Jerry,

Below is a comment I sent to the local paper concerning a firestorm of controversy centering around the local high school baseball team. It seems the Booster Club and the coach decide they needed an indoor batting facility. The booster club approached the city, the board of education, and superintendent of education about an "interest free loan" to help with construction.

The city, board and superintendent nixed the idea saying "with education in pro-ration in this state and some schools not even having the books they need, it would not look good for us to be "floating loans" to baseball booster clubs. 

Problem is that someone decided to proceed. Materials were delivered and construction began at the school without the consent of the city or the board. Not even a building permit was issued.

This prompted several comments in the Sound Off section of the local paper wondering if the baseball program was "out of control". What is almost laughable is the baseball team was in Tampa for "spring training", with the players missing three days of school I might add. 

I had to put in my "two cents". When we decide as adults that games played by high schools kids are so important that we go against all that is logical, then it is time for some deep introspection.

Spring training trips to Florida for high school kids? Give me a break.

Brian

And this is Brian's letter to the paper:

Baseball programs are not the only programs in our communities, cities, and states that are out of control. The "win at whatever the cost" and "play who we think are the best, forget the rest" mentalities pervade all levels of recreational and scholastic sports and all types of sports. Parents and coaches forsake the good things that can come from sports because the goal of winning overrides what should be the main focus of sports at the recreational, middle and high school levels. Whatever happened to the kids? Aren't the sports suppose to be about them?

The problems arise when we live vicariously through our kids. Winning is important to us. It massages our egos. Our own self identity and self perception is tied to whether a group of kids from ages six to sixteen win a baseball, basketball, football, soccer or checkers game. It makes us feel good about ourselves. And above all, we are willing to win games on the backs of kids that stand on the sideline, sit in the dugout, or ride the bench. We are willing to watch a core group of kids play 90% of the game, while the other 60% of the team, a 60% that works just as hard as the others, are completely forgotten. Winning takes precedence over doing the right things by our kids. 

Is there any question as to why middle school and high school coaches want the best facilities, weight rooms, or equipment? It is because we as parents have told them that winning programs, not the kids, are the most important things. 

Should we be alarmed when we pick up the paper to read about using sex as a recruiting tool at the University of Minnesota or University of Colorado? Should we be surprised to read about "out of control players at out of control programs" at all levels? We have taught our kids at a early age that all that matters is winning. If we are winners, life will give us a "free pass". 

Do kids want to win? Yes, without question. However, given a choice between winning and playing, most kids will fall on the side of playing.

Here are some stats we all should chew on. By age 12, over 70% of kids that have started participating in organized sports at an earlier age have quit. Most cite "It is not any fun", "I don't get to play", "They don't think I'm good enough" and "All the coaches care about is winning" as reasons for quitting. We drive kids away from sports to the video games, computer screens, and big screen TVs to an unhealthy sedentary lifestyle.

Since 1964, childhood obesity has increased from about 5% to about 20% today and continues to steadily rise. Type 2 (adult onset) diabetes is presenting at ever increasing rates among young adolescents. This leads to an increase risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease and stoke as adults. Combine this with the life on the run, fast food generation we have now, the future does not look real healthy for our kids.

All of this because we want thump our chests and say "we're state champs" or "area champs" or "just plain winners".

Things will change only when we as parents, teachers, and coaches put recreational, middle school and high school sports back into the proper perspective. That perspective being a "kid focused" one of enjoyment, opportunities, and teaching for all kids, and not one of winning as "self congratulatory" for adults.

And as a follow-up, Brian has created his own list of principles and values: