Interesting article

[live4christp1]

Interesting article in todays Chattanooga Times Free Press about little league sports. Article stated that across the nation, about 20 million children registered to play on youth-league teams this year. Around 70 percent of those are expected to quit competitive sports by age 13 - and never play them again, according to a recent study by the National Alliance for Sports. The No. 1 reason? Sports stopped being fun.

Also said that last month near Pittsburgh, PA., a T-ball coach, Mark Dunbar offered one of his players $25 to peg an 8-year-old mentally disabled teammate in the head with a baseball so he couldn't participate in a game. "The coach was very competitive," Pennsylvania state police officer Thomas Broadwater told The Associated Press. "He wanted to win."

.........does anyone else think little league sports are getting way out of hand? Pushed to hard to win and the game isn't fun any more? Aren't the kids supposed to be playing to learn sportsmanship, teamwork, comradary? Now if you 6, 7, 8 year old isn't fast enough, can't hit good, etc.......the coach might want another player to "take them out" so that they don't have to worry about them messing up their record?

 

[Galahad]

I think they raise a good point, but the Little League World Series that's being played right now is the only sporting events that DW and I make sure we watch each year. It's the best baseball on TV!

 

[Aidensmom]

I think competitiveness is a good thing to learn about, and I don't agree with the notion that everyone should get awards and there should be no winners in childrens sports, but I think that if an adult is that competitive and worried about winning, they need to PLAY on adult team rather than coaching a children's team.

 

[golfgal]

I see this all the time. The star on the under 8 team usually ends up not playing in high school because they are burned out. There is nothing wrong with kids in sports, but I think they should be held during the day, with college kids coaching that way very few parents would be there and the coaches would be more objective. It is then FUN to play vs a kid feeling like they need to be an all star to finance their parents retirement.

 

[live4christp1]

I see this all the time. The star on the under 8 team usually ends up not playing in high school because they are burned out. There is nothing wrong with kids in sports, but I think they should be held during the day, with college kids coaching that way very few parents would be there and the coaches would be more objective. It is then FUN to play vs a kid feeling like they need to be an all star to finance their parents retirement.

My thoughts exactly. I don't have a problem with the sports part and there is always going to be a winner & a loser, kids need to learn this. But let them play for the sheer love of playing......for being a kid......not in hopes that they will be 6 year old National Champions. What a lot of pressure and stress that is being loaded onto the shoulders of such small kids. How about letting them play and when they win....."great job, you played fantastic.....keep up the good work etc." but also to the losing team "you guys played great, it's okay we didn't win, you tried your best, it's just for fun, etc." Isn't this time in their lives supposed to be more about learning the rules, aspects of the game, etc.?????

The article also quoted a 10-year-old from our area....this is what he had to say, "If you wanted to do it, it would seem more fun than having your parents force you to do it, because they want you to, not you."

 

[Galahad]

My thoughts exactly. I don't have a problem with the sports part and there is always going to be a winner & a loser, kids need to learn this. But let them play for the sheer love of playing......for being a kid......not in hopes that they will be 6 year old National Champions. What a lot of pressure and stress that is being loaded onto the shoulders of such small kids. How about letting them play and when they win....."great job, you played fantastic.....keep up the good work etc." but also to the losing team "you guys played great, it's okay we didn't win, you tried your best, it's just for fun, etc." Isn't this time in their lives supposed to be more about learning the rules, aspects of the game, etc.?????

The article also quoted a 10-year-old from our area....this is what he had to say, "If you wanted to do it, it would seem more fun than having your parents force you to do it, because they want you to, not you."

This is true of kids' activities other than sports too. Sometimes I wonder if it isn't just a way for the adults involved to find a way to measure their success at their "job" (coach, director, etc). In the school music world, the emphasis on "contests" has gotten so severe that it completely gets in the way of teaching music, for example. Some bands will play the same 4 songs and march the same "halftime show" (remember when a marching band was mainly to provide support to a school, it's teams, and it's sense of community?) for an entire year so they can win a championship. Now the kids involved will not get any special consideration in college if they intend to study music if their band won one of these contests. They have to audition and qualify on their own merits. The band director, on the other hand, can use those championships as a negotiating tool.

Here in our state, the school that has arguably the best music program in the state has completely withdrawn from all competitions to emphasis teaching music, taking performance tours, etc. Thankfully, some of the new staff at DS's school seem to have the same philosophy.

BTW, these ex-athletes that were suppose to learn great teamwork and competition skills that would translate into their future careers: they seem the rise pretty well in an organization - up to a point. Then they seem to get themselves stuck and can't figure out why their athletic experience didn't have the magical effect they keep telling their wives it has while signing their kids up for yet another travel-team. (Hint, be well rounded - it'll take you farther than being the best most competitive child athlete).

OK - off the soap box......

 

[live4christp1]

This is true of kids' activities other than sports too. Sometimes I wonder if it isn't just a way for the adults involved to find a way to measure their success at their "job" (coach, director, etc). In the school music world, the emphasis on "contests" has gotten so severe that it completely gets in the way of teaching music, for example. Some bands will play the same 4 songs and march the same "halftime show" (remember when a marching band was mainly to provide support to a school, it's teams, and it's sense of community?) for an entire year so they can win a championship. Now the kids involved will not get any special consideration in college if they intend to study music if their band won one of these contests. They have to audition and qualify on their own merits. The band director, on the other hand, can use those championships as a negotiating tool.

Here in our state, the school that has arguably the best music program in the state has completely withdrawn from all competitions to emphasis teaching music, taking performance tours, etc. Thankfully, some of the new staff at DS's school seem to have the same philosophy.

BTW, these ex-athletes that were suppose to learn great teamwork and competition skills that would translate into their future careers: they seem the rise pretty well in an organization - up to a point. Then they seem to get themselves stuck and can't figure out why their athletic experience didn't have the magical effect they keep telling their wives it has while signing their kids up for yet another travel-team. (Hint, be well rounded - it'll take you farther than being the best most competitive child athlete).

OK - off the soap box......

I agree, it isn't just sports......I used to twirl baton and each weekend we would have these little miny competitions just within the organization (really a money maker for the owners).....anyway my point is I watched little girls 7,8,9 cry through twirling routines because their mom told them in the dressing room (holding up a big belt)...."if you drop that baton you will get this" This wasn't even anything that had any local or regional recognition at all.....just in our group/twirling class.

Having competed and directed competitive clogging teams for years I have also seen kids reamed out for dropping someone in a lift, missing a cue, etc........we always just went and had fun. If we won something that made it all the more special but if we didn't we still had a great time too.


Think the kids should be able to play, compete, etc. but that parents and coaches need to stop trying to live their unfulfilled dreams through their children and let them be kids. Out of every player who actually ever goes pro.......do you know the numbers of those who didn't????? I'd say the statistics are probably pretty staggering.

 

[Bob Slydell]

I saw that article as well -- our soccer club president handed out a copy of it to each coach as a reminder of what we need to constantly strive NOT to be like.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

I think competitiveness is a good thing to learn about, and I don't agree with the notion that everyone should get awards and there should be no winners in childrens sports, but I think that if an adult is that competitive and worried about winning, they need to PLAY on adult team rather than coaching a children's team.

I agree.

DS plays Little League Baseball (he has made the All Star team the last two years ) and Fall Ball. He really LOVES it (so much so that he has convinced his mom to buy him a $250 bat ) and so far he has had great coaches. He is learning a lot of life lessons.