
Today my son's soccer team the Patriots played against Team # 4 in Miramar PAL outdoor soccer. Observing the entire game, I saw adults and especially coaches act in a ridiculous manner calling the kid referees names, disagreeing with the calls with unsportsmanlike conduct. Specifically, Team # 4's coach Nico from the very beginning was yelling at his team (kids!) threatening to make them do push ups if they don't start playing, belittling them for not playing well, kicking water bottles on the side lines and acting a fool. He was also yelling at the ref for calls that he thought should've been called.
I'm all for competitive sports, strength conditioning kids to play, learning the various aspects of a sport but above all else they should be learning what good conduct and sportsmanship looks like. It starts with the league and the coach. Having lived all over the country with my kids playing in various athletic leagues, I have NEVER witnessed such unsportsmanlike conduct and a league that is unwilling to conduct themselves in a manner that is safe and respectful while teaching kids how to behave when playing sports. Coach Nico was out of control!
During the beginning of the second half, Nico and our coach became very heated and Nico made his way over to our coaches team in front of the kids on the bench. Nico looked like he was going to start a fight. Ann, the league director was apparently standing there the entire time according to her and she did NOT do anything. Nico should've been ejected from the game at that very instant and the game called. Then a kid from Team # 4 was injured and Nico went crazy yelling at the ref for not calling a foul because in his opinion it was a sliding tackle. At this point, the game stopped and multiple parents crossed over the field ready to stop a physical altercation that was about to occur due to Nico acting aggressively. It's just a game.
At this point, I had seen enough and went to pull my son from the game to leave. I tried to address my concerns with Ann who did nothing and took up for Nico's behavior. I'm not saying either coach was in the right but clearly Nico was the aggressor during the entire game and all Ann could tell me was that our coach was making noises. Another team's coach who I know very well was about to play his game on the same field with his team and told me that the same issues happened last week with Nico who had called females derogatory names such as B**ch and Ann did nothing. He said Ann knows Nico's parents and the issue was not addressed. I was also informed that the Mayor and other league officials have been notified in the past and this behavior is continued to be permitted.
When talking with Ann, she told me that if the other team's parents were ok with the way Nico was acting, then that it was ok and see doesn't see any issue with Nico kicking water bottles in a childish manner and calling people derogatory names. She said he can do that. It's NOT up to the parents to regulate the league, it is the board of directors and she has FAILED. This is not a league where scholarships are in jeopardy or a high stakes game where money is on the line. This is not the way for anyone to behave or be allowed to act in such a manner. It is supposed to be a league where kids can develop their athletic skills sets, learn about good sportsmanship and above all else, have FUN!
I will NOT allow my kids to play on the team anymore nor will they ever play on this league again. I will also make sure others I know are aware of this incident and my experience with a poorly regulated league so, their kid's safety isn't in jeopardy while they play a game while subjected to coaches and sideline adults that cannot control themselves. Both teams were playing well and it doesn't have to come to this.
The Miramar Police Athletic League should be ashamed of themselves for letting a situation like this get out of hand, not following a ZERO TOLERANCE policy concerning improper conduct and for not teaching kids about good...
Read moreI fell in love with the park the moment I saw it. The entrance is gorgeous, the lake is beautiful and it’s one of the only parks around that has pavilions and a playground close by but it also has swings. I was sold on this park for my daughter’s first birthday. I ended up reserving pavilion #3 with a pretty unobstructed view of the lake. I planned for this birthday for 6 months. I spent way more money than I should have on a 1st birthday (things are expensive in South Florida and I have a BIG family) and my birthday party was pretty much a bust. The wind tunnel that is created in this pavilion, during a cold front, looked like a tornado. Even taping the table cloth down to the picnic tables would not keep them down (they would bubble with air), the beautiful balloon garland and cake backdrop I had planned for to be used with my elaborate cake/dessert table was a bust and had to be taped down to the storage closet at the entrance of the pavilion using duct tape and it still blew off several times damaging the cake. None of the decorations I handmade for the party could be used. None of the decorative balloons could be used. My cousin bought stones at the dollar store just so we could put out the vases on the table but we couldn’t add the flowers because they would have blown over. I know you can’t control Mother Nature but WOW, I can’t be the only person this has happened to and based on a brief conversation I had with a park worker, Management at the park seems aware of this issue. The park needs to invest in wind blockers. Having known this issue in advance, I would have planned the party at this park differently. (for those that say I should have known, NO. All my parties are at parks and this is the first time I have this issue).
Other things to consider, the line to get in is ridiculously long and the bathrooms were disgusting. My guests said they were absolutely nasty and overflowing. I'm sure this is due to the soccer tournament that was going on which also took all the parking spaces, even those blocked off for pavilion #3 (I was not made aware these were assigned to our pavilion until the...
Read moreI called several times and left a message, someone did returned the call to say that the box office was out because of the storm. Then the Tuesday before Thanksgiving I drove 20 miles from my house to the box office to find a note on the door that read "We are close because of maintenance, but will reopen on Friday, November the 25th at 12:00. How about I drove there a second time on Friday and they were not open. That's consider false advertising. I was sent an e-mail from the promoter asking me about my experience on purchasing ticket. I explained to the promoter and he ask me why didn't I purchased them online. First of all online purchase charges an additional $20.00. I always purchase my tickets at the box office at the Knight Center and the Hardrock and never in counter this type of situation. I then called the Theater on Monday and the cashier tried to justify why they were not open on Friday, because of the Thanksgiving holiday, but why would you place a note on the window stated that the office will reopen on Friday, she didn't apologize and her demeanor was not professional at all, even after I said to her that I drove almost 30 miles each way, and her response was then I will let you speak to the supervisor. I called the Mayor's, the commissioner, the box office administrator and they didn't answer their phone. I have never had this situation happen to me, and I will never patronize this establishment again. Gas is too high, but it wasn't about the gas, because I wanted to see where I was going because I never been to the Amphitheater before. I so angry until I...
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