As one who spends very little time posting on this site, but way too much time reading it, I've noticed a recurring statment that's now caused me to wonder, and I thought I'd throw it out for opinions.
I've noticed how we (myself included) continue to use the word "select" like it still means something. I haven't been around that long, but in the days of yore, Select baseball did, in fact, mean something. There was a definite separation between Select ball and "regular" ball. If you played Select, it meant that you truly were a step ahead. You could wear it like a badge of honor. If you could claim to be a part of teams like the Tigers, Mustangs, Panthers, Blackhawks, Wizards, etc., you were feared and revered, and were almost treated with a "bow-down" mentality. The red, white, and blue Mustang hats could be spotted a mile away and were worshipped like gold.
Now, with the exception of a few lower-level Rec. leagues, EVERY team is "select". That is, the coach gets to hand pick (select) every player on the roster. The Texas DaisyPickers and Joe Schmo's are now select. Forget about the fact that they couldn't even win a forfeit game, they're "select", by golly! Is this affecting their attitudes towards work ethic? I've seen this primarily at the younger ages, but I'm amazed at the number of times I hear a kid say, "Oh, I play with so and so, we're SELECT". Really? So where've you guys been playing? "Oh, we just got 3rd in the 2-team Sharp As A Marble tourney over in Ft. Worth, but it was all Select teams!"
My fear is that the term "select" has become so diluted and completely lost its' luster that it may be affecting the younger player's attitudes towards work ethic. It seems as though many of them are settling in on the thought that, since their team is "select", they're as good as it gets and now they can sit back and cruise. Crud, I've talked to high school summer players who have never even heard of DBAT and Tigers! But yet, they play "select", so they've reached the pinnacle? Give me a break.
So, how do we re-create that separation that used to exist between ordinary ball and real ball in the minds of these young players? Can the coaches (myself included) be to blame for not challenging players to get to that next level? To be able to compete with the best-of-the-best? If these young men are our future, then don't we owe it to the game to ensure that they're constantly striving for a higher level? Should we come up with a new name for the old "Select"? It concerns me that, although the number of talented players in the metroplex is growing, the number of talented, dedicated teams is not. Sorry for the long post. I'm off the soapbox now.
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