I trust in God. I love my country and will respect its laws. I will play fair and strive to win. But win or lose I will always do my best.
Eleven years removed from my last Little League game, I still remember this pledge. It's the pledge that you will find on the back of a Little League rulebook. It's the pledge that is often recited before Little League All-Star games by its participants.
Often, people downgrade Little League baseball because of its lower competition level. It's true. There are travel leagues all across the country that have deeper fences, longer base lines, and better competition. I'm confident that I could have played in a travel league when I was growing up. It probably would have advanced my baseball skills at a faster rate, but I'm glad that my parents made the decision to put me in Little League. Little League baseball and youth sports in general are, or should be, about so much more than just winning and becoming the next superstar.
See, youth sports are where the foundations of sportsmanship are laid. The lessons learned on a baseball field should be about more than freezing on a line drive, using two hands, and keeping your eye on the ball. For the first time, you are learning how to interact with others in a competitive setting. You learn how to win and you learn how to lose. Winning means more when you've experienced defeat. At the same time, you learn that winning isn't everything. Even after losing a game, you get your juice box, snack, and you go home to a family that loves you. Sure, it sounds corny, but too often that perspective is lost.
People forget that youth sports are meant to be fun. Sure, winning is great. But, you can have fun without winning. I was an extremely competitive person, but I never had a compulsive desire to win. I just loved to play baseball. I enjoyed practicing as much as I enjoyed playing in games. In fact, I often had more fun practicing than playing. Why? Because parents often ruined the games. Too often the biggest problem in sports is the parents who "participate" in them.
My dad has said it to me for years, "Parents ruin youth sports." Jackson residents see (or don't see) the unfortunate effects of it every year. If it weren't for the parents, coaches, and athletic directors preventing it, you would see Jackson High and Lumen Christi play annually in football. But, because of the behind-the-doors bureaucracy, it doesn't happen. All students and players of both schools would love to play each other every year. Quite frankly, there's no excuse for the game not happening. It saddens me that adults refuse to set aside their personal pride, petty arguments, and unfounded beliefs for the happiness of kids.
Now, not all adults fall into this category. I know numerous adults who have dedicated countless hours to supporting youth sports for the right reasons. Unfortunately, it only takes a few adults to counteract the hard work of many. These people should be ashamed of themselves. When did the focus of youth sports fail to be the youth? Whenever it happened, society took a turn for the worse.
Sports have always been an effective way of teaching children the value of sportsmanship and the importance of having fun. Somewhere along the line, we forgot that. This blog is my plea. Restore the true meaning behind youth sports. The next time you're at a game and you see someone who has forgotten that meaning, remind them. Nike said it best. Sportsmanship and fun: just do it.
Often, people downgrade Little League baseball because of its lower competition level. It's true. There are travel leagues all across the country that have deeper fences, longer base lines, and better competition. I'm confident that I could have played in a travel league when I was growing up. It probably would have advanced my baseball skills at a faster rate, but I'm glad that my parents made the decision to put me in Little League. Little League baseball and youth sports in general are, or should be, about so much more than just winning and becoming the next superstar.
See, youth sports are where the foundations of sportsmanship are laid. The lessons learned on a baseball field should be about more than freezing on a line drive, using two hands, and keeping your eye on the ball. For the first time, you are learning how to interact with others in a competitive setting. You learn how to win and you learn how to lose. Winning means more when you've experienced defeat. At the same time, you learn that winning isn't everything. Even after losing a game, you get your juice box, snack, and you go home to a family that loves you. Sure, it sounds corny, but too often that perspective is lost.
People forget that youth sports are meant to be fun. Sure, winning is great. But, you can have fun without winning. I was an extremely competitive person, but I never had a compulsive desire to win. I just loved to play baseball. I enjoyed practicing as much as I enjoyed playing in games. In fact, I often had more fun practicing than playing. Why? Because parents often ruined the games. Too often the biggest problem in sports is the parents who "participate" in them.
My dad has said it to me for years, "Parents ruin youth sports." Jackson residents see (or don't see) the unfortunate effects of it every year. If it weren't for the parents, coaches, and athletic directors preventing it, you would see Jackson High and Lumen Christi play annually in football. But, because of the behind-the-doors bureaucracy, it doesn't happen. All students and players of both schools would love to play each other every year. Quite frankly, there's no excuse for the game not happening. It saddens me that adults refuse to set aside their personal pride, petty arguments, and unfounded beliefs for the happiness of kids.
Now, not all adults fall into this category. I know numerous adults who have dedicated countless hours to supporting youth sports for the right reasons. Unfortunately, it only takes a few adults to counteract the hard work of many. These people should be ashamed of themselves. When did the focus of youth sports fail to be the youth? Whenever it happened, society took a turn for the worse.
Sports have always been an effective way of teaching children the value of sportsmanship and the importance of having fun. Somewhere along the line, we forgot that. This blog is my plea. Restore the true meaning behind youth sports. The next time you're at a game and you see someone who has forgotten that meaning, remind them. Nike said it best. Sportsmanship and fun: just do it.
1 comment:
Well stated, good sir.
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