When All-Stars is traded for “You’re All Stars!” Are we raising a nation of wimps?
Posted
June 30, 2008 at
5:30 pm by
Kymberly
A Cleveland, Ohio suburb has cancelled its annual Recreation League All-Star Game for 9 to 12 year olds. In a letter to coaches, the league announced that the decades old tradition would end because certain kids were being singled out as better players than others.
- WTAM Newsradio 1100
Man, some blogs just write themselves don’t they? I mean, seriously?
Do the children that are stunned and crushed by some peers “being singled out as being better players than others” feel the same way when “some kids are singled out as having better grades than others?” Perhaps we should do away with the honor roll and report cards too?
Look, I am generally all about fairness and preventing hurt feelings at all costs. As a once shy, unathletic, two-left footed child myself, I understand all too well how the have-nots (or “catch-nots”) can be made to feel the chilly frost of separation from the herd. Of having it be known that you aren’t “all that” in the chosen arena. I am the girl chosen last. Yeah, that kid. Nice to meet you.
Even I, however, see the merit in competition. In team spirit. In lauding the chosen few for their extra-special accomplishments, hard work, or yes, God given talents.
Why? Because real life works like that too.
Like all aging hipsters certain that “kids these days” are “going to hell in a handbasket” I fear that we are raising a nation of wimps. Entitled wimps at that.
So used will they be to kudos and certificates and a ticker-tape parade just for showing up that they will, I fear, be unable to function in any real, competitive workplace. “Just do your best” can be both a balm for the less gifted or a catch-phrase for the uncommitted. “But it’s not fair!” the battle-cry of the entitlement mentality.
Turning sports into just another “you show up, you get a sticker!” (and hell, probably a snack) endeavor is not the way to save children from hurt.
When I sucked at sports (and oh I really, really did). I learned that sports were not for me. Not in the “I’m going to be a contender!” sense anyway. Those All-Star games of old certainly culled the likes of me from the stand-out-sports-star herd and I, for one, am better for it. Realizing I was never going to make a living, or much more than a fool out of myself, in the athletic arena allowed me to hone my skills in other, more appropriate, ways.
Today my sign reads “will write for food” and I don’t think the sports world has missed me much. Imagine if I’d spent my formative years being assured I was “just as good” as anyone else, despite all evidence to the contrary?
In truth, all this “you are all stars!” mentality probably only postpones reality for a decade or two until the overly coddled generation discovers that in the “real world’ just showing up is not enough. You have to perform - nay OUTperform others - too.
In life, like in baseball, sometimes you’re the Louisville slugger, and sometimes you’re the ball.
Rarely, in either, however, do you win it all just for showing up.
Tags: all-star-games, athletic, coddling, competition, fair, fairness, Family, little-league, youth-sports |
3 Responses to “When All-Stars is traded for “You’re All Stars!” Are we raising a nation of wimps?”
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1. Rita said:
June 30, 2008 @ 7:20 pm
Actually, in searching for the original article (I lived in Ohio and was curious about where this was happening, and ironically, I lived in Beachwood for a couple of years), the article seems to actually make some sense:
http://www.northstarpubs.com/PRB208_Engh_AllStar.php
Some of the points that are valid:
I know in my kids’ taekwondo training, the beginner belts are pretty much GIVEN to the kids (or adults). They’re on a pretty tight testing schedule (every 3 months) and they have to royally screw up to not get the belt. They do this so the kids get confidence in what they’re doing and want to keep at it. As you get into intermediate belts, then it’s questionable whether you’ll pass. The upper belts, you have to work your ass off for them, and a lot of kids fail and have to try and try again because there IS something to be learned from failing and persevering.
But, it seems they’re really only talking about LITTLE kids with this and beginners to boot. It doesn’t seem to be sending kids to wuss-land by doing this at all. It actually seems like it *could* be beneficial, by having more kids not turned off of the game and want to keep at it. Then as they get bigger, the actual talent for the game can be more important.
2. Rita said:
June 30, 2008 @ 7:22 pm
Eh, it cut out my points (I had put them in brackets), but here, these are direct quotes from the article I linked to above:
There’s nothing like sticking a dagger into a youngster’s self-esteem the first season he plays the sport by letting him know that he’s not good enough or considered worthy to be part of this elite group of teammates. That’s not the message we want to send to children who are already less active and more obese than any previous generation in history.
Just think for a moment how preposterous All-Star games are, especially in T-ball or beginning-level programs. In kindergarten classrooms across the country, do we take the kids who are learning letters and numbers quicker than their classmates and announce that these kids are special and give them extra attention and cool extracurricular activities to participate in? Of course not! That would destroy the others’ confidence and make them feel insignificant.
All-Star games should be benched for several reasons:
It doesn’t take much to figure out that kids who mature quicker than others are going to be stronger, faster and probably more productive on the field. So, we’re simply recognizing players whose bodies have developed faster in many cases.
The entire process is twisted. I’d love to know the percentage of kids who are chosen for these All-Star teams who have a parent involved in coaching. Mom or Dad justify choosing their own child–even if he’s clearly not one of the better players–because they’ve surrendered a lot of their free time to volunteer to coach.
The injury factor. Stress fractures, trips to specialists and surgeries come into play when these seasons are extended with extra games and practices. They take a toll on young bodies and lead to an avalanche of overuse injuries.
On top of all this, the National Standards for Youth Sports state that leagues should not engage in choosing post-season All-Star teams. The standards were put together by some of the nation’s top recreation professionals and are the true voice of reason when it comes to youth sports.
3. SHS said:
July 3, 2008 @ 2:15 pm
I disagree. I watched my daughter who lacked self confidence, work very hard and practice to get better, on her own. Two practices a day, in the summer’s and during highschool. She made the state champs swim team almost every year, but not always. She learned what it means to want something and work for it. Yes, some kids develope at different rates, but being a bigger kid is not always an advantage. Take swimming, young lean girls are very fast at 11 or 12, but after puberty it takes alot more training and re-training to sometimes ever get that fast again. We are talking about sports, in a country that is already so morbidly obese. Some times what is meant to not hurt a kids feelings really isn’t in anyones best interest. If you are good and practice, you get the reward. If sports aren’t your thing, find something else in which your kid can shine.