Tricky One

[Great White Shark]

Hi All
I am in my late thirties, 3 children. All of us members. I live outside of the Shire and at school my eldest is being knocked for being a sharks fan (he is turning 7 in two months ie Yr 1). I have indoctrinated him all his life, taken him to games (despite the fact that at the age of 4 he was more interested in the mascots). Nonetheless, he is getting to an age where he understands what is going on around him.
Kids of that age also need to feel socially wanted. It is an important part of their social development. He is now saying that he does not want to support the sharks because they never win (not just this year but last). It is a very tricky situation because last year when he came back with Rooster gear from school (it was a sports visit), we sent the stuff back to the roosters leagues club.
For those who have kids you will understand that you can not say to a child 'that's your team, support it win, lose or draw'. Might work with a teenager, not a 6 year old.
Other issue, is this a sign that we might start losing some of the next generation of supporters if this continues?

 

[hitman124]

you have a very good point there my friend, quite a disturbing one too.

 

[Ramzyv1]

Thats why our team has always struggled with fans. We have a great area of people who love league but alot of families moved over from other areas so we were mainly made up of Saints, Bulldogs, Souths and Roosters fans for a long time and because there havent been enough years of us doing well we havent been able to get as many kid supporters as we COULD have.

This is a time where we have more of the previous shark supporter generations growing up and having kids so there should be more fans but again we are not capitalising because of a lack of success mixed with our proximity to other teams. I mean Menai is just as close to Bankstown as it is to Cronulla which is something I never really thought about until recently.

This will eventually change but is just bad now with sustained on-field failures with a year here and there of success. It also shows our club has to maintain links with the community and market to families.

 

[sharkys26]

i would not worry about people support in the future it will get better. my son goes for the sharks but just to get under my skin he always tells me how much they suck but hes happy when they win that is just kids.

 

[PMQ_Tony]

Lack of air time on free to air is also killing us with our young supporters. What child can we grab and keep supporting us if they cant see our colours run around in prime time? It all comes down to "winning".

 

[stormshark]

Yeah- know what you mean. After my kids first u'7s game on Sat he was wearing his jumper and a lady (Penriff Supporter) said with an incredulous/horrified look on her face "Sharks? - you dont barrack for them do you". Made me happy when my kid grabbed the sharks logo on his chest/jumper pushed it out at her and yelled with a smile "yes Sharks.Sharks". Can you believe it - copping **** from a Chocolates supporter?

In all seriousness though in the moderate term Great White though i do also have real fears though, also down here with Aussie Rules influences especially! In fact i currently have someone sniffing around my ex, the childs mother trying to give my son a Hawthorn Scarf. He has of course been warned, although i think further action is called for, although all my Son thinks this person may go to hospital for,:take that is a "Chinese Burn"

 

[SF]

Hi All
I am in my late thirties, 3 children. All of us members. I live outside of the Shire and at school my eldest is being knocked for being a sharks fan (he is turning 7 in two months ie Yr 1). I have indoctrinated him all his life, taken him to games (despite the fact that at the age of 4 he was more interested in the mascots). Nonetheless, he is getting to an age where he understands what is going on around him.
Kids of that age also need to feel socially wanted. It is an important part of their social development. He is now saying that he does not want to support the sharks because they never win (not just this year but last). It is a very tricky situation because last year when he came back with Rooster gear from school (it was a sports visit), we sent the stuff back to the roosters leagues club.
For those who have kids you will understand that you can not say to a child 'that's your team, support it win, lose or draw'. Might work with a teenager, not a 6 year old.
Other issue, is this a sign that we might start losing some of the next generation of supporters if this continues?

I wouldn't worry too much, he'll probably change in a year or two if we start winning. Better for him to be happy for a while, and if the others support the Sharks, it will make their support more fierce anyway. Just get him to support a useless team like the Roosters as a placeholder until we come good.

 

[vicsharkfan]

my poor little girls are social misfits down here to because when the school or kinder have footy days i deck them out in sharks gear and their peers look at them like they have two heads... to their credit they for 6 1nd 4 year olds they explain its nrl not crap afl and the sharks are the only team that matters.... the only advise that i could give you is somehow get em to a sharks game pump a couple of fizzy drinks and a hotdog into em maybe get a player or mascot to give em a photo and they will see the light it works when we go to the storm v sharks game down here....

 

[Sixgill]

Great White, I'm going to go the tough route here.

Stay strong.

I have an 8 year old who wears his Sharks stuff everywhere. Because we're out of Sydney team followings a little more diverse than what I would expect pockets of Sydney to be.

He does, however, cop a bit of stick from others.

He's old enough to be informed about cycles, about how he needs to stick to a team so that he's there for the good times, not just opt out when things get tough. If your dog gets sick do we leave it and get another?

The Sharks are a bit crook at the moment, and they need us to look after them for a bit until they feel better. But they'll get better and start winning again soon.

Being a teacher (and one who teaches at a school from Kindergarten through to Year 10) I can say that those students who stick with their individuality despite unwanted attention are the ones that end up the most respected, the strongest.

If the current supporters stay strong there will be plenty of us around to influence to the next generation.

 

[Jaz]

Currently trying to save my twin cousins. They are only toddlers now, but their Dad is a massive Fagons fan so it is up to one of my other cousins and I to instruct them in the way of the Shark. Bought them some nice jersey's for their 1st birthday =] My issue is that I almost feel bad making them mad little Sharkies' like myself... it's a long, hard road to walk... but then I remember how much I hate Soward and it's easy again!

 

[Rapture_Shark]

im 13 and still copping it, in my footy team i have sharks footy boots and our referee for the match has gone:"now theres someone with courage, hes wearing sharks boots, mate did they pay you to wear them or do you have bad taste in footy teams???"

 

[Capital_Shark]

im 13 and still copping it, in my footy team i have sharks footy boots and our referee for the match has gone:"now theres someone with courage, hes wearing sharks boots, mate did they pay you to wear them or do you have bad taste in footy teams???"

Tell him you'll compare your tackle count with his at the end of the match and he'll neck up real quick.

 

[WillyInBris]

im 13 and still copping it, in my footy team i have sharks footy boots and our referee for the match has gone:"now theres someone with courage, hes wearing sharks boots, mate did they pay you to wear them or do you have bad taste in footy teams???"

Next time just reply did you just drop your guts?
He will say No
Then say well it must be your breath

 

[DANGA HATCH]

Hi All
I am in my late thirties, 3 children. All of us members. I live outside of the Shire and at school my eldest is being knocked for being a sharks fan (he is turning 7 in two months ie Yr 1). I have indoctrinated him all his life, taken him to games (despite the fact that at the age of 4 he was more interested in the mascots). Nonetheless, he is getting to an age where he understands what is going on around him.
Kids of that age also need to feel socially wanted. It is an important part of their social development. He is now saying that he does not want to support the sharks because they never win (not just this year but last). It is a very tricky situation because last year when he came back with Rooster gear from school (it was a sports visit), we sent the stuff back to the roosters leagues club.
For those who have kids you will understand that you can not say to a child 'that's your team, support it win, lose or draw'. Might work with a teenager, not a 6 year old.
Other issue, is this a sign that we might start losing some of the next generation of supporters if this continues?

Mate, I am a Primary School Teacher in the South Western Suburbs. There are 400 kids at the school and I dead set am the only Sharks fan at the place. The problem for the Sharks is that kids (God love them) only want to support the winning teams.

I am a mad supporter and have two kids. A boy 2 and 1/2 and a little girl 3 months. I am madly waiting for the day to take them to Toyota Park to see my beloved Sharks play and like you indoctrinate them but if this is the outcome then I would have to think twice about it. The biggest problem for the Sharks along with the fact that they are not winning is that everyone wants to move into the Shire. However, they all support their own team and they are not interested in supporting the local team.

The only solution to the problem is for them to win and produce some local talent. On display last weekend was 'NO' local junior. Compared this to the Panther's seven or eight. Having said this, the crowds at Toyota Park are bigger than what they were at some stages of the 1980's where it was not uncommon to have less than 6000 at a home game.

I hope we win for the sake of our young ones. Cheers Mate

 

[Gil]

GWS.

I too had a similar problem as you (3 boys).

From day dot I have drummed into them that there is no other team bar the Sharks, as they get older the started to follow some high profile players.

So they wouldn't move away from the Sharks, being the kind Dad which I am, I said they can support a second team (ain't I generous). Which they choose Titans,Tigers, Eels.

They still love there Sharks and go to the games with me and enjoy it, and don't feel guilty about following some of there idols

P.S

They day they don't I change the locks. lol

 

[fitz]

Whenever I get into an ethical dilemma with any of my kids, I'm reminded of the line in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire where Dumbledore says:

"Dark and difficult times lie ahead. Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy."