So, wimpification isn't really a word, but it should be. I made the word up and I’m not sure if I spelled it right. Anyway, it is exactly what is happening to young athletes all over this great country of ours.  We have coddled and babied our children into thinking everything is easy and that no one ever loses.

Remember the old days of youth baseball when you didn’t start out by hitting the ball off of a tee? I was seven years old when I played my first season of organized baseball. I got hit by 16 pitches that year.  Sure, the guys throwing to me had the control of blind epileptics, but I got right back in the batter’s box when it was my turn to hit again. Amazingly, or not, I am still alive today.  

Despite what the brilliant minds of child psychology think, getting hit by pitches, sitting the bench, getting yelled at, and …hold on to your seats people… LOSING have actually helped me develop into a well rounded, goal oriented person with a firm grip on reality.  Imagine that? Through the trials and tribulations of a young athlete, I learned lessons that I could always look back at and use as tools to succeed in life.  NEVER GIVE UP. TRY HARDER NEXT TIME. DO YOUR BEST. BRUSH IT OFF.  YOU SUCK!

Okay. “You Suck” is kind of harsh. But guess what? Some people suck at things. The problem is that now, everyone is so afraid of their kid failing (sucking) at something that they have created whole new versions of America’s great sports. Versions that have no winners or losers; Versions where they never have to feel bad about their performance; Versions where every kid gets to bat every inning; Versions that allow parents to live vicariously through their children because…you guessed it…they sucked when they were kids!

I saw a show on television that talked about a movement by some in the teaching and child psychology communities that were attempting to ban dodge ball from schools across America. Not because of the violent nature of being pelted by a textured rubber ball, but because some kids might feel bad about getting put out of the game early on a regular basis. They even want the gym teachers to have the kids jump rope without a rope. Why? Well, if they don’t actually have a rope they can never mess up. This ensures that the kids always feel good about themselves. Unfortunately, this also ensures that kids grow up to be out of touch with reality. They won’t always win. The person they like may not like them. They might not get into the college of their choice. They might not get their dream job.  They might be a garbage man (Executive Sanitation Engineer) when they grow up. What will they do then? Jump off a bridge?

Let the children play. Let them play the games the way they were meant to be played. So they lose a few games. So they only get two hits all season. So they’re second string nose tackle. So what?  The point of it all is to compete, stay out of trouble, make friends, and learn some lessons along the way.

So throw away the tees, put nine guys in the field, keep score, heckle the pitcher, leave the rim at ten feet, call traveling, put ice on that bruise, walk it off, suck it up, high five, jump for joy, throw your helmet, tell Johnny’s Dad he can’t coach the team this year (or any year), and let it all hang out. The good, the bad, and the ugly. That’s what memories, life and well adjusted people are made of.

No children's feelings were harmed during the writing of this blog.