I’m hooked on NESN’s coverage of the Little League tournament. It’s fun to watch the kids play ball, but I can’t help wondering what the pressure for these youngsters is in the dugout.
Growing up, I remember playing the game-and being nervous before heading to the plate when men were on base-or-gasp!-you were batting with two out in the ninth with your team behind. I can’t imagine what it’s like for today’s kids.
Not only are they on TV, but they are being interviewed like major leaguers before and after the game. High school and college scouts are there, not to mention the high-strung legion of parents.
Being a former coach, I can identify with the negatives of parents who exert too much pressure or attempt to absolve their own athletic failures through the lives of their kids. Add to this the all-too-common coach whose desire to win exceeds his mission to teach.
Sometimes I think all the high-tech, high structure competitive environment may be counter-productive. Evidence of this exists in the major leagues, where so many players are from the Dominican Republic, Ecuador and other countries where many of the kids grow up hitting a rock with a stick. Somehow, just letting the kids PLAY hasn’t hurt their prospects for future major league stardom!
So let’s all back off a little bit, stop analyzing every at-bat or defensive play---and just let the kids do what the umpire says at the start of the game:
PLAY BALL!
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