This may not be precisely on swimming, but I feel an overwhelming need to vent. This is my reaction to an essay by Josh Levin arguing that the Little League World Series needs to "do something" about early maturing 12-yr olds who dominate the competion. Hope it's food for thought for those of us involved in helping with age group swimmers:
Mr. Levin,
You are on the right track when you argue that oversized 12 year olds dominating the Little League World Series is a problem. However, I think you have missed the more significant point by attributing the problem to the kids. I coach summer league age group swimming. As you rightly note, comical differences in growth development are part of youth sports. But, it is also not fair to a legit 12 yr old to tell him he is too big or too good to play with kids his age; he should go let the 14 yr olds do to him what he would do to kids his own age if we let him. His age is his age. It may not accurately reflect who grew up faster, but it is a more objective yardstick than anything else we might use to let younger kids compete against someone "their own size."
No sir, the problem is all of we adults paying too much attention to athletic achievements of 12 yr olds. 19 yr old high school graduates have a difficult time dealing with all attention of Div I college athletics. What in the world are we doing covering 35 Little League games, NATIONALLY (!!!) on ESPN?!! (For the love of Pete, you did not even get national coverage of all the games of the first round of MLB playoffs a couple of years ago!)
The problem is not overdeveloped 12-yr olds dominating; the problem is our message to the kids that it means so much more than it actually does. Coverage in the local paper is fine, maybe even regional TV coverage in the areas of the teams as they get close to the championship. But, this disgusting hyping of a child's game is BAD for the kids that play in the Little League World Series, BAD for the "grown-ups" caught up in it, and WORST of all for the kids who are expected to carry their teams to the championship.
The subtitle for ESPN's coverage is a perfect microcosm "See the big leaguers of tomorrow." BULL CRAP!!! Not every major league player was a dominant Little Leaguer (or even played in the Little League World Series), and not every dominant Little Leaguer will make it to the Bigs. It is pure BULL CRAP, yet for corporate profit interests, we are shoving it down the throats of 8-12 yr olds who do not know any better. Sad and disgusting. ESPN should be ashamed of themselves.
Matt
Former Member
All I have to say is TRUE DAT!
The pressure is enough to make a kid rebel and turn into a weirdo, or leave their favorite playing sport all together. Kids are kids. There is plenty of time to grow up, and have pressure. Sure, it's fun to be competitive during youth--but this stuff is way too extreme, and there is just way too much focus on it. I just wonder what the parents are thinking! Are they living vicariously through their children? It's weird!
What happened to riding bikes, hanging out, playing a multitude of sports, and just having fun? Having serious sports expectations on young children is a mistake, and is a reciepe for disaster in later years. How many of us know young athletes who would rather die than kick another soccer ball, swim a lap, or swing a baseball bat.
Certainly sports can shape a young persons character and personality--but with this level of seriousness, I would be a very concerned parent. There is life beyond sports--and in this day and age, a person needs to be well crafted outside of physical attributes to be able to take care of themselves when they're older. (I have 4 friends of mine who have become handicapped in their adult lives...thank goodness they invested in themsleves and didn't just rely on physical talent in life. They are educated, have broad horizons, and have been able to overcome adversity.).
Also, when a young person is spending that much time on one sport--they aren't getting exposure to variety, and may not get the chance to identify other things in their youth that they would also enjoy, and benefit from. Perhaps the arts, or who knows what else.
Granted, I don't have children--but if I was a parent, I would encourage my child to engage in many things, and do many different things. Youth is the time to experiment, learn, and grow. When I was young, I never understood those interferring parents that faithfully watched every dag gone practice of swimming or whatever it was. Puhlease. Those parents need to get a life--and realize that there is more past the age of 12. There is more past the high school years of athletics. It's so ridiculous how things can get so wrapped up in "today".
Sometimes pushing a kid far, is the same thing as pushing a kid out--right out of the sport due to burnout and frustration. We see it in swimming all the time. That's why for so many of us it took us decade(s) to come back.
So, that's it for me and my box (you all know that I have a huge box, right?) :rolleyes:
Jerrycat
I think that is soo true, when I was 12, I was fiercly competive, and I wanted to win everything, I was the big 12 year old, and I would have loved to get a chance to play in the little world series, but I did't have the skills to play, now that im 15 and more built, I am still bigger than most, but I think they should have like a high school world series played on espn, get some of the other high schoolers to get their name out their
Now there is a difference between 12 year old boy swimmers and girl swimmers. Some girls can almost qualify for nationals at this age and I think Dana Vollmer who was at least 5'8" qualify for the olympic trials at that age. So, girls can swim against the 13-14 and 15-18 age groups at this age as well as those in their age group. Age group swimming separates them. However, summer league swimmers usually don't reach this level, though I knew a 12 year old novice swimmer that did a 35.0 50 yard *** back in 1969, that is similar to doing a 33 .0 in a 50 yard *** today. As for the boys, some can compete against 13 and 14 year old boys but unless they are another Michael Phelps I don't see them being that able to compete against 15 and above swimmers like the girls because they mature slower in the sport.
ESPN is not responsible at all, Little Leage is responsible for whatever message they need to send. This misdirected anger at ESPN hides the organization that has the money and can direct the shots.
I'm also very concerned with the comparison of little league to smoking cigarettes. Baseball is good and smoking isn't good.
I'm not sure where you are going with all of this. ESPN paid to air a product. Maybe the maker of the product should be evaluated.
We are also collectively responsible, as a society, for what can only be called the professionalization of youth sports. The trend is appalling and we really do know better.
Since Matt got to rant, then I will as well: even worse than the main thread of this topic- is the 'sexualization' of the same age group by our media- the exploitation is relentless through advertising & entertainment. This a general observation & obviously females are the primary victim group.
Relating the same situation to sports, you need only look at the relentless screening of every new young female athlete by the media for the 'next Anna Kornikova'. We ought, as a society, to be ashamed of ourselves.
To criticize ESPN is definitely pointing the finger at the wrong entity. The Little League World series soliticited the money and happily accepted it. If there's fault, which I don't believe there is, please direct your rant at the Little League. This is America where the dollar is the king. All Little League had to do was say "no thanks" to ESPN.
Using a phrase like BULL CRAP doesn't help the argument either.
Even in our own sport there is a lot of pressure at a young age particularly for the girls. As stated before, they can make nationals times anywhere from 12 to 15 years old. When I swam age group years ago both the parents and the girls themselves put pressure on making the olympic team at 15 or 16 years old. In those days, college swimming for women was just starting to equal men's programs, so many girl swimmers quit before they finished high school. And many teams had few top girls or young woman past 20 years old and many of them on the olympic team were between 15 to 17 years old. So, this gave extra pressure to succed at a younger age than even the girl or women swimmers today.
There's plenty of blame to be spread around. ESPN IS at fault; you said it, "ESPN paid for..." the Little League coverage. But, Little League accepted it (likely even solicited it).
You'd have thought we'd have figured out the "exploitation of children" thing and learned from with the Danny Almeida (sp?) issue two years ago (how miserable were all of the players in that one?), but, as a society, we haven't and never will. From the physical and emotional abuse that media-saavy bozos like Bela Karoli heap pre-teen pixies to become world-class gymnasts to that IDIOT mother who got a Reebok contract for her 3-year-old son because she HONESTLY feels he will be better than Michael Jordan, our view of sports related to our children are seen through a pair of goggles thicker than even the late Harry Caray was even using.
As a coach of Pop Warner Football, I see some of the same pressures here. The "National Championship" of Pop Warner Football is played every year in Orlando - with some age groups on ESPN. There are parents in our organization who have been reminding their kids that getting to the National Championship would mean a trip to Disney. As a coach, I want the kids to learn a little bit about the game, have fun and try their best. It is clearly not good for a kid to worry about winning so that his family gets a vacation. But that is the pressure that some parents put on the kids.
The other thing I hear sometimes is the parents want the boys to be good at football so that they can get a scholarship. Heck, the boys are only 7-14 years old. They can't be worrying about college yet! That is a stress for a 16, 17, 18 year old and for adults to worry about.
Don't get me wrong - between tackle and flag football and cheerleading, we have over 500 kids involved. There is only a small percentage of the parents like this. Most of the parents are great. But the few can be a big problem. These parents tend to be the ones who get in fights with coaches/referees after games. These parents are the ones that embarass their kids with their behavior. What kind of example is that for the kids.
The message that kids should be getting in youth sports is that participation in athletics is fun, has many benefits (fitness, teamwork, friendships etc.) and can be something that you can enjoy for many years. But the pressure to "win it all" is crazy at this level.
As a second thought, I heard that the Little League organization is getting a good bit of money for being on ESPN. Does anyone know where the money is going to go? Is it going to stay at the upper levels of the organization? I would hope they use much of the money to build ball fields in poor neighborhoods, provide equipment, etc.
Aquageek,
I appreciate your concern about language. There are other options for expressing emotional intensification that vulgarity (I have used "bovine eschatology" when I am trying to be amusing). However, my understanding is that "crap" is not on the generally accepted list of cuss words. So I understand your concern, up to a point.
I also acknowledge you have a point about the Little League governing body having some role in this, and that we have a capitalist system that considers the profit motive to be legitimate, within reason. However, we also expect tobacco companies not to market to children, and we expect companies that contract with the Dept of Defense to go the extra mile during times of national crisis. In short, we expect ethical, responsible behavior even in the face of the profit motive. Most TV networks insist on substantial flexibility in the selection of games they air and their presentation. Although the Little League could walk away from a whole contract, ESPN is still responsible for the message it is sending, explicitly and implicitly, that the dominant players in the Little League World Series are going to be Major Leaguers when they grow up. That message is factually wrong for the vast majority of the kids playing, and it is not something responsible adults tell 12 yr old children.
Matt
