Only once was I a "manager" of a team that my son was on(in the same small town referenced to start this thread). He was 12 and I was secure that he understood that he could make his own way among his peers on a baseball field.
As the "manager" I made out starting line-ups with kids that had NEVER before been allowed to be a starter in a game. I also made sure that my son played less innings than any other player on the team, not a whole lot less, but still the least of them all(he and I had this discussion prior to season starting).
I had a kid get his first hit in 3 years of playing in this league, in the first game that he had ever been allowed to be a starter. I knew that my team would not win enough games for me to be the all-star manager, but hey we came in second!
When it came time for All-star nominations, I let my players vote on who should be nominated, and I submitted the players that the kids felt were the best.... sorta funny how the kids were able to "see" who the best players were without input from the adult/coaches. I like to believe that they appreciated that their opinion was asked.
I "went to bat" for one of the nominees and got him selected(as the last player) to his first all-star game. When the all-star coach told the kid's parent that the kid would most likely not get much starting time in the all-star games, the parent took the kid off the team. I felt that maybe I had been TOO fair.
I do not have any specific point to make with these comments.... well, maybe just that I feel that way too often parent/coaches/managers lose track of the real purpose of youth developement leagues and get wrapped up in being the "best/winningest", most son-promotingest parent/volunteers and then find it HARD to imagine that they have lost sight of the real reason these leagues exist.
OPP