Little League All Stars - What does the DIS think about this?

[njmom47]

All I know is my ds sleeps, eats and breathes baseball. He is playing on 3 teams this spring.
DH was complaining from the sidelines, so one year I said to him "shut up or coach, would ya?" So he did. He has coached 9 yr olds because he wants to teach them, and thinks at that age they are sponges.

 

[dejr_8]

You stated the A team would have (overly) competitive players (and parents)
What the heck does that mean?
How about the A team has more talent - because in the scenario you describe that is what it is, they are better players.

You then stated the B team would have talented players who "don't eat and sleep baseball" again, I don't get it? What does this have to do with anything?

I surmise by these comments that you feel the A team is somehow being comprised not of the more talented players but as a group of overly competitive players/parents and I asked - what exactly does that mean?

I don't understand your statement. There is nothing wrong with being competitive and who gets to judge what "overly" competitive means? You said kids don't want to play on the A team because of the coach. How does that play into the "overly" competitive comment?

It sounds like sour grapes. You said your kids are solid B team players - is that because they are not in your words "overly competitive"?

What it says to me is they are more of an average player and don't have the advanced skills for the A team.

Interesting. Not every statement is sinister.

Our league is very small. Only 5 teams in 9/10 and 4 in 11/12 so about 1/2 the kids make the all star teams.

When we used the single age bracket for picking teams (i.e. 9u, 10u, 11u, 12u) neither age group had enough good players to complete with the larger leagues (some leagues have 10-12 teams to draw from for each age). Inevitably, our teams lost in the district tournament and did not advance to States.

So the new policy looks to pull the best kids from 9/10 and 11/12 in hopes that it produces a competitive team. I think that is a great idea.

But in the interest of keeping things on an even keel with former years, they are going to have the "B" team so the same number of kids will get to play all stars.

The "A" team will have the above average players. These players (on average) will be more competitive than the "B" team. They probably practice more, many of them play on travel teams outside the rec ball league. The probably take private lessons. They may not be inherently better but they have invested much more time in baseball. They (and their parents) view baseball in a different light than the "B" players and parents. They think baseball is a means to and end (College Scholarship) If one of the "A" team kids didn't get picked they would be devastated. If my kids don't get pick, it won't bother them or us. We don't eat, sleep and live baseball.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I don't like the term All Stars. (I have only seen it called that here on the Dis.) Thankfully we don't call it that here. We have one All Star game and that's it.

The "A" team will have the above average players. These players (on average) will be more competitive than the "B" team. They probably practice more, many of them play on travel teams outside the rec ball league. The probably take private lessons. They may not be inherently better but they have invested much more time in baseball.

There is only one way to get better and that's to play and practice. Kids who are passionate about it want to keep playing. I know because I have one of these kids. He's been like that since he was a little guy. His amount and level of play has always been his choice. We support his choices, but we don't push him to play. I know many other baseball families as well and as a matter of fact, this morning one of them mentioned they're encouraging their son NOT to play summer ball this year but, no surprise, he wants to play! Are there people who push? I'm sure there are. But when you get in the older ages, pushing isn't going to keep your kid in the sport if he can't or doesn't want to play.

If one of the "A" team kids didn't get picked they would be devastated. If my kids don't get pick, it won't bother them or us. We don't eat, sleep and live baseball.

Then according to this you probably have kids who play baseball and not baseball players truly passionate about the sport. And that's ok. Although at some point, they could feel differently.

There is a big difference between a kid who plays baseball and a baseball player. IMO a kid who plays baseball will eventually quit when he finds something better to do with his time. A baseball player won't quit till no one will let him play because to him it’s always fun.

 

[tvguy]

I don't like the term All Stars. (I have only seen it called that here on the Dis.) Thankfully we don't call it that here. We have one All Star game and that's it.
.

That is the official name used in Little League, Cal Ripkin and Legion baseball.
We also have TOC's here before Allstars (Tournament of Champions where the top regular season teams from each league face off).
When I was a kid we had just one Allstar game too, it was in July like the games are now, but it was in the middle of the season. Little League was a summer sport, our season was June, July and August, with a break for Allstars in July, and ending by the middle of August so everyone could get their summer vacation in before school resumes after Labor Day.

 

[dejr_8]

Then according to this you probably have kids who play baseball and not baseball players truly passionate about the sport. And that's ok. Although at some point, they could feel differently.

This is an excellent distinction and probably forms the basis for the "A" and "B" teams.

You used the word passionate. Here are some synonyms...

emotional, excited, eager, enthusiastic, animated, strong, warm, wild, intense, flaming, fierce, frenzied, ardent, fervent, heartfelt, impassioned, zealous, impulsive, vehement, impetuous, fervid (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/passionate)

Looking at some of those words my overly competitive statement looks to be about fair