hifigator
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Post by hifigator on Aug 26, 2008 16:11:39 GMT -5
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hifigator
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Post by hifigator on Aug 26, 2008 16:31:00 GMT -5
There was a little comment late in the article that they suggested that he pitch against older kids in another league. IF, and that's a big if, but if that is a feasible alternative -- not too expensive, not too far away, not a situation where he would just sit on the bench etc... -- then I think that might be a realistic alternative. I would liken that to the kids who get called up to varsity when they are in a JV grade, simply because they are that good. But still, if he isn't a danger, and the article said that he had never hit anyone, then it would only make everyone better to play against better competition. If anything, it might actually retard his growth as he might not develop as much against lesser players. But regardless, I just don't see how you can bench a kid and tell him that he is too good to play. You have to come up with something better than that.
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SFHoya99
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Post by SFHoya99 on Aug 26, 2008 21:10:18 GMT -5
If I were an opposing kid, I'd be Editeded, too. I was always decidedly mediocre at sports, but I never wanted to quit and I never wanted to play a worse opponent just to win.
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Post by strummer8526 on Aug 26, 2008 21:20:45 GMT -5
"When Jericho took the mound anyway last week, the opposing team forfeited the game, packed its gear and left, his coach said."
The parents and coach associated with this team should be ashamed. Maybe talk to the 9-year old's coach and agree that he will only pitch 2-3 innings? That way, he plays and dominates, but everyone has a chance. Packing up and leaving sounds disgraceful.
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RDF
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Post by RDF on Aug 26, 2008 22:33:50 GMT -5
Typical of the Edited you see in world today. Lack of toughness and character shows in parenting and it's what you learn in sports when you fail that makes you tougher/stronger as a person. You learn to appreciate success/be humble and to deal with failing and work harder to improve.
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PhillyHoya
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Post by PhillyHoya on Aug 26, 2008 23:00:04 GMT -5
Granted I was a softball not baseball player, but I faced pitchers who were high school quality when they were 12 or 13 and our leagues never broke up a team because of it. You either learned how to hit against them or you accepted that you'd lose. I read this article earlier today and was just outraged. People are so damn sensitive today and want everyone to be a winner. Well guess what, most people aren't gonna be so shut up, take your 3 pitches and sit back down on the bench.
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GIGAFAN99
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Post by GIGAFAN99 on Aug 26, 2008 23:46:53 GMT -5
Agree with everyone. I think I would have been disowned.
Story time. We had a kid who was really good when I was about the same age. So we threw the kitchen sink at him. Guess what? He actually had a weakness. It was the incredibly lame "couldn't throw strikes when you squared around to bunt." So we had everyone square around. He walked 7 guys, we scored 4 runs and he got moved to shortstop and started to cry.
Lessons learned that day: you're only as strong as your weakness and you have to be resourceful when its clear you're not as good as your opponent.
His team started the season 6-0, and they finished 6-6 as he was never the same that season.
What happened to the kid? We played together in high school, he pitched all 4 years, we went to the state playoffs, and he got a baseball scholarship. He didn't lose control of his bowels and get addicted to meth because he got knocked down. He just learned how to become a better pitcher.
So let the kid pitch. And for the hitters, get in there and try. They'll be better for it.
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RDF
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Post by RDF on Aug 27, 2008 0:40:35 GMT -5
I was primarily a 1B and OF in youth ball--and only reason I became a pitcher was because the coach of our team would always pull his son whenever it was a tight situation. So other guys took turns pitching when bases were loaded/nobody out--and game was on line or other tough situations--and by doing this--I learned to pitch--and had fun in those type of situations. It's no fun to avoid pressure--the pressure if why you play.
If you are competitive--there is nothing like facing pressure--and preferrably in front of hostile crowd/opposing fans. It makes you tougher and is why you should love sports. Succeeding/failing is secondary to that feeling of pressure--nothing like it and you either learn to love it-or fold because of it.
As stated above--today's parents want "everyone to be a winner" and then they can go share some juice boxes and talk about the trophies they all have. I honestly hope those people all get beaten to a pulp.
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Post by strummer8526 on Aug 27, 2008 9:02:37 GMT -5
www.nationofwimps.com/I've not read this book but would love to. Hell, even when I was IN elementary school, I thought that the amount of time spent worrying about my "self esteem" was annoying. Now, I also realize how little such nonsense contributes to raising a functional ADULT. (Adult meaning someone who by the age of 30 has gotten himself out of mom's house, even if he doesn't "feel good" about it.)
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 27, 2008 9:57:17 GMT -5
Too bad these standards don't apply in college basketball - I'd love to see the ACC disband UNC and put everyone on other teams because Jesus Hansbrough is just too good.
And the thought of Gary Williams whining and pulling the Terps off the floor when Hansbrough takes the court...I mean, that would just be awesome.
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SirSaxa
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Post by SirSaxa on Aug 27, 2008 15:55:13 GMT -5
And the thought of Gary Williams whining and pulling the Terps off the floor when Hansbrough takes the court...I mean, that would just be awesome. LOL!
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SirSaxa
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Post by SirSaxa on Aug 27, 2008 15:58:00 GMT -5
" When Jericho took the mound anyway last week, the opposing team forfeited the game, packed its gear and left, his coach said." That is truly absurd. What is that teaching anyone about sportsmanship, or going up against the odds, or "never say die" and all that. And we all know sports teaches a lot about life and about winning AND losing. We don't get to win all the time. Life lessons include losing and not giving up.
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SirSaxa
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Post by SirSaxa on Aug 27, 2008 15:58:34 GMT -5
And how to show a little compassion for the losing team... you won't get that either if you don't lose once in a while.
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SirSaxa
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Post by SirSaxa on Aug 27, 2008 16:00:29 GMT -5
and you don't learn to overcome adversity without a few losses along the way..... (e.g. USA Hoops Team, 2008, due to prior years' failures.)
Some little league parents, and soccer parents and all the rest, are way out of line.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2008 9:21:26 GMT -5
This story proves how worthless most parents are, and how a generation of weaklings are being groomed for failure by not being taught how to deal with it at an early age.
America is going to suck when this generation of sissies comes of age.
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The Stig
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Post by The Stig on Aug 28, 2008 11:38:20 GMT -5
The league should have embraced the kid's talent. It sounds like he's something special.
Maybe he shouldn't be pitching in a rec league against kids his age, but if that's the case they should have bent over backwards to get him onto a better team. Not only would that eliminate the "safety" problem, but it would also probably give him better coaches who are more used to developing talent.
I know having kids play on older teams can defeat the social aspect of the sport, so maybe the best solution would be to have him pitch games against the older kids and play the infield with his peers.
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Jack
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Post by Jack on Aug 28, 2008 11:57:51 GMT -5
This story proves how worthless most parents are, and how a generation of weaklings are being groomed for failure by not being taught how to deal with it at an early age. America is going to suck when this generation of sissies comes of age. Their mothers should have told them to go bloody a few noses so they could walk down the street.
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RDF
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Post by RDF on Aug 28, 2008 12:28:44 GMT -5
This story proves how worthless most parents are, and how a generation of weaklings are being groomed for failure by not being taught how to deal with it at an early age. America is going to suck when this generation of sissies comes of age. POST OF DECADE!!! Let me add--I would like to beat up their parents in front of them--and by the description provided above--I'd be able to do so by frowning at them. TIME OUT FOR THE BAD MAN!!!
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Boz
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Post by Boz on Aug 28, 2008 13:14:53 GMT -5
More to the point, have the Yankees or Sox already signed him for $100M?
It's a good thing these league officials weren't around when Chris Drury was in Little League.
There is always one kid (at least one) who is head and shoulders better than everyone else at that age. Actually, when I was in Little League, that kid was a girl (but at least she was on my team, so I only struck out against her - repeatedly - in practice). And when I played hockey, they were the kids who grew up in Canada and moved to New York.
As a very average "athlete," I always liked having those kids around because you could learn so much from them, sometimes more than from your coach. Didn't really do me any good in the end, but it didn't make the sports any less fun to play.
Sure, it was definitely frustrating to see someone so clearly better than me, and pretty much knowing, even as a kid, that I'd never be that good no matter how hard I tried. But I could beat them all in school and at Atari, so there!
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hifigator
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Post by hifigator on Aug 28, 2008 13:42:07 GMT -5
Boz wrote:
and at Atari, so there!
What! No Mattel Intellivision? That was my favorite. I still remember the 4411. It was essentially an option play and if you ran it perfectly, it was almost impossible to defend.
On Edit: as I think about it more, I think it was 1411.
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