misunderestimation

The pressure to push kids to perform in youth sports is starting to take a toll:

The 12-year-old [E.J.] Strehlow tore a ligament in his right elbow last year, a condition that his father Ernie Strehlow said occurred from throwing too much at a young age.

“It caught up with him. A young arm,” said the elder Strehlow, a Little League administrator from Orangevale, Calif.

Before he was hurt, E.J. was throwing about six innings a week. He didn’t need surgery, but a doctor ordered him to stay off the mound for three months.

The problem of serious injuries to kids is compounded by the proliferation of baseball leagues and the level of competition:

A big part of the problem today, Fleisig said, is that more kids — especially the more talented pitchers — are playing in more than one league at the same time. A generation ago, most kids just played Little League.

Today there are other all-star and traveling teams that often share players. Managers may not keep track of what a good pitcher might be doing in another league, Fleisig said.

This problem is everywhere. In Houston, a baseball Mecca, you can play in your local league, neighboring leagues, Baseball USA, and even play for multiple teams within some leagues. All of this leads to a lack of oversight for the well-being of the player. Factor in parents who see their kid’s talents as a ticket to “The Show” and all the spoils, and you have a problem.

I’ve been involved with youth sports teams for the past 8 years and have noticed an increasing disregard for the kids involved. Time after time, I’ve seen examples of parents who forget the most basic element of sports, playing is fun. Remember, “for the love of the game?”

Here is a typical pattern for parents. At age 9, you find out your child can pitch so, bring on the private pitching lessons. Your pitching coach says little “Roger” needs to be careful, but you figure there is no such thing as too much practice. Next, you realize the key to the magical inner-sanctum of baseball is determined by the number of letters in the teams division; A is not so good, AA is better, and AAA is really good. If your lucky, you can even find a Majors level and that is obviously the best.

Then it happens, little Roger wants try football or (gasp!) soccer. Now it’s time to hunt down and destroy the guilty party who planted that seed in your Major League dreams. “Sorry Roger, you have to concentrate on your baseball if you want to be the best you can be.” That means baseball in the spring, summer, fall, and winter for those of us lucky enough to live where that type of activity can be occur in the winter.

After going year-round, it’s time to add multiple teams. You have your “league” team, but want to add a “tournament” team or two to give you the opportunity to really expose your little Roger to even more baseball. At this point, parents really start opening-up the checkbook for travel expenses, team uniforms, $400 bats, matching parents uniforms, team banners, charter planes, etc. The more you invest, the deeper you get, and the longer it must continue.

The Eagles were right, “You can check-out anytime you like, but you can never leave.”

After 4 or 5 years of this, little Roger suffers a torn rotator cuff and his career is over or he finally takes the $400 bat and “explains” to his parents that baseball has become a drag and he wants to stop playing. Either way, little Roger finally gets what he truly wants, a chance to be a kid.

Others blogging:

• Pitch Counts: Who’s Really Counting?
• Too many pitches, not enough pitchers
• How much is too much in youth sports?

More misunderestimation