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9-year-old too good for youth baseball league
Filed under: Tweens, Activities: Babies, Health & Safety: Babies, In The News
Should he choose to, Jericho Scott could probably have a career as a professional baseball player. Only nine-years-old, the New Haven, Connecticut boy has a fastball pitch that has been clocked at 40 miles per hour. Unfortunately, it's that fastball that has gotten him banned from pitching for the co-ed Youth Baseball League of New Haven.
Scott's coach and parents say that he's being unfairly targeted and that league officials are picking on him because he turned down an invitation to join the league's champion team, which happens to be sponsored by a league administrator. League officials say Scott was banned due to safety concerns. Although everyone admits that Scott has never hit anyone with a pitch, league attorney Peter Noble says parents are afraid their kids will get hurt at bat. "He is a very skilled player, a very hard thrower," Noble said. "There are a lot of beginners. This is not a high-powered league. This is a developmental league whose main purpose is to promote the sport."
League officials have suggested that Scott play another position, pitch against older players or even play in a different league. But last week, Scott took the mound despite the ban. In response, the other team forfeited the game and walked off the field. This did not go over well with Scott's mom, who Noble says became irate and threatened league officials. "I have never seen behavior of a parent like the behavior Jericho's mother exhibited Wednesday night," Noble said.
The Scotts have gotten their own lawyer and are looking into their legal options. "You don't have to be learned in the law to know in your heart that it's wrong," attorney John Williams said. "Now you have to be punished because you excel at something?"
What is happening to Jericho Scott may seem unfair, but I don't know that I would characterize it as punishment for being too good. By that logic, forcing beginner players to face a 40-mile-per-hour fastball is punishing them for not being good enough. The suggestion to play with an older team seems like a good solution to this problem and I wonder why he doesn't take it.
Scott's coach and parents say that he's being unfairly targeted and that league officials are picking on him because he turned down an invitation to join the league's champion team, which happens to be sponsored by a league administrator. League officials say Scott was banned due to safety concerns. Although everyone admits that Scott has never hit anyone with a pitch, league attorney Peter Noble says parents are afraid their kids will get hurt at bat. "He is a very skilled player, a very hard thrower," Noble said. "There are a lot of beginners. This is not a high-powered league. This is a developmental league whose main purpose is to promote the sport."
League officials have suggested that Scott play another position, pitch against older players or even play in a different league. But last week, Scott took the mound despite the ban. In response, the other team forfeited the game and walked off the field. This did not go over well with Scott's mom, who Noble says became irate and threatened league officials. "I have never seen behavior of a parent like the behavior Jericho's mother exhibited Wednesday night," Noble said.
The Scotts have gotten their own lawyer and are looking into their legal options. "You don't have to be learned in the law to know in your heart that it's wrong," attorney John Williams said. "Now you have to be punished because you excel at something?"
What is happening to Jericho Scott may seem unfair, but I don't know that I would characterize it as punishment for being too good. By that logic, forcing beginner players to face a 40-mile-per-hour fastball is punishing them for not being good enough. The suggestion to play with an older team seems like a good solution to this problem and I wonder why he doesn't take it.
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ReaderComments (Page 2 of 2)
8-28-2008 @ 11:35AM
Joy said...Andy, I agree with you that there is a big difference in ages. A young 8 seems a lot younger than a late 10. But this season was almost over. They had an 8-0 record. Why wasn’t this done sooner in the year if the parents, coaches or whoever made this decision, step up sooner to address this? I’ve read just about every post and news story on this and to sum it up, the parents on the other teams were mad because their kids couldn’t hit off Jericho. At the end of the season all the other kids have grown as well. With the clock on the season winding down, isn’t this a little like closing the barn door after the horse got out? Jericho after all is still a little boy and he’s the one being made the target. That’s sad to me. Leave the parents out of the equation and think of the kids. It’s not the kids who want him out it’s the adults.
8-29-2008 @ 4:10AM
rnse said...The only losers here are the kids that will not get a chance to face the best competition they can. The desire to shelter and nurture has overtaken a lot of Americans to the point that they see no value in letting children try and fail. Their children ALWAYS have to succeed and feel good about themselves.
As for me, I want my daughter to face this kid. I want her to able to go down fighting. Not whining. Yeah, she'll strike out and maybe every single time she faces this kid. But I want her to get in that batters box, put all past history out of mind and TRY AGAIN.
Why? Well she may have a blessedly successful life, but if not, I want her to be able to go out to another job interview even if she got turned down 40 times.
I want her to be able to fight and hold her family together even if they gave up on themselves.
I want her to motivate her employees and be successful even when times are tough.
Poise and grace in the face of adversity does not come spontaneously or capriciously. It has to be developed and nurtured properly.
So, yeah, continue to 'develop' your kid in that safe happy place where they never fail. But when the chips are down in the real world I'm putting my money on my kid.
8-29-2008 @ 7:29AM
Andrea said...Rnse, I didn't say kids should not face the best, or that it was/wasn't good for the child, My son is in a league where he regularly faces kids better than him and he has to work harder than the rest and will be better for doing so. BUT that doesn't mean that this is what all parents are looking for when allowing their kids to play a sport. Parents and kids have the right to play in a less competitive environment if that is what they want. If you sign your kid up for a developmental/instructional type team than that is what you should get. If you want the competition that put your child in a competitive league. The point is that there is more one option out there and you should have the right to choose what you want and get what sign up for.
8-28-2008 @ 10:11AM
rnse said...Oh wow! The children! Who's caring for the Children! Save the Children!!!! MY GOSH, THE CHILDREN!!!!
Please...this is the epitome of poor sportsmanship. Someone too good? Let's hide behind the 'safety' argument.
As for Greg, what kind of development are you talking about? If a child in class is getting too many A's and my child is failing, are you seriously suggesting to me that the best option is to remove the child that's succeeding? Seriously? No wait, I....Seriously??
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8-29-2008 @ 11:45AM
rnse said...Its your right not to compete. But lets not mix purposes here If they are ever going to learn that life is tough, its in the safe confines of competitive sports. And yes, they can survive a baseball bruise or two.
They develop and learn in practice. Or maybe playing catch with you. Once they are in a game, then it is a different matter. The entire point of that game is to compete. If you feel they are not ready to compete, then hold them out of the game and continue to develop their skills.
Allow me a parallel for a second. It's like going into a math test at school. The point of it is to see how well you have learned your math skills. Let them develop and learn when the teacher is giving them lessons or when they are doing homework. NOT when it's time to take a test. If you're not teaching your child to try their best every time in these situations, you are doing them a disservice.
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