You Can't Have An All-Star Game If Everybody Is An All-Star

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BEACHWOOD, Ohio -- A local community has canceled an all-star game for youth baseball players because it doesn't want to exclude anyone.

People in Beachwood are upset, and it's not just parents and children. The issue is when is a child just learning a game and when are they old enough to compete in it?

The city of Beachwood and its recreation department drew the line at age 12.

The phone lines lit up on WTAM on Thursday morning as parents and sports fans called to voice their opinion on the city canceling its all-star game for 9- to 12-year-olds.

For decades the game has been played on July 4, but in a letter to the coaches, the parks and recreation department said the tradition is over, saying its not their desire to exclude any child from participating in a recreation event.

The letter sites an article written by the CEO of the National Alliance for Youth Sports that says all-star games bruise young egos.

It's a thought he issued to WTAM host Bob Franz.

"Below the age of 10, children don't care. What they really care about is having fun and playing," said Fred Engh.

Franz has one father call in whose child would have played in next week's all-star game. He said his son is very disappointed because this was the first year he was selected and he's worked hard all year to get this honor.

 

What the hell are these kids going to do when they don't get into the college of their choice, or they don't get the job they wanted?

Fucking idiot parents.

 

I knew this day would come. All these idiot parents do this shit in the name of not hurting the kids' egos, when we can all plainly see it's the parents' egos that are really in danger. Everybody gets a trophy.

 

They're parents will sue the admissions office, and storm the offices of the company that didn't hire their precious child and make a scene.....and probably then sue.

 

YOU'RE ALL WINNERS!

 

It's not the parents who canceled it, it's the city's rec department. Still, that burb has some of the whiniest parents you'll find. (It's suburban Cleveland.) I did the PA for the HS basketball games a couple seasons ago. Not much dedication, but plenty of crying when so-and-so doesn't get their way!

 

Why not just have a tournament with all the kids who want to play on the same day. Call it a celebration of Little League, or something like that, and have a barbecue as well.

When I was 8, I tried playing LL for the first time. Wasn't very good at it, and the coach was a screamer, which made things worse. My parents asked the coach why he wasn't willing to work with me, and the coach replied that he only cared about getting the two or three kids that were going to be on the All-Star team prepared.

To me, the purpose of Little League is to have fun, not to serve as a tryout for All-Star teams.

 

I played Little League/Senior League until I was 15 and I never made an all-star team. It scarred me horribly enough that I was only able to go on and play one year of small college baseball.....

If the city is doing this simply because they're tired of dealing with asshole parents I can understand the decision. If they're doing it so they won't hurt anybody's feelings then they're a bunch of fucking idiots.

 

If there hadn't been 9-12 All-Star teams back in the day the peak of my career wouldn't have been recognized.

 

Dollars to doughnuts this is the real motivation. Can't blame them a bit either.