“It’s really about development and learning at this age”
This is a line I hear frequently from many of our esteemed regulars here on HSBBW. I love this site and have learned a great deal here. I truly appreciate and respect so many of the old timers who contribute invaluable information. However, this is one area where I tend to disagree with the prevailing thoughts.
I constantly read here how Little League and youth travel ball is all about development... how wins are not important at this stage. Pony League/Middle School/travel ball is just preparation and weeding out for HS. Then, HS is all about fine tuning skills and working on conditioning and speed & agility so that a player affords himself the opportunity to play college ball. Sometimes, we’re choosing colleges because they have the right pitching coach that will give us the best shot at moving up to the professional ranks.
Most of us regulars have kids who are older, playing at higher levels, so the idea of each prior level being referred to as development for the next is understandable, sort of...
Until you ask the kids. Until you watch the kids. They want to win. They want to win in minors LL. They want to win in majors LL. The same goes for Pony and Middle School. They definitely don’t want to travel, only to get their butts beat with their club team. There are huge rivalries in HS and they sure don’t want to lose there.
I think, sometimes, in our “been there-done that” wisdom, we tend to forget how important each level is to the young player at that time. We also lose sight of the reality of the numbers. For so many, LL is the end of the road. A big win or a big hit in LL is the ultimate competitive sports experience for them. For others, coming off the bench and scoring the winning run as a pinch runner in a JV game is the story they’ll tell when they’re forty five. Most don’t make it on to the varsity team, let alone move on to play college ball.
I’m not talking about ignoring the proper way to handle kids with arm care or injuries or sportsmanship or playing time. I’m not suggesting we start kids on year-round programs to allow them to be more competitive. Of course coaches and parents should act responsibly with all aspects of development. Behind the scenes, development should be a high priority line item in the coach’s plans. But, along the way, we need to remember that most don’t make it to the next level. Today’s game, this season, is as good as it gets. The youth levels are not ALL about development. If we are pushing the “develop for the next level” message too hard along the way, we are taking away the best part of sport. Our kids don’t start playing a sport because they want to develop. They play because its fun. It’s fun to play, fun to compete, and fun to win. It’s OK to play to win.
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