Kids, Competition, and Citi Field

Kids, Competition, and Citi Field

I keep hearing over and over again how we need to teach kids to be competitive. Baloney. I also keep hearing that it is O.K. to have kids play at a “house” recreation level when they are young and have the more talented ones play with and against better talent in an “elite” setting, because that is a more and better competitive environment for them. Hogwash.

Let’s break this down scientifically. First the male and female bodies do not fully develop until the children are in their early to mid twenties. Also, only about 10% of the kids who are the “best” at age 10, and I use that term very loosely, are the best at age 18. (Having a genetic predisposition of more co ordination or size at an early age, and having that be the judging criteria for athletic ability is very flawed) But I digress.

A player on your team may be one of the top two or three players TODAY, but by giving that player more reps and more chances so you can: WIN” a meaningless game just sets that child up to believe that he or she has more talent, deserves more playing time, and that talent, when put into an elite setting has tangible financial value. WRONG.

 It is just another form of entitlement. Simply put, it is a head start in a race that does not exist. Would you give a person a head start over other children in a foot race just because they are bigger and faster? Actually, when we handicap a race, we do just the opposite, don’t we?

If I have my modified basketball team line up on the end line of a basketball court and put 2 sheet pizzas at the opposite foul line. Am I to believe that we need to give the kids instructions on how to be competitive for the pizza? Just blow the whistle and let them go!

Now sure, I suspect that when you do this with boys, one of the boys may not get any pizza. At least one boy will look at this boy with disdain, not knowing that this boy, by not getting a piece of pizza, is using that mistake of not being competitive costing him a consequence, (not failure) as motivation to be more competitive.  When the girls do this, I am also confident that at least one girl will make sure that the girl get who was left out will get at least one slice.

 Did you watch the Home Run Derby at the MLB all star game? Did you see the kids in the outfield chasing the batted balls by the all-stars?  Did you see how competitive it was? While everyone was watching the home runs, I was watching the kids! Where there any coaches coaching the kids out on the field? It looked pretty competitive to me!

In either test case no coaching was needed to get the competitive juices flowing. What coaching WAS needed was making sure the kids understood the importance of sharing. What has to be coached is the FACT that a kid who is more talented may level off and a kid who shows little talent, can and may get exponentially better so that a 1, 2, or 3 can become a 12, 13, or 14, while those same children can switch levels in a single practice or game, given the right amount of chances and playing time.

Children are not micro adults or mini professional athletes. They are not remote controlled robots attached to adult’s personal joy sticks. 70% are quitting youth sports by the time they are 13. If you had a business that was losing 70% of your customers you would change your business practices in a hurry, or go out of business!