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

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Armchair_QB, Jun 27, 2008.

  1. Ashy Larry

    Ashy Larry Active Member

    Bubbler....my point with the helmets isn't that kids are becoming "pussies", actually the exact opposite. They're completely reckless and fearless because they've worn padding their entire lives.
     
  2. Smallpotatoes

    Smallpotatoes Well-Known Member

    You're way too rational for this discussion.
     
  3. Cadet

    Cadet Guest

    My thoughts:

    1. I applaud the city rec department for doing this. I would put money on the fact that it's less about children's egos and all about asshole parents. Especially if this is an upscale suburb. "We're doing it for the children" is the age-old excuse to avoid the real politics of any situation.

    2. I've always believed that sports should reach a "competitive" level until middle school. No travel teams, no all-stars, etc. before 11 years old. So within that measure, I applaud this decision.

    3. The real reason the parents are upset: If they don't have an All-Star kid, they can't paint their SUV windows with shoe polish to let everyone in town know they have an All-Star kid.

    4. Ashy Larry, do you really think THIS generation is the first to jump off the roof, slide down a handrail, etc? My dad was doing that shit back in the 50s. Blame rock 'n' roll.
     
  4. Ashy Larry

    Ashy Larry Active Member

    Cadet,

    No, I don't....I was mostly fuckin' around. If anything, kids are doing less stupid stuff outside.....they're too busy sitting on their fat asses playing XBox. Lunar eclipses are more common than seeing a group of kids playing outside...years ago the only kids that never saw the sun were albino.

    ;)
     
  5. Smallpotatoes

    Smallpotatoes Well-Known Member

    A few weeks ago, my 7-year-old niece was showing off the trophy she received at the end of the youth soccer season.
    I knew what the deal was, that everyone got one, but she was still happy to receive it and I wasn't about to burst her bubble.
    At that age, I see no problem with the trophies-for-everyone thing. When the kids are 10, 11 or 12, that's a different story, but at 7, I'm OK with it.
    I know trophies are supposed to be about rewarding excellence, but at 7 there's no such thing as excellence, at least not in soccer.
    I've seen her play and as best I can tell, she's not that much better or worse than anyone else in her league. Heck, I don't think anybody is very good at 7 years old.
    There's a time and a place for introducing the whole idea of playing to win and it's not in under-8 in-town youth soccer.
     
  6. ScribePharisee

    ScribePharisee New Member

    Not really. What happens now is that the parents of some kids go outside the league and form traveling teams, qualify for a few state and national tournaments and it's off to the races.

    But let's not compare a plight of a 12-year-old to college. College qualifictions don't come into play until the ninth grade. By then, certainly it's time to grow up.

    And because of my first thought, I think little league has corrupted itself beyond belief anyway. De-emphasis is something they might actually benefit from. Kids are getting burned out by the time they get to high school in many baseball programs because of this hyper-season shit. To some coaches and parents, it's not about training and teaching. It's about free agency signings, corporate sponsorships (yes, some coaches now get "paid" to take "Joe's Pizza's Dodgers" out to 90 games and five states a year. Some, not all.
     
  7. alleyallen

    alleyallen Guest

    Little Man got a trophy at the end of his first-ever T-ball season (everyone got one). It was a bobblehead figure, and it actually looks a little like him.

    That being said, the pride came not in the trophy, but from the fact that he learned so much his first year and had so much fun. The trophy will be displayed in his room, more as a reminder of the fun and experience as opposed to a celebration of his achievements.
     
  8. Editude

    Editude Active Member

    This fear of failure is becoming rampant. People get rejected all the time as they age, and sports can be a great teaching lesson in that. First season I coached littlest Editude's u-10 soccer team, we scored one goal all season. Next season, with many of the same girls (and a little perspective), we were pretty good and, in fact, won a regional tournament. The bottom line, though, was that both seasons were fun and instructive in their own ways. You grow from messing up just as much, if not more, than from succeeding.
     
  9. Beef03

    Beef03 Active Member

    I agree with the one quote in the story where it said, for kids under 10, who cares? That's about where I would have made the cut.
    In my minor hockey days we didn't have all-star teams outside of the AAA and AA leagues below bantam hockey, and nobody said boo about it. Honestly is it going to make one kid's career if he is named a league all-star at the age of 9? I don't believe so.
     
  10. StaggerLee

    StaggerLee Well-Known Member

    With the number of "select" and all-star teams popping up these days, I'm surprised this hasn't happened a lot sooner, in a lot more areas.

    A few years back, the local little league team made it to Williamsport and we covered the shit out of it, like it was the biggest sporting event to hit this traditionally strong sports area.

    Won a bunch of awards and all that jazz, but created a hellstorm we've yet to put out. Now, every single little league team that wins its "league" or "district" wants big articles just like the Williamsport team.

    And I remember saying at the time, during one of our many budget meetings to brainstorm coverage, that we were opening a Pandora's Box we'd have to pay for in the future. Now that I look at the huge stack of little league championship team pictures on my desk, I realize how much I hate being right.
     
  11. slappy4428

    slappy4428 Active Member

    You sure it's the team that wants it, or the jealous attention-seeking live-my-life-through-my-kid parents?
     
  12. This is so confusing. These parents presumably grew up with making or not making the all-star game so they should know how it was.

    I made it one year - as voted by the players - and I was both surprised and proud, but I don't remember ever being disappointed that I didn't make one. Most kids could tell you who deserves to be on the team and not.

    Are they already thinking about scholarships?
     
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