Priceless

I am going to take time reflect on something in my own life that I have loved.  It was instilled in me as a very young child.  I do not ever remember a time it was not in my life, but yesterday something changed.  Some form of ill feelings came over me, and thoughts of how ridiculous it is that now as an adult the very thing I have had all my life, and love for, adults have ruined.  Brace yourself, hold your breath because I am going to call out BS.  This is not directed at a specific person, but I realized yesterday as  I was walking around a baseball field that we adults have screwed up Youth Sports.  Ohhh Chana, sure you want to do this? Yep, I am.  I began to think about all the rules we have on fields, and courts.  Some are for safety, fairness, but then there has to be rules for the adults.  Why rules for adults?  It seems like we cannot do the right things for young athletes or children on our own.  Isn't that sad?  Makes me sick really, as I am a huge advocate for children, let alone children in youth sports.

Let me break it down this way.  Youth Basketball we must create rules that each player must play 2 quarters, or you must create a rotation for everyone to get in to play. Youth Soccer has rotation rules.  Adults will try every way to figure how to keep your best players in to win.  Please do not think I am just pointing the finger at others, because I have been there doing the same thing.  We want to win more than build up a child.  Does that make you sick to your stomach?  That we would do that to a child.  In baseball you only have to have 2 innings in the field, and 1 at bat, there are 6 innings in a game in little league baseball.  So if a kid struggles with confidence while in the batter's box let's give them 1 at bat, because that will help the kid.  Nope we do it, because we want to win more than build that confidence or teach them.  Right? Sick yet?

For the past 2 years I have been president of the local youth football league.  Every year I have to say,  "You have 11 players on the field and at least 15 on a team.  Find a place for each kid to play."  And every year I hear, "There are no rules in youth football that we must play all our players and for a certain amount of time.  There are kids that could get hurt if we play them."  Parents signed their kids up to play tackle football they know they could get hurt.  Cultivate their abilities. Teach them. Train them. Do not dismiss them.

If you think 2 or 3 players with good athletic ability should carry a team, then get out of youth sports. You are in it for the wrong reasons.  We have monopolized our children.  When is it enough?  How does it improve the develop of little human beings or are we past that?  Because we want to win, fit in with the cool group of adults, or participate so my kid can get all the playing time.  This past week, I watched players with better abilities run over players with less abilities to dominate order of who gets to bat first in batting cages.  I watched as kids got in each others faces and somewhat push their weight around to dominate a situation, but isn't that what youth sports are teaching our kids?  It seems that we adults have set that standard.  That's how you should win, right?  That's the point, right?

I am not a participation trophy person.  I believe you should strive to win.  Be in the championship.  However, at what cost?  I have heard long time coaches/adults look at a group of children and tell them they are not good enough to coach them, but then decide to coach when that 1 kid signs up.  The team then is worth it.  As they broke 15 other kid's hearts because of their actions.  I have watched adults wait to sign their own children up to see what other children will be playing a sport before making a decision, because it is about the win.  Same with commitment with coaches.

I do not know a fix, and I am actively part of the problem.  It saddens me. I am tired of making excuses for it.  I want to say I am sorry to our youth, because this week I realized we have failed you. We are the problem.  Adults are the problem.  We care more about our special interest than we do you.  We utilize your abilities to get what we want to fill up our egos or needs.  Kids I am trying to change.  I am trying to change a culture in our local area, to help not only your athletic ability, but you as a person to be a successful adult.  I do not want you to be like us.  Be better than us.  Do not play the adult games at the expense of a child's heart.  Simply it is not worth the cost.