to injure some of the players on the New York Knickerbockers.
Speaker B:And just terrible.
Speaker B:And I'd like to say also the people of New York, some horrible things took place in the city.
Speaker B:The burning of a school bus.
Speaker B:I mean, way to show the country and the world what you're made of.
Speaker B:Burning a school bus.
Speaker B:I mean, behave, people.
Speaker B:Let's show some humanity, some basic intelligence, some human decency, as it were.
Speaker B:Just absolutely horrible.
Speaker B: the first championship since: Speaker B:And Jalen Brunson, you can't say enough about this guy.
Speaker B:People Talk about that.
Speaker B:The Knicks would never win with their dominant player.
Speaker B:Being a small guy, he kind of proved them wrong, didn't he, folks?
Speaker B:So just a great series by Jalen Brunson, the MVP of the series.
Speaker B:Scored over 40 points last night for the Knicks and tremendous, tremendous ball player.
Speaker B:Not a homegrown Knick.
Speaker B:Not many of the players are homegrown on the Knickerbockers.
Speaker B:Some of them were teammates at Villanova, had a brotherhood from college and that was brought out.
Speaker B:Some of the players on the Knicks graduated.
Speaker B:All graduated together from Villanova, the Wildcats, and joined in on the Knicks to win the championship.
Speaker B:And I can't say enough about it.
Speaker B:Patrick Ewing was there, Walt Frazier was there, Charles Oakley, some players from past Knickerbocker teams.
Speaker B:And everybody just basically speechless with the showing of the Knickerbockers and their championship.
Speaker B:And I'd like to talk about the Mets.
Speaker B:The Mets took two of three from the first place Atlanta Braves this weekend.
Speaker B:And I'm not saying they're going anywhere and this is the beginning of something big, but they played pretty well.
Speaker B:And they hit, they pitched.
Speaker B:The bullpen, did a tremendous job today.
Speaker B:Young AJ Ewing almost hit for the cycle, just missing the elusive triple and he would have hit for the cycle.
Speaker B:But a great game by the New York Mets.
Speaker B:They head out to the Queen City now, Cincinnati, to take on the Reds on the road.
Speaker B:And we'll see what happens out there.
Speaker B:But a great weekend in sports again with the Knicks, the Mets, and I don't know what the Yankees did, folks, because honestly, I don't follow the evil empire.
Speaker B:So I have no idea what they did.
Speaker B:But hope your team did well.
Speaker B:And Brian, I think we'll take a little break, come back and see if we could get Frankie on, on the show.
Speaker B:We'll be right back, folks.
Speaker B:Hang in.
Speaker A:You're listening to Sports Talk New York on Long Island's wgb.
Speaker A:And now back to the show.
Speaker B:All right, folks, we're back.
Speaker B:We are back with Sports Talk New York.
Speaker B:Welcome, welcome back.
Speaker B:WGB is the radio station.
Speaker B:We're in Merrick, Long Island, New York.
Speaker B:Hope everyone's having a great evening.
Speaker B:We cannot reach Frankie Muscatello right now.
Speaker B:Probably getting his luggage.
Speaker B:Who knows where he is?
Speaker B:Going through tsa.
Speaker B:We will try to get him as soon as possible.
Speaker B:If not, we'll bring him back another night.
Speaker B:That's all, folks.
Speaker B:And I'd like to talk to you about the Knicks through the years.
Speaker B:I'll give you a little bit of a historical breakdown about their previous eight trips and two championships in their illustrious history.
Speaker B: In: Speaker B:The Royals are now the Sacramento Kings.
Speaker B:They took a 3 nothing lead in the series before the Knicks made an incredible comeback.
Speaker B:They won the next three games.
Speaker B:However, Rochester earned the title in Game 7 for the Knicks.
Speaker B:Max Zaslovsky led the Knicks, averaging 19 points in the series.
Speaker B:The Knicks, they had three hall of Famers on their roster.
Speaker B:They had Nat Sweetwater, Clifton and immortal forward Harry Gallatin.
Speaker B:Harry the Horse Gallatin.
Speaker B:And of course, the great Dick McGuire.
Speaker B:And for the Royals, you get this, folks.
Speaker B: d later lead the franchise in: Speaker B: So that was: Speaker B: e New York Knickerbockers, in: Speaker B:They traded wins in the series with Minneapolis winning game 1, 3, 5 and 7, the Knicks winning games 2, 4 and 6.
Speaker B:They had.
Speaker B:The Minneapolis Lakers, of course, had hall of Fame center, the immortal George Mikan.
Speaker B:Just a great classic name in basketball history.
Speaker B:Connie Simmons for the Knicks.
Speaker B:Also Zaslowski, Max Zaslovsky, and again Matt Sweetwater.
Speaker B:Clifton.
Speaker B:And they had shooting guards, small forward Ernie Vanderway, who is the father of a Knickerbocker.
Speaker B:Later on, kick evand away.
Speaker B:Interesting situation there.
Speaker B:How things come full circle now.
Speaker B: In: Speaker B:Karl Braun and George Mikin, again the big names in that series.
Speaker B:Carl Braun for the Knickerbockers.
Speaker B:And George Mikin, of course, for the Indianapolis Lakers.
Speaker B: Then we move to: Speaker B: The classic: Speaker B:By that time, the LA Lakers, the classic image of Captain Willis Reed limping onto the court with his severely torn thigh muscle before game seven, which really inspired the Knicks.
Speaker B:And the Lakers were just stunned by that.
Speaker B:That energized the Garden crowd.
Speaker B:Reed came out, hit his first two jump shots, left the game, didn't need to score again because the Knicks were so psyched up by his presence.
Speaker B:And the defense on Wilt Chamberlain was enough.
Speaker B:He only played 27 minutes.
Speaker B:Walt Frazier with the best game of his career.
Speaker B:Just a tremendous game.
Speaker B:36 Points, 19 assists, 7 rebounds as the Knicks claimed their first title against the Lakers.
Speaker B:Of course, the Knicks, with a very balanced attack.
Speaker B:Willis Reed, Dave DeBusscher averaging 19 points and 12.6 rebounds.
Speaker B:Another hall of Famer, Dick Barnett, Walt Clyde Frazier, another Hall of Famer Bill Bradley, Senator Bill Bradley, who we've had on the show in the past.
Speaker B:He averaged 12.1 points.
Speaker B:All five players again in the Naismith Basketball hall of fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Speaker B:For the Lakers, of course, hall of Famer Mr.
Speaker B:Clutch Jerry west, who hit that tremendous shot from half court during heading into halftime in one of the games.
Speaker B:And of course, Wilt Chamberlain, one of the most dominant players ever in the NBA.
Speaker B:Just a tremendous force for the Lakers, but wasn't enough as the Knickerbockers took the series four games to three.
Speaker B: Now in: Speaker B:That was four games to one.
Speaker B: And Reed missed most of the: Speaker B: Jerry Lucas, acquired in May: Speaker B:Also, Clyde Frazier stepped up.
Speaker B:Wasn't enough to beat those Lakers, though.
Speaker B:Hall of Fame guard Gale Goodrich led the way for the LA Lakers with 25 points per game in that series.
Speaker B:And again Wilt averaging 19 points and 23.2 rebounds as the Knicks lose that NBA Finals to the Lakers.
Speaker B:Now we move ahead to 73.
Speaker B:The Knicks come back and beat the Lakers four games to one.
Speaker B:That was the final championship that the Knicks won during their stint in the NBA.
Speaker B:The Knicks capped had their second championship in franchise history.
Speaker B:And as they said, they haven't won since.
Speaker B:Until last night, folks.
Speaker B:For the Knicks, Willis Reed was healthy again.
Speaker B:Claimed his second NBA Finals MVP award.
Speaker B:Averaged 16.4 games and 9.2 rebounds.
Speaker B:The first player to win multiple NBA Finals MVP awards.
Speaker B:Captain Willis Bradley led the Knicks, averaging 8.6 games.
Speaker B:And Frazier chipping in 16.6 games again.
Speaker B:Chamberlain never played in the NBA again.
Speaker B:After game five of this series, he amassed amazing 48 minutes per game.
Speaker B:Just amazing.
Speaker B:And of course, Gale Goodrich averaging 21.8 for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Speaker B: Now we move ahead to: Speaker B:The Knicks lose to the Houston Rockets four games to three.
Speaker B:Boy, do I remember this one.
Speaker B:Neither team scored more than 100 points in any of the games.
Speaker B:The Rockets won a dramatic Game six.
Speaker B:Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon deflected a potential series winning three pointer by John Starks in the closing seconds.
Speaker B:I remember that The Knicks lost game seven, 90 to 84.
Speaker B:Starks just went ice cold.
Speaker B:He shot 2 for 18 from the floor and 0 for 11 from three point range.
Speaker B:Just horrible.
Speaker B:The Rangers won that year.
Speaker B:They won the Stanley Cup.
Speaker B:They had their ticker tape parade.
Speaker B:But unfortunately the nation was glued to their TV sets as there was a white Ford Bronco heading down the LA freeway, pursued by police.
Speaker B:And in that white ford Bronco was one O.J.
Speaker B:Simpson.
Speaker B:So the folks were looking at something else during that time but for the Knicks.
Speaker B:Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing.
Speaker B:Very strong series in this duel against hall of Famer Olajuwon.
Speaker B:He averaged 18.9 points, 12.4 rebounds, 4.3 blocks and 1.7 assists and 1.3 steals.
Speaker B:Starks chipped in 17.7 points.
Speaker B:Again, the Rockets first NBA title in their franchise history.
Speaker B:The MVP was Hakeem Olajuwon who averaged 26.9 points, the first of Robert Horry's seven NBA titles as a player.
Speaker B:Robert Horry.
Speaker B: Now we move ahead to: Speaker B:The Knicks lose to the San Antonio spurs four games to one.
Speaker B:The Knicks, they made an improbable run returning to the finals.
Speaker B:That was the strike shortened season.
Speaker B:But they played without Ewing who tore his left Achilles tendon in game two of the Eastern Conference finals against the Pacers.
Speaker B:The Knicks became the first number eight seed to make the Finals, but just didn't have enough to put up with the Spurs, Tim Duncan and David Robinson.
Speaker B:San Antonio won the first two games and clinched it in Game 5 at the Garden.
Speaker B:Avery Johnson's jumper, 47 seconds left gave the Spur spurs the lead for good.
Speaker B:And that was it for the Knicks.
Speaker B:Latrell Sprewell, coming off his lengthy suspension while with Golden State, was acquired by The Knicks.
Speaker B:Averaged 26 points a ballgame.
Speaker B:Alan Houston with 21.6.
Speaker B:For the spurs it was Tim Duncan leading the way, followed by the Admiral David Robinson.
Speaker B:And it was the first of coach Gregg Popovich's five NBA titles as a head coach.
Speaker B:And that's really the history of the New York Knicks and the NBA playoffs and their appearances in the NBA Finals.
Speaker B:Frankie Muscatello will not be with us tonight as again his flight got delayed.
Speaker B:He's busy getting his luggage or going through TSA taking care of business.
Speaker B:We will bring Frankie the Savannah Banana to you another evening.
Speaker B:I'm sorry about that folks, but stuff happens as they say.
Speaker B:But what I'm going to talk to you about in the last 10 minutes, some free agents this year.
Speaker B:A lot has been said about Bo Bichette and his season with the Mets and a lot of talk about that he's going to opt out of his next his final two years in the contract.
Speaker B:I say so long, Bo.
Speaker B:He didn't do enough for the Mets this year to warrant him to be re signed.
Speaker B:Let him go somewhere else and test the waters.
Speaker B:Not good.
Speaker B:Not a good signing by the Mets.
Speaker B:I think it was a last ditch effort to make a splash to bring somebody on board after losing Pete Alonso, which was a ridiculous move.
Speaker B:Pete of course signed with the Orioles for five years.
Speaker B:155 Million.
Speaker B:The uproar really has quieted considerably.
Speaker B:He's had kind of a sluggish start in Baltimore, but kind of rebounded in recent weeks after starting out hitting.198 with a.668 OPS.
Speaker B:He's doing much better now and I still think it was a big mistake letting Pete go and many Met fans agree with me.
Speaker B:Perhaps David Stearns was brought on board with the Mets to ruin the franchise.
Speaker B:Just as Ted Lasso was brought on board to ruin the Richmond franchise in England on Ted Lasso.
Speaker B:Just a joke folks.
Speaker B:I can hear you laughing from here.
Speaker B:Kyle Schwaber re signed with the Phillies for five years.
Speaker B:150 Million.
Speaker B:He's doing what he's supposed to be.
Speaker B:He's hitting home runs and doing great for the second place Phillies.
Speaker B:They're in second place behind the Atlanta Braves.
Speaker B:Take another look at.
Speaker B:Let's see, BO Bichette again, three years.
Speaker B:Thank you, Brian.
Speaker B:126 Million.
Speaker B:He's had a three wins above replacement.
Speaker B:He kind of headlines this year's list of free agent busts.
Speaker B:He's been the culprit really for the Mets pitiful offense this year which has started to wake up of late, but we'll see what happens.
Speaker B:They've really only had to rely on Juan Soto as an offensive force.
Speaker B:When you have Jared Young as your protection for Juan Soto, that's not too good, folks.
Speaker B:I mean you can be a Met fan and say I'm wrong and root for Jared Young, but in reality we all know that he's not an everyday cleanup hitter.
Speaker B:Just doesn't cut it.
Speaker B:He's done a decent job.
Speaker B:Bichette has filling in at shortstop for Francisco Lindor who everybody forgets who will be back shortly, but I don't know how much of a spark he'll add in the lineup with the Mets who were just decimated with injuries.
Speaker B:Edwin Diaz, let's take a look at him.
Speaker B:Three years, 69 mil went to the Dodgers.
Speaker B:His decision to leave the Mets to the Dodgers figured really to be one of the biggest off season indignities.
Speaker B:But Steve Cohen Co.
Speaker B:The owner of the Mets shouldn't really have any regrets because he's not setting the world on fire in la.
Speaker B:He needed elbow surgery that will sideline him for three months.
Speaker B:And then there was his alleged involvement in illegal cockfighting industry was something the Mets were happy to dodge as well, that they didn't have to deal with one of their players involved in the cockfighting industry, which I didn't know there was an industry for cockfighting, but evidently there is.
Speaker B:Brian, did you know that?
Speaker B:No.
Speaker B:Neither one of us are cockfighters, so we can't particularly talk about it, folks, but evidently there is a need for this and Edwin Diaz is supplying that.
Speaker B:Jorge Polanco came to the Mets to take over for Pete Alonso at first base.
Speaker B:Played one game at first base before this year.
Speaker B:Two years, 40 million.
Speaker B:He's been injured most of the season.
Speaker B:He deserves an incomplete grade, really.
Speaker B:He's appeared in only 14 games because of wrist and Achilles injuries that have kept him on the IL since the 18th of April.
Speaker B:Before that he was hitting.179 with a.532 OPS before going on the shelf and giving the worrisome nature of his past problems with Achilles bursitis.
Speaker B:I'd be really concerned about how productive he can be if and when this guy does return.
Speaker B:Don't understand it.
Speaker B:That was another mysterious signing by David Stearns to improve, quote, unquote, the New York Mets when he could have re signed Pete Alonso, who gives you a.250 batting average, 35 home runs and plays every day.
Speaker B:Don't get it, folks.
Speaker B:Just don't get it.
Speaker B:And one of our listeners was mentioning Kyle Tucker.
Speaker B:Now, Kyle Tucker, where did I have the notes for Kyle Tucker?
Speaker B:Where did I have the notes for Kyle Tucker?
Speaker B:There he is.
Speaker B:He went to the Dodgers for four years and 240 million with a 0.9 wins above replacement.
Speaker B:He was really the most coveted free agent available.
Speaker B:He set off a bidding war that the Mets lost to the dodgers at the 11th hour.
Speaker B:Really?
Speaker B:And Steve Cohen apparently got lucky on this one because Tucker has been a real disappointment out in la.
Speaker B:Low ops, terrible batting average and just a bust that the Cub fans were glad to get rid of.
Speaker B:And the Mets should be glad that they dodged a bullet on that and did not re sign the guy.
Speaker B:So that's really a look folks at some of the free agents, really the busts that we've had thus far and that will do it again.
Speaker B:We'll bring Frankie to you on another evening, folks.
Speaker B:That'll do it for me.
Speaker B:On Saturday, Sports Talk New York.
Speaker B:I'd like to thank my guest, Karen Scholl for her great appearance tonight, my engineer, Brian Graves, and, of course, you guys for being patient and joining us.
Speaker B:See you Next on Sunday, June 28, for more sports Talk New York.
Speaker B:Till then, be safe, be well.
Speaker B:Bill Donahue, wishing you a good evening, folks.
Speaker A:The views expressed in the previous program did not necessarily represent those of the staff, management or owners of wgbb.
