Keep 'em All Playing - A Minnesota Non ProfitOrganization
"Many years ago I was asked to officiate a scrimmage between the two "select" teams of a sixth-grade boys' basketball players in my community....
I asked the coaches how they had selected these squads- in other words, "How many kids did you cut?"
They told me that thirty-seven boys had tried out-thirty had been selected for two teams and seven had been
cut.....
As I officiated this scrimmage of sixth-grade boys, I got angry. Seven boys had been cut; seven boys were likely sitting at home, maybe playing video games while their friends were being given the chance to play basketball....
At the end of the scrimmage, I walked over to the coaches. I told them I had spent four years playing in the NBA, that I have worked as a professional basketball scout since. I told them that if they had asked me to watch those thirty-seven original sixth-grade hopefuls try out, I could have picked out five, six or seven who were the "least worst" of the entire group of players....
Then I could have concentrated on watching the other thirty "less than least worst" players. I could have watched them for another three hours - or maybe another three days - and I would not have been able to tell much difference in abilities among them.....
Instead of cutting seven boys from tryouts and creating two "elite" squads of fifteen players each, my community should have created three teams of about twelve boys, or four teams of about nine boys, established man-to man defense, and guaranteed each player a minimum twelve minutes of playing time. That would have been in the best interests of all the children.......
From "Just Let the Kids Play" - Bob Bigelow, Tom Moroney and Linda Hall
DEDICATED TO KEEPING YOUTH SPORTS HEALTHY, FUN, FAIR, AND REWARDING
Keep 'em All Playing wants to place in motion a process that will allow communties to have a say over how youth sports are being structured. When Park and Recreation departments turned the control of youth sports over to independent associations, a critical link to community control was lost.
We will work to give more children the opportunity to grow and develop through sports, and at the same time
help keep sports in perspective.
When sport associations tell very young children they can not have equal access to public facilities and playing time based upon "their assessment of the child's talent" at ages as young as nine or ten, it is a form of discrimination. Before puberty occurs athletic talent is very difficult to predict. It is similar if not as dramatic as when women were told they could not have equal time on the playing field.
"I can't understand why people are frightened by new ideas. I'm frightened
by the old ones."
John Cage
Be sure to check out News link!
I am convinced Alice's wonderland has infiltrated our youth sport world. Compare the words of the "coach" who tells your ten year old, "no you are not good enough to play with your friends," to the Queen screaming "Off with her head! Off-" They both seem equally bizarre. - PB
Jay Coakley - Youth Sport Expert - Sports and Children - Chapter 5
Updates and
Information.
Summary position of need for Youth Sport Council in Edina
New Book by Brooke de Lench - President of Mom's Team - All About our crazy world of
