Posted on October 2, 2008 by Kathy McManus in All, Children, Ethics, Parenting, Sports Comments (18)
‘Too Good’ to Play Baseball? Game Over
A recent newspaper headline sounded more like a lesson in parenting: Why punish a kid for the crime of being too good?
The kid, in this case, was 9-year-old Jericho Scott, who played summer baseball on a youth team in New Haven, Connecticut.
Jericho’s “crime” is his talent. He’s a pitching sensation who throws an awesome 40 mile-an-hour fastball that’s never hit a batter and rarely misses the plate. But the prodigy pitcher himself was struck out—by adults.
Parents of opposing team members first objected that their kids were unable to hit any of Jericho’s pitches. Strike one.
Then youth league officials wanted to move Jericho up to an older team, but his parents refused. Strike two.
League officials asked Jericho to play any position other than pitcher, but his parents said no again. Strike three.
Game over.
The league disbanded Jericho’s entire undefeated team, and the second place team was declared the season’s winner.
But the post-game show of who’s responsible for the collective benching of so many kids continues to play out across the country, with headlines that sound like…well…more lessons in parenting, like this one from Jericho’s hometown newspaper: Sometimes parent involvement can be way off-base, experts say.
Other adults were criticized, too. “The league obviously felt batters would suffer irreversible shame and humiliation if they had to face Jericho again,” wrote an Ohio sports reporter. “Tell me, how does that prepare kids for the real world? Haven’t we all encountered someone more skilled in our field, and haven’t we all survived?”
Ironically, the only person who stepped up to the plate to accept responsibility was perhaps the least culpable of all: Jericho, now 10 years old. “I feel sad,” he said. “I feel like it’s all my fault that nobody could play.”
Tell us what you think: Can a child be “too good” to play a game, and if so, does he or she have the responsibility to step aside? In the case of Jericho Scott, who’s more responsible for baseball’s abrupt ending—parents…league officials…Jericho?
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not fair
I find it sad that the league had to bench the kid.
There are many people out there who are better the others, its called life. Some people are born with certain advantages, others with different advantages. If the parents, coaches, etc. want to complain about a kid who is remarkably good at playing the game, they should work harder to train their team to be able to hit the ball. Practice does make perfect.
Ridiculous
This is so sad, and unacceptable. The parents of the opposing team children have serious problems. Parents these days do not want to say no to their kids and apparently they do not want their kids to lose. They DO somehow expect their children to grow into strong, and capable adults. Wonder how that is going to happen without their parents allowing them to prepare for the real world.
A triumph for the second rate...
How sad that such a talent, in one so young, would be used to hold the young boy back. Had it been my son, or daughter for that matter, we’d all still be on the news. Never give up, never surrender.
Ayn Rand used to write about things like this, and here, sadly, she is proved right, again. Those with no talent will demand everything of those with talent, and then deride them for their talent. Think about it: if your child was struck out by such a prodigy, would you be offended, or would you tell your child that they should remember the name of such a prodigy, because if he follows the road his talent leads, some day, one day, your child would be able to say, truthfully, “I batted against him once upon my time of childhood.” Sad, sad, sad… Hopefully, he will pursue his talents just the same, and one day, we will all see him on the mound, doing that which he does so well. The parents of the other team players should be ashamed of themselves in my humble opinion.
THIS IS SO UNFAIR
This reminds me of a story I once read. It is called Harrison Bergeron, and it is about a future where everyone gets objects to handicap them, so that no one is smarter, stronger or more talented than anyone else. The world is supposed to be equal. This is what the adults are doing by not letting this child play! Do we really want a world like that?
Helicopter parents?
As a former coach and referee for youth soccer I am unfortunately all too familiar with the collective lack of wisdom displayed by parents who literally live their lives, partially at least, through their children.
First of all, it is common knowledge that, for a 10 year old, pitching a baseball at that speed could easily cause serious damage to his shoulder and elbow. Not a certainty, mind you, but a good possibility. Nobody mentioned that. His coach might have opted to cut back on the number of innings he pitched just to protect his arm. Having said that, I wonder what might have happened if, over time, some of the batters started to hit his pitches. What would the parents have said in that case?
All that they accomplished is the elimination of a real challenge for the pitcher and for the batters who faced him, a challenge that undoubtedly would have been an asset to all their lives, an experience that would have given all of them a good taste of the real world.
I have said before that teaching, and coaching is teaching, is not a job but rather a responsibility that we all share. Simply stated, the parents in this case provided a lesson in the politics of winning at all cost rather than sportsmanship, respect for the game, and, most of all, respect for the individuality and separateness of their offspring.
RE: Helicopter parents?
Hear Hear!
As a former coach whose experienced this changing tide of parenting tactics, I absolutely agree parents are short-changing their children by stepping in at inappropriate times. The kids can’t learn sportsmanship, or experience healthy amounts of success and failure if their parents won’t let them play the game, learn from their coaches and enjoy THEIR time on the mound.
What a shame...
I grew up in small town, playing fast-pitch softball and we had a great pitcher. A pitcher that was so great, if you did manage to get your bat around in time, it went foul – every time. For like, the first season and a half.
But then, somebody got a hit and then somebody else did, and we all got older and just plain better at the game. Better at the game as a result of playing with and against her.
The parents and officials who have done this to these kids should truly be ashamed. They’ve robbed their kids of a great experience.
If there are any boys from the opposing teams that are buying in to this theory that Jerico’s too good to play against, don’t let them tell you that. Just keep your eye on the ball and do your best. You’ll get better and better. Think how you’ll feel when you do hit it.
Unfair on a number of fronts
I have coached and been involved in our local baseball association for several years, and we have instituted several measures to help ensure that we do not experience this type of situation. We place a very tight restriction on the number of innings a single player can pitch in a game, and we require that EVERY PLAYER get to pitch at least a couple of innings during the season. The parents are informed of these rules before the season starts, and everyone involved is well aware of the consequences to be faced if the rules are violated.
The parents in this case also need to be aware that kids who progress rapidly in their early baseball careers (i.e., 9 and 10 years old) are often caught and surpassed by other players as they get older. Jerico could well be an “average” pitcher by the time he is 13 or 14. I’ve seen it happen in our league more than once.
The loss of childhood
Only in today’s culture of requiring so much to be organized would something like this even be considered an issue. First some comments on the discussion above.
1) To the opposing teams’ parents: So you think teaching your children that it is unfair to face someone who is better than them is the best way to have them grow up? I would think that this should be looked at as a golden opportunity to test themselves against the best in their league. How often do any of us get a chance like that? Think of how any one of them would feel if they managed to hit just one ball. Get someone to pitch to them at 50 mph until they can hit them, for pete’s sake!
2) Was the league’s officials hoping to place the young man on a team where he could just be seen as average? That if you have talent, don’t worry because some group of officials will conspire to keep you in your place.
3) Good grief this one is the most ridiculous of all and I cannot bring myself to comment on it!
So what is next? If a team starts being undefeated do they all need to play with only half the numbers in the field or should the team be moved to a higher league or should they all be asked to play soccer or something?
Finally, what ever happened to just letting the kids play ball without all the interfering parents?
If the parents were not whining so much the kids on the other teams would probably be fine.
Joe who?
I remember another fellow who was out played in his early baseball career, always second best. In fact, he’s probably the only MLB hall of famer to have never been the best player in grade school! You see, Joe Garagiola grew up on the same block as …drum roll please: Yogi Berra!
Good lesson
The only thing this teaches those kids is that if you try too hard or achieve too much someone will tell you that you can’t do that anymore, or force you to give up some of your accomplishments and give them to someone who didn’t earn them. Don’t be exceptional just do the bare minimum and we will regulate the rest of the field so that you don’t have to try and better yourself. What a great thing to teach your kids, doesn’t practice just complain about the better players and someone will tone them down or remove them. I have a feeling that not too much longer and that same little league association will go to not keeping score and everybody bats. That will make it FAIR for everyone and nobody’s feelings will get hurt. But then again nobody will push themselves to get better either because it won’t make a difference at the end of the game, if you can still call it a game at that point.
Feeling protection?
Ahh…yet another case of micromanaging parents protecting their children at all costs from learning that life isn’t fair. BTW Sharon I loved that story too,along with many of Vonnegut’s other works, and agree with you as well.
Do I know you?
I really did play softball when I was a kid. I don’t know what Vonnegut story you’re talking about. I was unaware, I’d like to read it.
RE: Do I know you?
RE: Do I know you?
I was speaking of the post by Sharon. “Harrison Bergeron” was written by Kurt Vonnegut. And I do believe that you played softball as a kid. Sorry for the confusion.
Foul balls and fair play
Several points should be (or should have been) considered:
1) The kids on the league should have been taught to appreciate the fact that they were being given a chance to play against someone with such skill. That’s how you become an outstanding player.
2) The talented pitcher in question should have been counseled by the coaches/adults to help the other kids on the league learn how to hit his 40 mph pitches. Ah, yes … the person with greater talent has a greater responsibility to help others!
3) The “fairness” factor should not have been placed on the player’s shoulders, but on the adults’ – they should have set up the rules so that no team could rely on the talent of one individual to overwhelm their competition. That’s why leagues set up rotations. (It’s also to ensure the health of the players – pitching every game is a great way to destroy a young athlete’s arm.) In this way, the responsibility for “fair play” should be taken on by the parents, rather than punishing a skilled player simply for winning honestly.
www.ChivalryToday.com
Another comment!
I’ve already made comment on this issue but another thought comes to mind. The “games” I remember the most, the ones I talk about every once in awhile with cousins or people from “around the block” were the pickup games, the football games, the baseball games we played on our own without the parents around to mess things up. I remember playing in a pickup football game across the street from my house. I didn’t have shoulder guards, so I used an old pair of boxing gloves I found in the garage. I had one of those old leather Jim Thorpe helmets I found somewhere. We had a lot of fun in those games, almost as much as we did with “Johnny Rides the Pony” and “Ring-O-Leev-E-O” and the ever popular “StickBall”. Ever slide into a sewer cap that was serving as first base?
My point is, this whole discussion has been about parents, adults who are living their lives either through their children or driven by a huge case of status anxiety that forces them to demand performance from their offspring as well as themselves.
I’m an old timer now and am only looking back to the ’50s when I grew up, so to speak. I’m not saying it was better then. I am saying it might be a good thing to give the kids a little room and let them be kids for awhile. I know for a fact than many of the major league baseball scouts are quick to eliminate a player who did too much pitching as a child because of the probable damage to the shoulder and elbow. Reality … what a concept!
Let the kid play
This kind of stuff just kills me. If a child has this amazing talent, let him shine!!
My son was moved up to an older division in his sport and it was just because parents could not stand the fact that he had talent and won the high scorer trophies.
Why should my son have to move to an older division when he is much smaller and could get hurt. I say “get some extra help for your kid and quit worrying about mine” There are kids that are better than my kid and I think it is a joy to watch them and I actually make it point to tell that kid what a great player he is.
I appreciate talent even if it is not my kid that I am watching.
Parents are the bain of coaches' existences
I coached, until this year when two families managed to oust me from a program I built.
You see, one of their daughters didn’t receive a varsity letter last year, her second year EVER in the sport. She and her parents believed that because she “worked so hard” she deserved a letter, yet she missed 30 percent of practices and failed to meet other requirements given each athlete and parent in writing. While many of her teammates managed to hit the mark, she just didn’t; she didn’t even attend practice regularly.
The other family was upset because their daughter was disqualified from a meet (by conference rules, not mine) after failing to show up for one of her events. The other 26 families? No complaints.
The most disappointing thing? Losing my team, the teens with whom I’d built rapport. Another? The administration neither asked for my side of the story, nor would listen when I offered it. Coaches on our team promoted not only achievement in our sport, but goal setting, responsibility and life skills that extended well beyond the field of sport.
Unfortunately, the parents didn’t get the message.