Little League Word Series

[Maxman]

GO AYSO! YAY! EVRYBODY PLAYS!

Theres a differene between sportsmanship and being ridiculous. SLapping five, saying good gane-that's sportsmanship.

Hugging-no. Give me a break. My father sure didnt tell me I needed to hug the other team. If I lost I sure as hell didnt want some kid on the other team trying to hug me.

Different times I guess. There's no hugging in baseball.

Matt I went through this before but this isn't a normal little league game. After what these kids have gone through, it is not just a normal win or loss. It's much more than that. Thus, the dramatic reaction.

[shawn306]

This is turning into one of the most ridiculous threads EVER....

I mean seriously should these 12 year old kids just rub it in their face like everyone else does ? The genuine hugs probably didn't even make Sportscenter because it was not enough "Look at me, Look at me", Yeah you suck ha-ha"

For crying out loud they are 12 year old kids. You teach them sportsmanship. Heck I have seen grown men crying in the dugout when they got knocked out of the playoffs or World Series. (Wade Boggs, Freddie Patek).

Some of the folks on this board really make wonder what we have become as a society when you can't actuallly go out and comfort a foe after such a great game.

[Scott Dierking]

This is turning into one of the most ridiculous threads EVER....

I mean seriously should these 12 year old kids just rub it in their face like everyone else does ? The genuine hugs probably didn't even make Sportscenter because it was not enough "Look at me, Look at me", Yeah you suck ha-ha"

For crying out loud they are 12 year old kids. You teach them sportsmanship. Heck I have seen grown men crying in the dugout when they got knocked out of the playoffs or World Series. (Wade Boggs, Freddie Patek).

Some of the folks on this board really make wonder what we have become as a society when you can't actuallly go out and comfort a foe after such a great game.

Great remarks.

I for one believe that there is way too much fraternization in major league sports. Players talking before games, visiting in old clubhouses, etc makes for strange bedfellows. Players playing a little less agressively in order to make sure you don't seriously injure someone. All of those things give appearances of diluting sports.

Players share agents, their is cross-pollination of players between teams because of trades and free agency. Greed is good, and there is enough to go around.

Contrary to that, is players hot dogging and showing others up. Flipping bats, watching and admiring homeruns. Some sportsmanship.

But, none of this should translate down to 12 and 13 year old kids playing a sport on a dusty diamond. When you have the culmination of months of sweat, and toil and dedication and a ton of fun, all of that goes out the window then.

And to remark negatively on a bunch of kids spontaneously reacting in a positive way, a positive way mind you, is just plain wrong.

We are bombarded with the stories of Michael Vick, Pac Man Jones and Barry Bonds on a daily basis. I try to shield my kids from these stories, but it is hard.

I wish that everyone would have the opportunity to coach young chidren's athletics. It is the most uplifting. Most life altering experince you can have. To have the ability to help grow a child in some positive way, I can't think of a better gift in life.

And regardless how a child reacts on the field, I will never judge, but only nurture. And I know that there are countless other supporters in that cause.

[Matt39]

Well, since you called the entire country "pussified" because of the actions of the Little League players, why don't you tell us exactly who they are then.

The umpires?

The parents?

The coaches?

Exactly who in your mind caused these children to behave in such a spontaneous way?

Who is to blame for this "pussification", as the term you used?

Its the AYSO soccer mentality thats rubbing off on football, baseball and baskteball.

If every kid isnt satisfied its the end of the world. And yeah, the softy parents are moistly to blame.

[Matt39]

Wow. Never realized this thread would get so blown out of proportion.

I just felt the hugs and tears were a little over board and of course people eat that stuff up as such a feel good story.

Please show me where I said I thought the kids should have rubbed the win in. I never said that. The hugging and crying were just a little too much and throw in Brent Musberger and its just give me a freakin break.

All Im saying as a kid growing up and I can speak for most of my friends, we damn sure werent hugging the other team after a big win/loss. Hell, our coaches would strangle us for that. And they WERE teaching us proper sportsmanship. We never showed up another team. Ever.

[Scott Dierking]

Its the AYSO soccer mentality thats rubbing off on football, baseball and baskteball.

If every kid isnt satisfied its the end of the world. And yeah, the softy parents are moistly to blame.

Ask the Japanese kids if they felt "satisfied". I don't think so.

This is not WWII.

"SoftY" parents. I will suggest that you have never managed a youth athletics team. if so, you would not be commenting on "softy" parents.

Matt, are you even a parent? I don't know, so I ask.

[Matt39]

Ask the Japanese kids if they felt "satisfied". I don't think so.

This is not WWII.

"SoftY" parents. I will suggest that you have never managed a youth athletics team. if so, you would not be commenting on "softy" parents.

Matt, are you even a parent? I don't know, so I ask.

Not a parent, but I've coached kids before.

But parents are definitely a different breed these days when it comes to youth sports. Try reffing.

Im not exactly sure why every parent also feels the need they have to coach. Ive seen little league teams with 11 different coaches.

[Maxman]

Wow. Never realized this thread would get so blown out of proportion.

I just felt the hugs and tears were a little over board and of course people eat that stuff up as such a feel good story.

Please show me where I said I thought the kids should have rubbed the win in. I never said that. The hugging and crying were just a little too much and throw in Brent Musberger and its just give me a freakin break.

All Im saying as a kid growing up and I can speak for most of my friends, we damn sure werent hugging the other team after a big win/loss. Hell, our coaches would strangle us for that. And they WERE teaching us proper sportsmanship. We never showed up another team. Ever.

It wasn't overdone, not for something on that kind of stage.

[Matt39]

It wasn't overdone, not for something on that kind of stage.

I guess we'll just have to politely disagree. I think Brent Musberger added to my reaction. I hate him.

[Scott Dierking]

Not a parent, but I've coached kids before.

But parents are definitely a different breed these days when it comes to youth sports. Try reffing.

Im not exactly sure why every parent also feels the need they have to coach. Ive seen little league teams with 11 different coaches.

Maybe, again maybe, you have a point that there is a little too much "feel good' aspects in youth competitive sports. Again maybe. Maybe it is a little contrived.

But I always will take the side of building a child up, whenever you have that opportunity. Let's err on the side of being "soft".

On Sunday, what you saw was true raw emotion that was not forced or were the kids rehearsed to do this. They were on what will be for 99% of these kids the biggest stage they will ever be on, and emotion played out.

Have we become so PC that we now have to force our kids into what we feel is acceptable behavior after a dramatic sporting event? Is it so wrong that the small children, in embryonic stages of developing into adults display what they feel?

Why is that so bad?

[Matt39]

Maybe, again maybe, you have a point that there is a little too much "feel good' aspects in youth competitive sports. Again maybe. Maybe it is a little contrived.

But I always will take the side of building a child up, whenever you have that opportunity. Let's err on the side of being "soft".

On Sunday, what you saw was true raw emotion that was not forced or were the kids rehearsed to do this. They were on what will be for 99% of these kids the biggest stage they will ever be on, and emotion played out.

Have we become so PC that we now have to force our kids into what we feel is acceptable behavior after a dramatic sporting event? Is it so wrong that the small children, in embryonic stages of developing into adults display what they feel?

Why is that so bad?

I dont believe the emotion was forced at all. I was never trying to get at that. I probably over reacted just becasue growing up I never was really about hugging and crying after a game.

All I had to copare it to was my youth which was around 10-14 years ago.

And am all for building a child up, I just think the AYSO apporach is a little over the top. It was that way for me as well, which is why I feel a lot of kids are turned off from soccer and it gets a negative stigma in this country.