New strategy for youth sports parents: divorce

Kudos to the Coaches Channel for this story.

The retiring executive director of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association, Ronnie Carter, submitted to sort of an exit interview with the Web publication. After 23 years in his post, and 42 overall as a coach and administrator, he'd seen some squirrelly behavior from parents. One recent trend was very much on his mind as he spoke last week. It seems that some parents have developed a new tool to advance their children's sports careers. They're filing for divorce.


That was my reaction.

It works this way: One estranged (I guess) parent remains in the family home. The other moves to a new address served by a school district where a child's sports future might be brighter - a better chance to be the starting field hockey goalie or key cog on a state championship basketball team. Not clear to me why the parents need to divorce for this inventive, if extreme, strategy to work - perhaps it helps establish the second place as the child's true home. In any case, it's a novel reason for ending a marriage.