Trophy Kids (2013)

Trophy kids by Chris Bell was appalling , chronicling the lives of 6 children and their naive and neglective parents. The way these parents are so intent on living through their children is disgusting, one even daring to claim it was "God's will". All through the film you could see each child being emotionally abused or black mailed, you would wonder do these parents have any idea of the traumatic experience they are putting their young through.The camera technique was shaky and bounced around a lot but improved over the course of the documentary.It proved an enlightening view of other types parental abuse and I would recommend it if one was planing on doing something similar with their children.

For me sport is fun, for me sport is about being competitive but after riding my bike it is about beating my previous PB or doing well, thats my achievement.For my daughter in swimming and yes dancing it is great to see her happy winning a trophy or being in the swim team, I say to her, be the best you can then you can never say you never tried.That is all we should ask of our kids but now the money is so much, any kid with a slight bit of talent is pushed and pushed. Very few make it and the stories of the failures (they are not to me) are common all over.Money is driving parents to look at the $$ signs and not what is best for their kid. A talented and determined kid will always come through, a bullied kid will fail. I look at Andy Murray, for sure his parents and esp Mum pushed him but it is clear he is a normal functioning guy with normal emotions. It is clear he was never pushed beyond what he wanted to do and he won.On this program these parents don't see beyond themselves and their own egos and wallets, That is all that matters to them, why have kids I ask ?

It was a great documentary, but very disturbing. I can only wonder where those kids are now. Even worse, I wonder how bad the parents even further damaged their kids.The is by far the worst bunch of egotistical parents. They try to live their dreams through their kids. The golfer's father is by far the worst. Tell me when the last time you were sponsored by McDonalds? Your daughter did that, not you. The sports are for the children to play not for you to drive your kids to hate the sports they play.. The kids do the work, not you. The coach is in charge of the team, not you. (no matter how good your kid is or how good you think he is) Stop living vicariously through your kid. Just because your dreams died doesn't mean you have to destroy your kids' dreams.

This was a really hard one to rate as it's difficult to cut through the content, which is so disturbing. Whether preaching God or manhood, these parents completely lost the plot of life, which is our obligation to our children rather than some distorted obligation for them to validate us. Even the twins' mother, with her psychology background, over-thought and over-talked everything, completely ignorant of the fact that her kids have become numbed out -- ultimately, no better than the featured parents who are openly abusive to their children. Less than halfway in, I wondered how many of these kids would succumb to substance abuse or suicide. Ian's father was the only parent in whom I saw a glimmer of hope for redemption, but there seemed to be a decline towards the end. I did not find Coach Meier likable or sincere, but his words were correct -- this is abuse. Blaming a coach for your child's athletic "failure" (and Ian is far from a failure) teaches lack of personal responsibility, acceptance of reality and lack of acceptance of the child, no matter how they excel -- there is no pleasing these parents in the end. Amari's father even said as much -- he's proud of her but "can't" tell her. But you have to consider the source given he lamented that you can no longer beat children without being arrested. This documentary would serve well in custody suits, but in a few of these cases, the mothers are conspicuously absent. I suspect they are as repressed as the kids, but I can't muster up much sympathy for mothers who stand by while their kids are being tortured by men who have clearly never matured into reality.There was no child for whom I didn't feel strongly in this documentary, but Justus in particular struck me. I was (conditionally) relieved to hear that he left his father, but this kid can't catch a break. He was again cast into the responsibility role with his mother's illness, a woman who apparently has never put much thought into the fathers she has provided to her children. I hope that Justus will channel his sensitivity and life experience into a career that involves helping others. He is clearly suited for such a path in life, and I hope he comes to recognize sports as recreational and not a definition of manhood -- something his father certainly has distorted. I wish these kids all the best and that they can overcome their unfortunate parentage.