Rick Reilly raises ethical dillema in youth sports

I guess there is a compunction to treat adults like, say, adults.

This same thing happened to my daughter, so I will say I am emotional about it.

 

Get the kids out.

 

Well, you might view it that way, but when you have a boatload of rules, there is a tendency -- right or wrong, again, I don't necessarily disagree with your point here -- to believe that something not mentioned is probably OK.

It is interesting, I think, that some people on here have said they would have never thought of bunting for a hit or giving an intentional walk in little leage, while others, myself included, did it and saw it happen in the same leagues and thought little of it.

I think that is likely the main basis of the problem here -- all the adults have different memories and different expectations of what little league should be, and, thus, force those expectations on to this particular league.

And none of us here really know what the history of that league has been.

 

I believe the PC crowd is often as dangerous as the maniacal coach crowd.

Check out your local Little League. If all the coaches and officials sound like Beavis and Butthead's hippie teacher, that's when your child should move on.

Like Zeke said, it might be selective memory on my part. But I sure as hell don't remember Little League being touchy-feely-everybodygetsatrophy feel-good when I played.

 

Putting aside the quesiton of why 9/10 yr olds are travelling from PA to Texas....those kids are obviously elite players, chosen for that team, with the specific goal of winning.

Not so the case in Reilly's story. If you're coaching in a league that completely bends the rules of baseball for the sole benefit of giving the kids a soft entry to the game, grow up and let the kids play.

The kid could have been the last out anyway...he still would have been upset. Any kid would. But a grown man should be able to understand the difference between 'within the rules' and 'asshole move.'

 

just because something is "within the rules" doesn't make it the right thing to do. adults need to act like adults. that's all i'm saying.
to me, that means it should be about kids having FUN and not being unduly embarrassed. it's tough enough on a kid when he strikes out, or makes a baserunning error, or drops a fly or boots a grounder. no need to single a weak hitter out by intentionally walking a slugger. THAT is within the alleged adult's power. if the pitcher is scared to pitch to the hitter, he might unintentionally intentionally walk him. but that's the kid's choice, not the adult's. then, if the poor player strikes out, it won't be because an adult set it up.

what, exactly, is the argument here? ??? ??? ???

 

As I mentioned earlier, the Salt Lake Tribune column pointed out this was the first time all season those coaches had called for an IBB.

 

Therein lies my problem. That's not necessarily a valid question. Maybe those 9- and 10-year-olds had the time of their life in Texas. Maybe it will be one of the highlights of their life. And in the meantime, we've got to have people clucking their tongues saying, "Too young ... too young ..."

You know the one bad thing about Williamsport? It's not the 12-year-olds being under the microscope. It's the saccharin-sweet atmosphere they force down everyone's throats while these kids are trying to think about winning a world title.

Is hard competition a bad thing for a youngster? It's not a black-and-white issue. There's a LOT of grey in there.

 

Exactly - travel is a different story with a differnt level of expectations.

A little league coach has to understand the landscape and err on side of compassion.  

At 9/10 base little league level there is just nothing rewarding about winning at all costs.

 

Again, your opinion. Probably somewhat right; possibly somewhat wrong.

Sometime next week, you might come across one of these Little League regional championships on ESPN. And they're going to focus on a shortstop crying because he missed a ground ball at a crucial time. Well, of COURSE he's crying. He's 12. The 24-year-old who misses a crucial ground ball is doing the same thing; he's just doing it inside because he's 12 years older.

Bad things happen in a competition, just like good things happen. It is a life lesson.

 

damien --

But it doesn't say anythign about the rest of the league. This is a tangential point, but for all we know, the winning team could have had their players intentionally walked multiple times before this.

Still, no one has explained to me why the losing coach had his worst hitter hitting behind his best. And my suspicion remains that it wa because he had to play the kid for one inning, and put him there in the last inning to assure he would get an at-bat and thus satisfy the league rules.

In which case, that coach is the one who really fucked up.

 

Because ...

It. Doesn't. Matter.

They're 10 years old. He shouldn't be ordering his lineup like Tony fucking La Russa, not at this level, not in a league that does have rules in place for participation (no matter if they suspend any rules for the championship game or not.)

At this level, a coach should be concerned with making the game enjoyable and fun (move them around to different positions -- hell, I got to be a left-handed second baseman for a few games at that level, although I never got to be a lefty catcher, except in camp :'(), teaching these kids to play better (fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals), teaching them that winning IS important (because it is), but also teaching them to win with class ... and to lose with class.

Intentionally walking a 10-year-old is not classy, San Diego.

Again, I'll repeat, for those who missed it on page 5 or 6 or whatever: Let kids be kids. That is all.