This doesn't surprise me at all. This goes right along with not grading papers in red ink anymore. My 12 year old daughter has played softball for the last 4 years in rec league. Two years ago, her team had the worst record in the league and some of our teams parents wanted to give them trophies anyway. Of course, we were going to have to pay for them. I refused on the grounds that a team who has the worst record in the league doesn't deserve a trophy. I explained to my daughter that you get trophies, medals, ribbons etc. based on something you worked hard to accomplish and achieved which is a concept she was already familiar with.

Organized sports these days are so much different than when I grew up. I played softball and basketball starting at 10 years of age all the way through high school. I worked hard to get my uniform and starting position and I kept both because I kept working hard. Kids these days only need a parent complaining that their child is being treated unfairly to pull that off now.

I feel sorry for the little boy. It's like telling him that he shouldn't try to be the best he can be for fear that he'll leave everyone else behind and hurt their feelings. I think the adults are projecting their feelings in instances like this remembering the perceived slights they think they were dealt growing up.

If I were his parent(s), I would find another league that appreciated talent and opposing teams that welcomed a challenge.

[edit on 8/27/2008 by soldiermom]

I live in CT. and they are pretty baby-ish. The high school football has already instituted the over 50 rule. If your team wins by more than fifty your coach is suspended for a game. I mean really!!? What the heck is wrong with adults these days. From cheerleader moms, committing murder to, just beating up the coaches cause their kids don't play, c'mon. That's sad. That's new haven, what do they want this kid to do pitch crack?

Originally posted by rightwingnut
I live in CT. and they are pretty baby-ish. The high school football has already instituted the over 50 rule. If your team wins by more than fifty your coach is suspended for a game. I mean really!!? What the heck is wrong with adults these days. From cheerleader moms, committing murder to, just beating up the coaches cause their kids don't play, c'mon. That's sad. That's new haven, what do they want this kid to do pitch crack?

Wait, so if your team does well it's your coaches fault that you are better, and not the opposing coaches fault that his team sucks? that makes no sense. So teams are being punished for being good? Remind me to never ever move to conneticut

Part of learning to win is also how to learn about losing. You take your ball and go home and practice even harder. My parents drilled that into my brothers and I from childhood.

They also taught me there were consequences for quitting. When I quit football in my junior year of high school because the coach wasnt going to play me in the last game when I missed the game before due to a medical issue, they made me go to the awards ceremony anyways. The feeling of shame I felt when I was the only person there that did not get "lettered" was nothing compared to the lesson I learned about quitting.

The coach of the quitting team should never be allowed to coach another team because he apparently has no idea about sportsmanship or teaching children the importance of fair play.

Why not put him in a better league if he's "that good?" Thats really not that fast for a 9year old that's been trained.

They should have a baseball school for kids just like they have golf schools for kids. If this kid is as good as they say he is they should take him there. Let the other rumps play softball and lob the balls instead of playing like a true baseball player.

I guess after all this ( I hope ) IT's all over >!

I guess after all this ( I hope ) IT's all over >!

Originally posted by Andrew E. Wiggin
the stupidest thing in the whole article:?

"He is a very skilled player, a very hard thrower," Noble said. "There are a lot of beginners. This is not a high-powered league. This is a developmental league whose main purpose is to promote the sport."

Wrong. Little League isnt for "new players"

I remember playing farm league, little league, etc

So since when do "new players" get a world championship little league baseball...with it being broadcast on ESPN?...

Those aren't 9 year olds. Those are 11, 12, and 13 year olds. BIG physical difference between the ages of 9 and 11.

How many of you people thumping on your chests, and stroking your e-peen would be willing to go up against Tiger Woods in golf? Not in the "It will be cool to see him play" way, but in the "Oh Crap! I have to beat Tiger Woods!" way? How many of you would like to be in a basketball tournament, and see Michael Jordan (in his prime) playing for the other team? Or, how many of you if you own your own businesses, would like to compete with Wal-Mart on low prices?

Better yet, those of you who think the kids are just "sissies" for not wanting to play against him: Go down to your local batting cage, and "Batter up!" in the fastest-pitch machine they have. Come back and let us know how MACHO you were when that ball was whizzing by your head at 100 mph.

Oh, suddenly your e-peens seemed to have shrunk a little!

This isn't about the kid being good, or even very good. I think everyone most certainly recognizes that. This is about him being SO good, that it is not even competitive for the other players.

This isn't high school where, yeah, you are going to have some superstar players, and the kids will just have to deal with it. No, these are little kids.

I bet the people on here railing about how the kids are being "coddled" are the same ones that get thrown out of their own kids' ball games because of their attitudes and mouths.

UTTER TWADDLE

the team that refused to even play are total freaking morons

you do not learn much from your victories

it is defeat that is the teacher

if they do not face this guy how will they EVER learn to face a fastball ????

I am soooo tired of this crap. I went to my neighbor kid's baseball game last year and they didn't even keep score. These kids were between the ages of 6-10 years old. The kids kept asking "What's the score are we winning?" and the "coaches" were bending over with hands together telling them all the typical PC crap you would expect from some spineless loser.

Competitive sports teach valuable life lessons in a very effective way. Play to win do your best and win or lose do so with class. This is very important especially for young boys to learn.

Why punish this kid because he's good. Kids need to learn that they are not going to be the best at everything. There will always be someone who is better than you. If you let the kids play they will all get better maybe one of those kids is a natural fastball hitter and hasn't discovered it yet because his parents and coaches constantly pitch to him underhanded while he's got 13 layers of safety gear on.

[edit on 28-8-2008 by doodle_robot]

Originally posted by sir_chancealot

Originally posted by Andrew E. Wiggin
the stupidest thing in the whole article:?

"He is a very skilled player, a very hard thrower," Noble said. "There are a lot of beginners. This is not a high-powered league. This is a developmental league whose main purpose is to promote the sport."

Wrong. Little League isnt for "new players"

I remember playing farm league, little league, etc

So since when do "new players" get a world championship little league baseball...with it being broadcast on ESPN?...

Those aren't 9 year olds. Those are 11, 12, and 13 year olds. BIG physical difference between the ages of 9 and 11.

How many of you people thumping on your chests, and stroking your e-peen would be willing to go up against Tiger Woods in golf? Not in the "It will be cool to see him play" way, but in the "Oh Crap! I have to beat Tiger Woods!" way? How many of you would like to be in a basketball tournament, and see Michael Jordan (in his prime) playing for the other team? Or, how many of you if you own your own businesses, would like to compete with Wal-Mart on low prices?

Better yet, those of you who think the kids are just "sissies" for not wanting to play against him: Go down to your local batting cage, and "Batter up!" in the fastest-pitch machine they have. Come back and let us know how MACHO you were when that ball was whizzing by your head at 100 mph.

Oh, suddenly your e-peens seemed to have shrunk a little!

This isn't about the kid being good, or even very good. I think everyone most certainly recognizes that. This is about him being SO good, that it is not even competitive for the other players.

This isn't high school where, yeah, you are going to have some superstar players, and the kids will just have to deal with it. No, these are little kids.

I bet the people on here railing about how the kids are being "coddled" are the same ones that get thrown out of their own kids' ball games because of their attitudes and mouths.

I would play against Tiger Woods and do my best if the and I would lose. It would be great to play against a world class athlete. I would also feel good if somehow I managed to beat him on just one hole. Then after the round I would challenge him to a drum solo competition something I excel at and have practiced for 20+ years and I am sure he would accept the challenge because he is not afraid of competition and neither am I.

I love how the PC Squad are on a mission from God to remove everything character building from Western society.

As a kid, if they'd done something as ridiculous as not keep score, I'd have kept score in my head. And at the end, I would have let everyone know how well they did, or how much they sucked.

Originally posted by C.C.Benjamin
I love how the PC Squad are on a mission from God to remove everything character building from Western society.

As a kid, if they'd done something as ridiculous as not keep score, I'd have kept score in my head. And at the end, I would have let everyone know how well they did, or how much they sucked.

Ya know i was just thinking the same thing, only along the lines of some parent sitting there keeping score in a notebook and announcing it at the end of the game.

My how times have changed. When I was a kid, my bowling team in Cub Scouts finished in last place ( Not my fault, mind you).

We did receive trophies.....ones with a bowler bending over backwards throwing the ball through their legs. Parent's nowadays would be suing the league for humiliating their kids. For me it was motivation to not be stuck with 3 other bowlers who sucked the next season.