Perfect example of whats wrong with parents and little kid sports

[SportsCapNative]

How fast do most kids that age pitch?


As for the team that forfeited, was it because they didn't want to lose or was it that they were afraid the pitcher could hurt their children?  




There is more to this the this.  This is an instructional league.  There is no money.  

Well the boy was pitching in the mid 40's, so I'm guessing that a normal 9 yr old must be pitching well under 35mph.

The loosing team (from what I've heard) did not leave for safety issues because the child has never hit anyone. They left because they were loosing, and even worse, striking out. The coach that allowed or instructed these kids to just walk off the field like that is wrong. You don't teach kids to be sore losers, or quit.

Your this is an instructional league. But just as you learn how to play the game, you learn life lessons. Loosing is one of those lessons. Now I'm not addressing the whole issue, just the fact that the kids walked off the field like that. As far as the league banning the kid or making him move up, once again, this is an instructional league, if it's not about winning or loosing then why can't the kid learn the game with kids his own age?

All it says is the walked off when he took the mound.  Doesn't say if they were winning and losing.  




Again, are the parents afraid of this pitcher hurting their children?  I don't care how much control he has shown, we have seen the best MLB pitchers throw a wild pitch.  

Well, prior to reading this, I've heard it on Mike and Mike. From what I've heard (I may have heard this wrong mind you), whey walked off the field. If the kids were intimidated because of the speed and were afraid, then I completely understand that. If the parents are just scared of their children getting injured, even though I don't agree, I can understand that also.

Physically, the kid may be on a higher level than his peers, but mentally he's not. Still, I guess it wouldn't hurt him to move him up a level, even though he'll be playing with middle-school kids (age 11-12 I think). That's the only real solution I guess. Just don't ban the kid.

[jgod213]

I think that most of the bloggers aren't getting the point. This is an instructional league, not a competitive one. There is no one more competitive than me but I know the difference between coaching in a development league and a competitive league. I have coached both beginning and older kids and there are a zillion kids that get turned off sports because of the "be your best" mentality. That is fine for older kids but getting destroyed before you understand the game is destructive to under 10 kids. I once had a young kid in football who couldn't have crushed a grape. However in a couple of years I saw him stand a guard up in the hole and his teammates destroy the running back.
What would have happened if I allowed him to be destroyed when he was a wimp?
If a kid is dominating, he shouldn't be in an instructional league. Particularly as a pitcher when there are kids who are just learning to hold a bat. Some 9 year olds would be too frightened to even get into the batters box with a 40mph pitch coming in. I got hit in the head by a pitch not much faster than that in pony league and it isn't much fun. The difference is that I was old enough not to be frightened the next time I went to bat.

Instruction leagues teach kids mechanics, the rules and the right way to play. The competition angle is only a sideline. It is moronic rah-rah super competitive coaches that should be banned from being around young kids. They do far more damage than good. The competitive juices will come naturally when they are older as they grow to love the game. I had some wimps/poor players get to be pretty good in a few years because I didn't let them get discouraged. What is a shame is I have seen some really good athletes not want to be near sports because of what happened when they were 8 and 9.  

I understand your arguement and it is a very valid one, the only issue i have is that, if your 10 year old kid wants to quit because he struck out twice in a game, then he probably just isn't all that interested in playing baseball.  I know it could be discouraging to a lot of 8 year olds, but when i was 9 and 10 i was playing in what our town called the A-leauge, which was the league that all kids my age played in.  By that point, we were playing competative games with trophies, standings, playoffs, and all-star teams.  As i mentioned before, kids threw really hard and i was admittedly scared of a few of them, but i stepped in and took the strike-outs and HBP's but it ultimately made me a better player.

I feel like "instructional" and "competative" leauges are just semantics.  Whichever league you're in, you're only going to get better through practice and competition.  If, by age 10, your kid won't stick to a sport because he was 'discouraged' by failing a couple times, i think it's time to sit your kid down for a talk or help him/her find a new sport or hobby.

[crownsy]

How fast do most kids that age pitch?


As for the team that forfeited, was it because they didn't want to lose or was it that they were afraid the pitcher could hurt their children?  




There is more to this the this.  This is an instructional league.  There is no money.  

Well the boy was pitching in the mid 40's, so I'm guessing that a normal 9 yr old must be pitching well under 35mph.

The loosing team (from what I've heard) did not leave for safety issues because the child has never hit anyone. They left because they were loosing, and even worse, striking out. The coach that allowed or instructed these kids to just walk off the field like that is wrong. You don't teach kids to be sore losers, or quit.

Your this is an instructional league. But just as you learn how to play the game, you learn life lessons. Loosing is one of those lessons. Now I'm not addressing the whole issue, just the fact that the kids walked off the field like that. As far as the league banning the kid or making him move up, once again, this is an instructional league, if it's not about winning or loosing then why can't the kid learn the game with kids his own age?

All it says is the walked off when he took the mound.  Doesn't say if they were winning and losing.  




Again, are the parents afraid of this pitcher hurting their children?  I don't care how much control he has shown, we have seen the best MLB pitchers throw a wild pitch.  

Well, prior to reading this, I've heard it on Mike and Mike. From what I've heard (I may have heard this wrong mind you), whey walked off the field. If the kids were intimidated because of the speed and were afraid, then I completely understand that. If the parents are just scared of their children getting injured, even though I don't agree, I can understand that also.

Physically, the kid may be on a higher level than his peers, but mentally he's not. Still, I guess it wouldn't hurt him to move him up a level, even though he'll be playing with middle-school kids (age 11-12 I think). That's the only real solution I guess. Just don't ban the kid.

I think that will actually hurt him. because kids 4-5 years older than you will be so nice to him im sure. there's a huge diffrence, cognitivly, between 8 and 12.

 i mean, when i was a teenager, we certainly didn't pick on the younger kids mercilessly  . espically if he is only an average pitcher at the next level ( when i was 12 and 13 in babe ruth, i could throw 65-70 as a starting pitcher. I was one of the faster pitchers, but i still got hit. a 45-50 MPH fastball is going to get creamed. i'm sure that will make his life easy)

the only "real" solution is to let him pitch. if your goign to have playoffs and a championship, then don't whine to me about a kid being to good.

also, unless this league is not affilited with youth baseball, its not like he can pitch every day. its 80 pitches or one game a week pretty much everywhere now.  guess this could be a "rogue" league or somethign, but i doubt it.

[oldmanspeaks]

[dang] right you can't allow a destroyer in an instructional league. That is particularly true in football by the way. When my brother was 10 he could have lifted a grown man off the ground with ease. Against normal sized kids he would have broken bones and necks. He easily could have killed a tiny kid without even trying. He almost sent my mother to the hospital by simply giving her a hug and he cried because she couldn't let him hug her anymore until he understood his strength. There wouldn't have been a kid on the other team who wouldn't have run in fear from that huge monster.
You simply don't get it. Very young kids are different and they get easily get intimidated. They need encouragement, not destruction. A large amount of instruction for kids at that age is to give them the skills not to fail everytime. As they get better, they will get more competitive naturally. A kid needs to learn how to get out of the way of a pitch. He need how to learn how to not get destroyed by an oncoming pass rusher. You don't learn how to do that when you are afraid of losing your life.
If you are so macho, I suggest you try a really competitive league for yourself with professional players. See if you have the guts to get run over by a 320 lb player the SECOND time(it isn't fun by the way). Then think what it would have been like to be destroyed by a monster when you were 9. Would you have continued in sports.

[wdleehi]

I can say one thing, this kid is going to be done before he finishes high school.  This is only one of the leagues he is playing in.  

[cdif911]

How fast do most kids that age pitch?


As for the team that forfeited, was it because they didn't want to lose or was it that they were afraid the pitcher could hurt their children?  




There is more to this the this.  This is an instructional league.  There is no money.  

Well the boy was pitching in the mid 40's, so I'm guessing that a normal 9 yr old must be pitching well under 35mph.

The loosing team (from what I've heard) did not leave for safety issues because the child has never hit anyone. They left because they were loosing, and even worse, striking out. The coach that allowed or instructed these kids to just walk off the field like that is wrong. You don't teach kids to be sore losers, or quit.

Your this is an instructional league. But just as you learn how to play the game, you learn life lessons. Loosing is one of those lessons. Now I'm not addressing the whole issue, just the fact that the kids walked off the field like that. As far as the league banning the kid or making him move up, once again, this is an instructional league, if it's not about winning or loosing then why can't the kid learn the game with kids his own age?

All it says is the walked off when he took the mound.  Doesn't say if they were winning and losing.  




Again, are the parents afraid of this pitcher hurting their children?  I don't care how much control he has shown, we have seen the best MLB pitchers throw a wild pitch.  

a mid 40s fastball isn't going to kill anyone - and the kid has shown control. This story is sickening and is a scary foreshadowing of what will happen to these kids as they get older. Parents who were quasi entitled themselves are now raising kids who are super entitled - I've heard stories of parents calling into their kids work, who have graduated college! Its crazy.  There needs to be a licensing process to have kids imo

[wdleehi]

And remember, youth football is broken up using both age and weight. 

[wdleehi]

How fast do most kids that age pitch?


As for the team that forfeited, was it because they didn't want to lose or was it that they were afraid the pitcher could hurt their children?  




There is more to this the this.  This is an instructional league.  There is no money.  

Well the boy was pitching in the mid 40's, so I'm guessing that a normal 9 yr old must be pitching well under 35mph.

The loosing team (from what I've heard) did not leave for safety issues because the child has never hit anyone. They left because they were loosing, and even worse, striking out. The coach that allowed or instructed these kids to just walk off the field like that is wrong. You don't teach kids to be sore losers, or quit.

Your this is an instructional league. But just as you learn how to play the game, you learn life lessons. Loosing is one of those lessons. Now I'm not addressing the whole issue, just the fact that the kids walked off the field like that. As far as the league banning the kid or making him move up, once again, this is an instructional league, if it's not about winning or loosing then why can't the kid learn the game with kids his own age?

All it says is the walked off when he took the mound.  Doesn't say if they were winning and losing.  




Again, are the parents afraid of this pitcher hurting their children?  I don't care how much control he has shown, we have seen the best MLB pitchers throw a wild pitch.  

a mid 40s fastball isn't going to kill anyone - and the kid has shown control. This story is sickening and is a scary foreshadowing of what will happen to these kids as they get older. Parents who were quasi entitled themselves are now raising kids who are super entitled - I've heard stories of parents calling into their kids work, who have graduated college! Its crazy.  There needs to be a licensing process to have kids imo

it isn't going to hurt us, but what about a small 8 year old that gets hit in the head? 


And any pitcher, especially one so young, can lose control.  We have seen it in the MLB. 


And the only parent putting on a show is the kids parent who called the police about this. 

[cdif911]

I think that most of the bloggers aren't getting the point. This is an instructional league, not a competitive one. There is no one more competitive than me but I know the difference between coaching in a development league and a competitive league. I have coached both beginning and older kids and there are a zillion kids that get turned off sports because of the "be your best" mentality. That is fine for older kids but getting destroyed before you understand the game is destructive to under 10 kids. I once had a young kid in football who couldn't have crushed a grape. However in a couple of years I saw him stand a guard up in the hole and his teammates destroy the running back.
What would have happened if I allowed him to be destroyed when he was a wimp?
If a kid is dominating, he shouldn't be in an instructional league. Particularly as a pitcher when there are kids who are just learning to hold a bat. Some 9 year olds would be too frightened to even get into the batters box with a 40mph pitch coming in. I got hit in the head by a pitch not much faster than that in pony league and it isn't much fun. The difference is that I was old enough not to be frightened the next time I went to bat.

Instruction leagues teach kids mechanics, the rules and the right way to play. The competition angle is only a sideline. It is moronic rah-rah super competitive coaches that should be banned from being around young kids. They do far more damage than good. The competitive juices will come naturally when they are older as they grow to love the game. I had some wimps/poor players get to be pretty good in a few years because I didn't let them get discouraged. What is a shame is I have seen some really good athletes not want to be near sports because of what happened when they were 8 and 9.  

I know in some instructional leagues the coaches/parents will pitch, which is cool, but I think thats for younger kids - for a 9 year kid to be told not to do something he's good at hurts him, period. He may not want to play with older kids, and he shouldn't be forced to. I coach soccer and basketball, and I've had kids who I have offered to bring up because they were playing so well at a lower level, and who have refused, in part because they want to be playing with their friends.  This whole situation just sends the wrong message to everyone

[crownsy]

[dang] right you can't allow a destroyer in an instructional league. That is particularly true in football by the way. When my brother was 10 he could have lifted a grown man off the ground with ease. Against normal sized kids he would have broken bones and necks. He easily could have killed a tiny kid without even trying. He almost sent my mother to the hospital by simply giving her a hug and he cried because she couldn't let him hug her anymore until he understood his strength. There wouldn't have been a kid on the other team who wouldn't have run in fear from that huge monster.
You simply don't get it. Very young kids are different and they get easily get intimidated. They need encouragement, not destruction. A large amount of instruction for kids at that age is to give them the skills not to fail everytime. As they get better, they will get more competitive naturally. A kid needs to learn how to get out of the way of a pitch. He need how to learn how to not get destroyed by an oncoming pass rusher. You don't learn how to do that when you are afraid of losing your life.
If you are so macho, I suggest you try a really competitive league for yourself with professional players. See if you have the guts to get run over by a 320 lb player the SECOND time(it isn't fun by the way). Then think what it would have been like to be destroyed by a monster when you were 9. Would you have continued in sports.

again, explain to me how this is a "purley instructional league" when they have playoffs, a championship, and this kid was offered a spot on the best team but turned it down?
apperntly they didn't care he was "scary" when the league officals team was going to have them as thier ace, did they?

in every other "instructional league " (sounds pretty CYA to me on these peoples part) that my little bro's have been in, no one wins, because that would defeat the purpose, as you pointed out. those also stopped when they were 8.

also, dramarize much? a 35-40 mph fastball isnt going to scare peaopel for life, thats not even throwing that hard. i clocked my brother in the side with what was probley one of those while throwing batting paractice to him in the back yard this summer. he sniffled and cry'd, i hugged him for 5 minutes, he got over it. he still loves baseball.

also, how does puttign a 9 year old in a place where "a 320 pound monster" can run him over have any basis in reality?

no, i suppose if i made my brother suit up for a patroits scrimmage he wouldn't like football afterwards, but he also wouldnt like hockey if i put him up against the bruins.

[BigThreePeat]

Good thread.  In my personal experience, I'd say that today's world is full of jealous sad sacks who will try to level the playing field by eliminating the strongest threat... in any conceivable way...  in order to make the lesser, weaker people feel better about their self esteem.


Poor kid. I feel for him.  Being dominant these days just doesn't pay.  People will cut you down in an instant.

[oldmanspeaks]

A 40 mile fastball won't kill anyone? Well in little league I took one between the eyes and it smeared my nose over my face as it was broken in two places and covered the entire front of my uniform in blood before they got the blood stopped. The operation to fix my nose wasn't pleasant nor the long recovery. Oh, by the way, the throw was from one of my friends during warmups. And I was older than 9 so I went back into the batter's box the next year.
 

[crownsy]

How fast do most kids that age pitch?


As for the team that forfeited, was it because they didn't want to lose or was it that they were afraid the pitcher could hurt their children?  




There is more to this the this.  This is an instructional league.  There is no money.  

Well the boy was pitching in the mid 40's, so I'm guessing that a normal 9 yr old must be pitching well under 35mph.

The loosing team (from what I've heard) did not leave for safety issues because the child has never hit anyone. They left because they were loosing, and even worse, striking out. The coach that allowed or instructed these kids to just walk off the field like that is wrong. You don't teach kids to be sore losers, or quit.

Your this is an instructional league. But just as you learn how to play the game, you learn life lessons. Loosing is one of those lessons. Now I'm not addressing the whole issue, just the fact that the kids walked off the field like that. As far as the league banning the kid or making him move up, once again, this is an instructional league, if it's not about winning or loosing then why can't the kid learn the game with kids his own age?

All it says is the walked off when he took the mound.  Doesn't say if they were winning and losing.  




Again, are the parents afraid of this pitcher hurting their children?  I don't care how much control he has shown, we have seen the best MLB pitchers throw a wild pitch.  

a mid 40s fastball isn't going to kill anyone - and the kid has shown control. This story is sickening and is a scary foreshadowing of what will happen to these kids as they get older. Parents who were quasi entitled themselves are now raising kids who are super entitled - I've heard stories of parents calling into their kids work, who have graduated college! Its crazy.  There needs to be a licensing process to have kids imo

it isn't going to hurt us, but what about a small 8 year old that gets hit in the head? 


And any pitcher, especially one so young, can lose control.  We have seen it in the MLB. 


And the only parent putting on a show is the kids parent who called the police about this. 

40 mph is how fast most adults "lob" a baseball. put on on of those cage helmets that the law requires they wear and bounce one off it, you wouldn't even feel it.

also, having your entire team walk off the field and making a kid feel like a praiah in front of his friends for ruining thier baseball game isn't a show?

intersting.

[cdif911]

How fast do most kids that age pitch?


As for the team that forfeited, was it because they didn't want to lose or was it that they were afraid the pitcher could hurt their children?  




There is more to this the this.  This is an instructional league.  There is no money.  

Well the boy was pitching in the mid 40's, so I'm guessing that a normal 9 yr old must be pitching well under 35mph.

The loosing team (from what I've heard) did not leave for safety issues because the child has never hit anyone. They left because they were loosing, and even worse, striking out. The coach that allowed or instructed these kids to just walk off the field like that is wrong. You don't teach kids to be sore losers, or quit.

Your this is an instructional league. But just as you learn how to play the game, you learn life lessons. Loosing is one of those lessons. Now I'm not addressing the whole issue, just the fact that the kids walked off the field like that. As far as the league banning the kid or making him move up, once again, this is an instructional league, if it's not about winning or loosing then why can't the kid learn the game with kids his own age?

All it says is the walked off when he took the mound.  Doesn't say if they were winning and losing.  




Again, are the parents afraid of this pitcher hurting their children?  I don't care how much control he has shown, we have seen the best MLB pitchers throw a wild pitch.  

a mid 40s fastball isn't going to kill anyone - and the kid has shown control. This story is sickening and is a scary foreshadowing of what will happen to these kids as they get older. Parents who were quasi entitled themselves are now raising kids who are super entitled - I've heard stories of parents calling into their kids work, who have graduated college! Its crazy.  There needs to be a licensing process to have kids imo

it isn't going to hurt us, but what about a small 8 year old that gets hit in the head? 


And any pitcher, especially one so young, can lose control.  We have seen it in the MLB. 


And the only parent putting on a show is the kids parent who called the police about this. 

hopefully they have a helmet on....risk is inherent in any sport, instructional or not, a kid learning to bat may throw the bat accidentally and clock the pitcher, should he be banned from hitting for doing so?

as far as the parent putting on a show, this is the only parent in the situation doing the right thing imo - she could have accepted the ruling of the league and hurt her kid's development, but instead she stepped up to bat (pun totally intended) in a battle he can't fight for himself at this point in his life.  The other parents were out of line and doing it in sneaky ways, her whistle blowing was the right thing to do - the fact the media caught it is somewhat unfortunate, but it is what it is

[Reggie's Ghost]

How fast do most kids that age pitch?


As for the team that forfeited, was it because they didn't want to lose or was it that they were afraid the pitcher could hurt their children?  




There is more to this the this.  This is an instructional league.  There is no money.  

Well the boy was pitching in the mid 40's, so I'm guessing that a normal 9 yr old must be pitching well under 35mph.

The loosing team (from what I've heard) did not leave for safety issues because the child has never hit anyone. They left because they were loosing, and even worse, striking out. The coach that allowed or instructed these kids to just walk off the field like that is wrong. You don't teach kids to be sore losers, or quit.

Your this is an instructional league. But just as you learn how to play the game, you learn life lessons. Loosing is one of those lessons. Now I'm not addressing the whole issue, just the fact that the kids walked off the field like that. As far as the league banning the kid or making him move up, once again, this is an instructional league, if it's not about winning or loosing then why can't the kid learn the game with kids his own age?

All it says is the walked off when he took the mound.  Doesn't say if they were winning and losing.  




Again, are the parents afraid of this pitcher hurting their children?  I don't care how much control he has shown, we have seen the best MLB pitchers throw a wild pitch.  

a mid 40s fastball isn't going to kill anyone - and the kid has shown control. This story is sickening and is a scary foreshadowing of what will happen to these kids as they get older. Parents who were quasi entitled themselves are now raising kids who are super entitled - I've heard stories of parents calling into their kids work, who have graduated college! Its crazy.  There needs to be a licensing process to have kids imo

it isn't going to hurt us, but what about a small 8 year old that gets hit in the head? 


And any pitcher, especially one so young, can lose control.  We have seen it in the MLB. 


And the only parent putting on a show is the kids parent who called the police about this. 

I was actually beaned in the eye in little league by a kid who, like this story, was throwing heat but in my case he wasn't quite under control.  I had the coolest shiner in 5th grade history the next day, but it cracked my eye socket so it was pretty bad.  As far I i'm concerned, sure I could have been hurt more seriously, same with all the basketball I played at that age, but it put hair on my chest and it's part of sports so I grew from it.