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Each August, the Little League World
Series celebrates children playing baseball, and families and fans of
Little League Baseball come to Williamsport to trumpet the success of
these champions, but the final score and world championship banner are
certainly not the most important things.
Little League is about playing, having fun, and learning some of
life’s lessons along the way. Too many times in recent years stories
have been told about children playing and sacrificing for baseball where
the only thing that seems to matter is the outcome.
That is most definitely not what Little League is about.
Terms like “overuse,” “burnout,” and “epidemic,” have been
unjustly linked to the Little League program when these stories surface
involving children as young as 10 who are playing dozens and dozens of
baseball games during the summer and continuing throughout the year.
Too often, the tradition and worldwide respect Little League Baseball
and Softball has established has created the misconception that all
youth baseball is Little League Baseball.
To the contrary, Little League remains true to its values of character,
courage, and loyalty by regulating its program to create an environment
where children from any walk of life can participate.
Throughout its 66-year history, Little League has been fortunate to have
volunteers who join the program to do their part in nurturing future
generations. Building strong citizens and improving the quality of life
for families in their communities is paramount.
Regrettably, there is another cross section of society that seems aimed
at profit and self-satisfaction that is fed by a twisted sense of
commitment to children. These people look like Little League volunteers.
They may even talk like Little League volunteers. But, their willingness
to disregard the dramatic difference between “play” versus
“work” for nothing more than a chance to exploit the children they
are entrusted to mentor, has the potential to cripple the future of
youth athletics.
The evolution of ultra-competitive, excessively-expensive, and
loosely-regulated “travel ball” has brought Little League unwanted
and unwarranted criticism, especially at tournament time.
Because of the misleading comparison between tournament-hopping travel
teams, and the “Road to Williamsport” traveled by Little League
International tournament teams, critics claim the tournament is
detrimental and contradictory to Little League’s mission.
In reality though, those who support travel ball are in many cases
fulfilling a self-serving goal by seeking out a “higher level of
competition” for the expressed purpose of supposedly increasing their
child’s chances of landing a major college scholarship, or
professional contract.
The intent of the various World Series tournaments is, and has always
been, to reward local players and leagues for their participation in the
Little League program. No local league is obligated to play in these
tournaments, yet most do. Why? Because it’s fun.
In the Little League division more than 7,000 teams play in the World
Series Tournament that concludes here at Howard J. Lamade Stadium with
16 teams vying for the title of Little League Baseball world champion.
Yet, 90 percent of the teams entered in the World Series tournament are
done playing in the first three weeks.
In years past, Little League’s critics have called the tournament too
long, too stressful, or too competitive, but now come horrific reports
of children and teenagers enduring arm and shoulders surgeries to repair
ruptured tendons and broken growth plates as the result of playing too
much baseball.
Little League’s mission has always been to create an environment that
promotes a healthy, fun experience, and never has it been about grooming
Major League prospects. As noted author, and Little League volunteer,
Stephen King once wrote, “A Little League field is a place where
excellence should always be applauded, but never expected.”
Do we expect too much of children today? For the parents who each year
spend hundreds of hours traveling to “elite” tournaments, and
thousands of dollars for private coaches and the like, these questions
have to be asked: What’s important? At what point does the child, who
is playing several games a week, in different baseball programs, have to
take a stand and say enough is enough? Should the child have to say
anything, or is it time for the moms and dads to cast off the
unfulfilled dreams of their youth, and focus on what is in the best
interests of their children?
Little League is unyielding when protecting its players and adult
volunteers. Whether governing the number of innings a player can pitch
in a week, conducting background checks on volunteers, enforcing
mandatory play rules, or requiring a player to solely commit to a Little
League International Tournament team, all Little League rules and
regulations are rooted in what is collectively believed to be most
beneficial for local leagues and their participants.
Little League can not manage, and is not responsible for, the operation
of other youth baseball programs. Instead, the parents of the players
who play on these travel teams are responsible. Moms and dads must in
turn hold these people accountable and evaluate why they feel it is
necessary for their son or daughter to be there.
It was not long ago when such specialization was frowned upon and
diversity was in. Playing multiple sports made for well-rounded athletes
with balanced skills, and an energy level that was peaked by new
teammates, different challenges and variety of competition.
New York Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina, who is on our Little League
International Board of Directors, grew up minutes from Williamsport in
Montoursville, Pa., and he was a three-sport athlete. Mike has reminded
me during several conversations on the subject that the cream of crop is
destined to rise to the top regardless of how hard he or she is pushed
at 9 or 10 years old.
In today’s society so much is based on numbers, so the numbers I use
when describing the long-range prospects of any youth baseball player go
like this … For the five million children playing baseball in the
United States, 400,000 will play ball in high school. Of those 400,000,
around 1,500 will be drafted by a professional baseball team. From those
1,500 or so, 500 will play two seasons or less in the minor leagues. Of
the 500 in the minors, 100 will reach the Major League level, with one
making it to Cooperstown, N.Y. and the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Travel ball is the latest degree of separation between the haves and the
have-nots, but is it best for the children? Little League does not think
so, and for that reason will not subscribe to the interpretation that
the Little League program is too competitive, or not competitive enough,
because being a Little Leaguer is not simply about competition.
This is the time to relish youth. The best way for grown-ups to respect
the next generation of Little League coaches and volunteers is through
their involvement, and understanding of what in means to be a role model
to the children of today.
In life, perception too often is reality, and if a parent perceives his
child to be a prodigy, then that child must prove that to be true, or
not. If the answer is the latter, isn’t a life-altering injury too
high a price to find out, especially for a pre-teen?
I thank you all for coming to the 59th Little League Baseball World
Series, and wish you an enjoyable time while you are with us in
Williamsport.
Stephen D. Keener
President and Chief Executive Officer
Little League Baseball and Softball |
