No All-Star Games...

[SubGod22]

It's people and reasoning like this that weakens us all. First, Dodgeball was banned and then tag. At some point kids have to learn that they can't succeed or excel at everything. And sometimes failure, or not achieving something gets one to work harder to become better. Or maybe they realize that their talents are better used elsewhere.

The Weak Shall Inherit the Gym by Rick Reilly a few years back.

[TxShox]

Re: No All-Star Games...

The author's reply to this quote pretty much sums it up for me:

...by not choosing a child, you let him "know that he's not good enough...to be part of this elite group of teammates." And that's bad because, as you know, EVERY child is a precious all-star – and by denying him that self-belief, you're ruining "the love of the game."

The author's reply:

Of course, Fred fails to realize that not being chosen might actually cause that child to work harder. But that kind of response actually builds character - and who needs that?

[RoyalShock]

I'm glad I didn't subject my oldest son to this type of child psychology.

He might still think he has a future in athletics (he doesn't), instead of music (he does).

[Maggie]

I have never understood this way of thinking. Perhaps because it was the opposite of the way I was raised. I was always told, if you are not good enough work harder, etc. I remember visiting my grandfather in Seattle one summer and I was working out at a gym – I did so to keep up on things and so my grandfather could see in person what I could do – I could tell he enjoyed watching practice despite his limited ability to express himself due to a stroke.

In any event, after a couple of days I was really, really sore (for various reasons) – to the point where I could hardly get out of bed or walk. I mentioned to my father that I felt I needed a "day off" – Well, my grandfather got wind of this and was not pleased. The funny thing is he did not say a word – he just stared at me (glared with contempt is probably more accurate) at breakfast. Needless to say -- I went to practice. What I was proposing doing -- taking a day off because my body was sore – was the same as quitting to my grandfather and not something he would tolerate from his grandson.

Sometimes, I get the impression that kids these days simply want things handed to them – they don't want to earn things nor do they think they should have to earn things. Policies that treat everyone equal seem to reinforce this way of thinking. You see – if everyone is equal, if everyone is an All-Star or there are no All-Stars – then effort or success is devalued. Kids should strive for success and emulate those who achieve. Those that do are better prepared for the real world, in my opinion. Now that I think about it – I think these policies say more about the parents (who, of course, want their little Joey or Jan to be an All-Star or don't want to explain why they were not selected, or feel personal shame because their child was not deemed worthy) than they do about children.

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

Allow me to be a tad bit OT.

I help coach my sons machine pitch team.
Now I dont agree with all the rules they place on us because it teaches them nothing about the game.

But one game we are playing and the opposing coach is just blatantly not following the rules.
Case in point the rules state that a player is allowed 1 base with an overthrow.
Is it a crappy rule yes. But you still have to follow it. Does the coach? NO. The overthrows wasnt really the issue. When the kids would throw the ball into infield the coaches would send the kids anyways.

Again its OT. But what does that really teach the kids? 1st they are playing a watered down game of baseball as is. Also you have this *and yes I am name calling* women of a man breaking the rules.

/me off soap box.

[SubGod22]

Sounds like you play at the Y. I've done plenty of officiating there in all their sports and I didn't always agree with certain rules. But everyone plays by the same rules and they should be enforced that way. If this coach is blatantly not following the rules then you should at least inform the Sports Director at whichever Y you're a part of. If nothing else, they'll talk with the guy and maybe even make sure someone with authority is around at his next few games. We've had situations in the past with certain coaches that we made sure that we had either the Director, a well established and respected Supervisor, the top officials or all of the above covering those games. I speak mostly of basketball but we did this for baseball as well.

Some people will continue to take advantage of situations until they're called on it and/or something is done to prevent them from continuing to do it. These coaches always irritated the crap out of me. But they soon learned they weren't going to get away with it when I was around.

[RoyalShock]

Since it was brought up . . .

On the overthrow rule (I also help coach my son's machine pitch team). I always interpreted that rule using the following example:

A player is on 2nd.
The batter hits a ground ball.
Player at 2nd heads for third.
Fielder overthrows 1st base.
I send player going from 2nd to 3rd home.

I had an opposing coach questioning this. My logic is that the player will be safe at 3rd regardless of the overthrow, so he gets one more base. And the player running to 1st also gets to go to 2nd. (one extra base)

Is this correct?

[RoyalShock]

Since it was brought up . . .

On the overthrow rule (I also help coach my son's machine pitch team). I always interpreted that rule using the following example:

A player is on 2nd.
The batter hits a ground ball.
Player at 2nd heads for third.
Fielder overthrows 1st base.
I send player going from 2nd to 3rd home.

I had an opposing coach questioning this. My logic is that the player will be safe at 3rd regardless of the overthrow, so he gets one more base. And the player running to 1st also gets to go to 2nd. Basically, the net is 2 bases.

Is this correct?

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

Since it was brought up . . .

On the overthrow rule (I also help coach my son's machine pitch team). I always interpreted that rule using the following example:

A player is on 2nd.
The batter hits a ground ball.
Player at 2nd heads for third.
Fielder overthrows 1st base.
I send player going from 2nd to 3rd home.

I had an opposing coach questioning this. My logic is that the player will be safe at 3rd regardless of the overthrow, so he gets one more base. And the player running to 1st also gets to go to 2nd. Basically, the net is 2 bases.

Is this correct?

I interpret the same way.
If a kid slams one to the fence by all means thats open for the kids to run but if its a routine grounder to short *for example* im not sending the kid from 1st to third on the overthrow.

Sub Im actually at the DRC but basically the same thing.

[RoyalShock]

I interpret the same way.
If a kid slams one to the fence by all means thats open for the kids to run but if its a routine grounder to short *for example* im not sending the kid from 1st to third on the overthrow.

We're actually interpreting it differently. I would send him to third. I've always assumed the "one base" is one extra base. I certainly wouldn't send the kid from 1st to home. But if he's going to be safe at 2nd anyway, he should get 3rd on the overthrow.

[DUShock]

I seem to recall form my days on the diamond, waaay back in the day that it was the base plus one.

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

I interpret the same way.
If a kid slams one to the fence by all means thats open for the kids to run but if its a routine grounder to short *for example* im not sending the kid from 1st to third on the overthrow.

We're actually interpreting it differently. I would send him to third. I've always assumed the "one base" is one extra base. I certainly wouldn't send the kid from 1st to home. But if he's going to be safe at 2nd anyway, he should get 3rd on the overthrow.

Maybe our words are getting mixed up.

A player is on 2nd.
The batter hits a ground ball.
Player at 2nd heads for third.
Fielder overthrows 1st base.
I send player going from 2nd to 3rd home.

I would definently send the runner that was on 2nd to home because of the one base on the overthrow. And the batter who would have been on 1st would inturn be on 2nd base. I would hold the runner there depending on where the ball was. If its pretty close to the infield I personally would hold the runner.

[RoyalShock]

And since we're on the subject of machine-pitch baseball, I had a proud fatherly moment last night. At practice, my 8 year-old son completed an unassisted triple-play.

He caught a low line-drive at short, tagged the runner moving from 2nd to 3rd and ran to 2nd to tag the runner coming from 1st.

He preceded that by ripping a triple down the 3rd-base line.

I expect the college interest letters to begin arriving any day now. :lol:

Not only did we not reward poor performance, we threatened them (ok, more of a light-hearted warning) with extra laps around the bases after practice if they let any ground balls go under their glove. Amazing how many more balls they kept in front of them!

[EAGLE]

Man, I could write a novel on this subject. Teach FUNDAMENTALS, leave a kid at a certain position if he can play there and teach him how to play that position right. None of this crap of putting kids at positions they are not comfortable playing. I get sick of seeing a kid start a game at 1st one inning and the next he's at short then the next time you see him putting on catchers gear. HOW is kid going to learn and get better if he's not at one position long enough to do this????? FYI the son RS refers to is MY grandson. :roll: :roll: :roll: :shock: :shock: :shock:

[shockandawe08]

Royal, what an impressive accomplishment at any age, but especially at your younger son's age, when I still see some local kids playing in the dirt or watching the ants go about their business. :yes:


As for the rest of this thread, I, too, have long been disgusted by society's new "politically correct" way of raising children. We, as parents, are not doing our children any favors if we do not prepare them for the hard knocks that life has in store. When, and it IS when, and not IF, they encounter disappointment, they will be devastated and unable to cope. I see a future filled with too many soft, tantrum-throwing, excuse-laden, "that's not my job"-type of people... and I am normally not a pessimist.
Lastly, and pardon me if this sounds bad coming from a female, but, WHY is it that in some places, it's no longer a requirement to be coordinated enough to actually perform the physical routines in cheerleading? When I was a cheerleader, back in the late, LATE 1900s (cough), we were required to do the splits, for example, before we could even try out. And when we jumped, we had to actually, get this, LEAVE the ground! Now anyone can be cheerleader (at least in my community) and they don't even have to try out; they just have to sign up. Honestly, I'm not trying to be cruel here, but some of these girls really shouldn't be encouraged to "get jiiggy with it." Not NO way, not NO how. Just my thoughts....