9 year old told "you're too good" to play baseball

The really sad thing is that this is not isolated to children. I remember when the Olympics were for amatuer atheletes. Unfortunately we have to have professional basketball players in an Olympic sport because we were too afraid to lose in a sport no one really played anywhere else.

Wasn't it about the same time that all this "no child can lose" or they will grow up traumatized B.S. also began?

My story is somewhat similar to this situation. I was talking to a friend of mine not too long ago who is a Graphics teacher at the old high school I used to go to and she was telling me how she proposed an advanced, independent study class for seniors wanting to pursue a career in graphic design, photography, illustration, and other art related majors because the only classes available to them were Graphic Design I and Yearbook class, and it was basically all beginners stuff since a lot of students choose to take it as an elective. She told me that the new principal shot the idea down because it was "too" advanced and not fair to the other kids that aren't on their "level." I also heard that the math classes are the same. No advance classes and no challenges for students. The teacher must teach at the lowest level possible to reach every child, which is good for the one or two kids who don't understand...but what about the other 20? They're not learning anything. They go to college and the don't understand what's going on! The teachers want to prepare them for their future and the people in charge so no.

I graduated 2 years ago, and I remember that every school year in the beginning, we would have a pep rally and each class...freshman, sophmore...etc, would dress in their class colors and we would have class competitions. It was fun. There was tug of war, relay races, pie eating contests, you name it. I found out that the new principal (who came about the year after I graduated) got rid of the class competitions because they wanted to unity the school, not divide it. Goes to show how they're taking away the competition among people now.

Every one's good at something and this just takes away from that. There's a reason why we have winners and losers and why some people are better at some things and others aren't. That's what makes us unique. And they're stripping us of that to make us all the same and "dumb" us down.

It's truly a shame.

when i was 12 i was throwing 60mph and nobody said anything to me about it i was feared in my baseball league, we didn't have complainers and whiners saying i threw too hard....when i was in high school i topped out at 83mph, with good coaching and working out i coulda hit in upper 80's low 90's but sheesh they're ruining the game for those kids, this just blows my mind they're doing this....just let the kids play



Keeper

Originally posted by AshleyD
Poor guy. Children's sports are getting weirder and weirder. My step daughter's school doesn't even keep score at any of the athletic competitions- and this is not an isolated thing. Many schools do such a thing nowadays.

not surprising- the government and the school systems are taking the "fight" out of everyone at an early age.

This does them no favors in terms of real world experience. In the real world, the gifted and the hard workers get ahead and get promoted. Teaching children the concept that there are no winners and not to be be 'too good' is the opposite of how the real world works.

but if there are winners, then there are losers! The government doesn't want Americans finding that out until their 40

[edit on 8/30/2008 by JPhish]

One of the best things about competitions is the feeling of glory you get at the end when you win.

If everything is balanced on a knife edge, and you come out triumphant, there is nothing quite like it.

But yeah, we don't want kids feeling that way, especially not the blubbers who go back to mummy and weep into her apron about it.