A parent's reflection · Youth Sports

Even Chuck Norris
needed training.

A sarcastic but serious reflection on fair play, trust, and equal coaching — by Fadi Nicolas Zahhar, parent of Nicolas.

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6 min read May 2026 Beirut

A Parent's Sarcastic but Serious Reflection on Fair Play, Trust, and Equal Coaching

Some sports moments are easy to accept. A child can win, lose, make mistakes, or feel pressure. This is part of learning, growing, and becoming stronger.

But sometimes, what happens around the match raises more questions than the result itself.

This match was supposed to be clear, short, organized, and fair. Instead, it felt like an exaggerated Indian movie scene — too much drama, too much confusion, and not enough logic.

That is why I called this reflection:

Even Chuck Norris Needed Training.

Because in this match, it felt like the player was not only facing an opponent. He was also facing unclear timing, confusing match flow, inconsistent focus, and a missing trust connection with the coaches.

This is not written to attack anyone. It is written as a concerned parent who believes that something needs to change.

The footage

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A short video from the match, shared so the moment can speak for itself.

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The Real Concern Is Trust

When I asked what happened, one answer was that Nicolas was not listening.

But this answer is not enough.

A child does not truly listen to someone he does not yet trust. Listening is not only about hearing instructions. It comes from connection, confidence, and feeling supported.

A player listens better when he feels that the coach understands him, believes in him, protects him, and treats him fairly.

So the real question is not only:

Why did he not listen?

The better question is:

Did we build enough trust for him to listen?

That is where the change should start.

Fair Play Is More Than a Score

Fair play is not only about who wins or loses.

Fair play is about clear timing, transparent decisions, equal coaching attention, professional match control, and respect for every player.

When some players appear to receive more attention, more preparation, or more emotional support than others, children notice it. Parents notice it too.

Maybe this is not intentional. But when it becomes visible, it becomes a problem.

Because children feel when they are supported. And they also feel when they are not.

This Is Not Only About One Child

This concern is not only about Nicolas.

From what I have observed, this feels like a repeated pattern. Some players seem to receive more privilege, stronger preparation, and closer coaching attention than others.

If private training or personal connection creates visible differences in support, then the system needs to be reviewed.

Every player should feel:

I have the same chance.

Not:

Some players are already closer to the coaches than I am.

Year After Year, the Same Pattern

The deeper concern is not one event. It is repetition. Year after year, the same system-level issues return: unclear timing, unstable match flow, and decisions that families cannot confidently trust.

At some point, repetition changes the meaning. What once looked like isolated mistakes starts to look like a structural problem.

The timeline itself raises concern: one two-round match appeared around seven minutes even with video cuts, while the true elapsed stoppage felt closer to fifteen minutes, roughly the span of around four other games.

When this happens repeatedly, credibility erodes. Community trust erodes. And a difficult but legitimate question appears:

Is the system robust enough to prevent score manipulation and outcome bias, or does its current ambiguity leave too much room for abuse?

This is exactly why building a healthy TechWendo community requires one non-negotiable foundation: trust in the system. Without that trust, there is no real credibility, only permanent concern.

What Needs to Change

The goal is not to create conflict. The goal is to improve the environment for all children.

  1. 01

    Stronger trust between players and coaches

    Build the human connection during training, not only during the match.

  2. 02

    Equal coaching attention

    Every child deserves the same focus, preparation, and post-match feedback.

  3. 03

    Clear match timing

    Same structure for every match — visible, understood, respected.

  4. 04

    Transparent decisions

    When a call is made or a point changes, explain it openly.

  5. 05

    Better communication with parents

    When parents raise concerns, the response should be open, respectful, and focused on improvement.

  6. 06

    Every child feels respected and supported

    No visible privilege. No secondary players. Equal opportunity to grow.

Coaching is not only technical. It is emotional. It is human. It is about building confidence before expecting performance.

As a UX/UI professional, I always say:

If the user does not trust the system, the system has already failed.

The same applies here. If the player does not trust the coaching system, the performance will suffer.

A Positive Request for Action

My request is simple:

Let us fix the system.

Let us build stronger trust between coaches and players. Let us make sure every child receives the same attention, the same respect, and the same opportunity to grow.

Children do not only remember the medal.

  • They remember how they were treated.
  • They remember who believed in them.
  • They remember if the game felt fair.

And sometimes, they remember that even Chuck Norris needed training — but even Chuck Norris would still need a coach he could trust.

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