As I watched the Little League World Series last week, I was reminded of my glory days as 10-year-old. Playing baseball in the spring and summer months from dawn till way past dusk, getting dirty and catching heck from my mom for coming home late and missing another fine tuna casserole. As I watched today’s youth, and a fine team from Mill Creek do battle against the world, I remembered the great and sublime gifts that competition gave me as a kid.
Little league taught us sportsmanship, discipline and that winning and losing were parts of life. How you handled winning or losing was the most important thing. To not try was unacceptable.
Recently, news out of New Haven, Conn., tells us a different tale. A 9-year-old has been asked by league officials to not play. No, he is not one of those who is actually from Puerto Rico, is really 18 and has a wife and a mortgage. He is a 9-year-old with a 40 mph fastball. The last time he was scheduled to pitch, the opposing team refused to play. The reason cited was that he is “too good.” Too Good? Am I missing something here? Since when is excelling at an activity a bad thing?
The league attorney (a lawyer for Little League, another example of the apocalypse) Peter Noble said “Facing that kind of speed is frightening for beginning players.” Well no kidding.
At the age of 8-10 year-olds, you are going to see a wide variety of different shapes, sizes and abilities. I faced a trove of pitchers back then, and some threw harder than others. That didn’t mean I would not take my turn at the plate because I got scared of them. And yes some of those pitchers threw extremely fast for that age. But to not stand in the box and take your turn to hit was cowardice.
Competition for youths is supposed to be fun. It is there to also teach us to compete and prepare us for adulthood, when we compete on a daily basis for the best jobs, the better house and a better lifestyle. It prepares us for the coming storm which is being a responsible adult. Telling your children it’s okay not to play is setting them up for failure down the road.
There is a new rationale among today’s parents. We are teaching our children that it’s ok to be soft. No dodge ball in schools, participate only in activities where “everyone” is a winner. Well, everyone is not a winner. People win and lose every day.
When the kids from Mexico lost the Little League World Series last week, I saw a few tears shed. But those kids will remember that experience for the rest of their lives, and you know what? I’ll bet my last dollar that all of them will keep trying.
Because yesterday’s losers are often tomorrow’s winners.
Todd Nuttman is a resident of Kent and a columnist for the Kent Reporter. Send your responses for Nuttman to: laura.pierce@reporternewspapers.com.
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