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Input/Advice needed!

lsockmomlsockmom10+ posts
Scenario: In our township we play senior little league. This year we had 16 kids sign up, 6 returning from last year and 10 moving up.to little for 2 teams, to many for 1 team with the mandatory play rule. A neighboring town has 7 kids signed up for seniors. They would like to interleague with us. It would give us 2 teams. Our LL Board has decided to put all 23 kids in a draft. My problem is this. The 6 kids from last year have played together since t-ball, winning various district titles, movingon to sectionals and states. They all want to play their last year together. I understand that the fair way is the draft. But as a parent of one of those boys is it the right thing to do! All the parents and boys have said if they can't play their last year together they do not want to play. They don't care who else is on the team as long as the 6 boys are on one 1 team. Any comments, suggestions?
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FutureBack.MomFutureBack.Mom1,000+ posts
lsockmom ...

I have to agree with the draft concept. Since the 2 leagues have agreed to combine forces, if you will, I think that all the players have to start on the same level playing field. Otherwise, I believe you get into one of those "them vs us" scenarios and then you have 23 unhappy players instead of 6 playes who could benefit from spreading the talent around. Teams who have players that have been together for years often have (IMO) an unfair advantage over the other teams, and I don't think this is what LL baseball is all about ... even at the senior level.

Having a son who played with the same teammates for many years, I found one of the most maturing experiences for him was when he had the opportunity to play on the same team as previous opponents ... and it is a "life lesson" since they never know who is going to be on their team(s) of the future.

ShapsMa
dadchs20dadchs20100+ posts
Have the draft, play ball! Jeez, the alternative is not playing? Come on...I understand about friendships and playing together, but this is certainly not their LAST year of playing together. They will go on to make new friendships and have the opportunity to play together in High School, who knows. The kids will be fine, and will do their best regardless of who is on their team. My son, because of situations i.e. ability, schools, etc, no longer plays with his little league friends, does he miss them? Nope.
P Pitchinside100+ posts
My '04 has been playing aginst practically the same players form the same towns since LL Allstars (only once or twice a year, but for 8 years).

This past fall we started an area wide fall team. The players that we had seen playing aginst all these years were now teamates. It was great! Nuff said.

To play ball or not.... uhm, thats a question?

"You should enter a ballpark the way you enter a church." Bill -Spaceman- Lee
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P PioneerDad100+ posts
My son's experience has been the reverse of Pitchinside's; he's played on area-wide team for years, and when he meets his teammates in interschool play it's great because there's a "game within the game"! It's funny to see how the kids play each other, especially when they know more about the opposing players than the coaches do!

I agree with those that say "break 'em up and play ball". Besides, how can they get braggin' rights when they're all on the same team? Wink
TPMTPMHSBaseballweb Member since 2003
Parents definetly have more of a problem with this then the kids. I cannot believe the boys don't want to play if they can't play together.
My son has played with, against many of his friends over the last ten years. In fact my son and his BF will be facing off next year playing in the ACC. Although they would have liked to attend school together having been teammates for the past four years and summers, they are really excited about the new challenge each of them will face for the next four years against each other.
rz1rz15,000+ posts
What a wonderful way to start the year! I hope better sense prevails. Someone should ask those who have issues how they would feel if the shoe was on the other foot, and their kid was on the outside looking in. In the long run what is going to happen is this years parents will set a president for years to come resulting fewer kids playing which results in dimminishing overall quality. Do they want to be tagged as the group responsible for this? If they don't care about the other kids who want to play, or what happens after this year, then there are other moral issues within the community. Kids learn and many times emmulate the parents decision making process. In this case, If we don't get it our way we'll quit, what a nice quality to pass down. As the old cliche goes...don't bring me problems, bring me workable solutions.
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RHP05ParentRHP05Parent1,000+ posts
Texan's comments
quote:
Often I have found that the parents are really the ones who have a hard time with this. The boys make new friends very quickly & have a great time playing ball.
seems to nail many situations IMO. The goal should be to play baseball. The "I'll take my marbles and go home if I don't get my way" reaction seems a bit childish for this age.
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