We’ve come a long way since then. Now our kids have regulation fields, real gymnasiums, uniforms, weekend games, gym bags and Michael Jordan’s shoes. They have referees, paid coaches … and parents on the sidelines.

A veteran kids’ soccer coach, Tom Felten recalls a particularly ugly event when this dad “ran up and down the sideline yelling at the top of his lungs, telling his son all the things he was doing wrong.”

“The kid reacted with overaggressive play, pushing and shoving players from the other team and being mean to his teammates,” Felten says. “Finally, amidst the screaming from his dad, the boy stopped and shouted back a volley of his own venom.”

What was once pure sport played for fun has too often morphed into overzealous parents’ version of the mini-minor leagues. Whether in a rocky cow pasture or a manicured soccer field, here’s what our kids should take away from sports:

• They should build memories. Kids will someday look back on their sports career — even when they were 9-year-olds. Will they remember Dad yelling at the refs, or will they recall how much fun they had?

• They should learn the fundamentals. At the 9- to 10-year-old level, coaches should de-emphasize winning and emphasize ball-handling, passing, positioning and thinking like a player. Everyone develops differently, but no one develops beyond his or her understanding of the basics.

• They should discover some lessons that come straight from the Bible. All young athletes need to learn to respect authority and live by the Golden Rule. These must be taught by and caught from adults.

“To allow your child to enjoy the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual benefits of sports,” Felten suggests, “teach them to appreciate and understand competition in a Christ-like fashion — doing your best while encouraging your opponent to do his or her best.”

Kids can learn so much from sports. Let’s make sure we don’t get in the way.