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| Home Front: Culture Wars |
| New Game: Neuter Ball |
| 2007-04-18 |
| (via the AndrewsDad blog - Puget Sound) Got an email from the head of Andrew's "baseball" league letting us know "games" start this week. As a reminder of our league rules for this level, no scores will be kept and all players will bat each inning, regardless of the number of outs made by the fielders. All players will play in the field. Coaches will pitch to batters, up to 5 or 6 pitches, with the hope that each child will be able to put the ball into play. There will be no walks and no strikeouts. If the batter is unable to hit the pitched balls, the player will hit off of a batting tee for that at bat. Games will last an hour, regardless of the number of innings played. Why don't we just wrap them in protective bubble wrap and let them lay down in the outfield for an hour? That way nobody gets hurt and nobody goes home a loser, you know, just like in real life. |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #13 his brother nearly lost an eye.... It's all fun and games until somebody pokes their eye out and then ... Hey! Free eyeball! |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-04-18 21:08 |
| #12 we used to play in my neighbor's long driveway - lined on both sides with brick planters - a street hockey game. A goalie and four players each side, with a guy with a hockey stick on a skateboard, getting pulled by a bike X2 per side. The collisons were spectacular, the blood washed off. All went well til Russell broke his arm and leg in one collision and his brother nearly lost an eye.... good times. good times. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-04-18 20:25 |
| #11 Amazingly nobody broke any bones or needed stitches. Wussies! Then you weren't doing it right! 8-) |
| Posted by: Natural Law 2007-04-18 19:59 |
| #10 I wuz a bean-ball artist from the age of 7. It empowered me! BACK OFF THE DAMN PLATE MAN! /I luv Bob Gibson |
| Posted by: Shipman 2007-04-18 18:30 |
| #9 How old are these players? (Please don't say more than 6 years old...) |
| Posted by: eLarson 2007-04-18 15:59 |
| #8 I could no longer tolerate the ever-increasing and for the most part totally unearned self-esteem (better described as self-regard) of the little bastards. As I like to say: Never has there been a generation so full of self esteem, or for so little reason. "That what doesn't kill you makes you stronger". Or: What doesn't kill me merely delays the inevitable. PS: BrerRabbit, sounds like you grew up around the same time I did. Kids who don't get a little road rash never learn to steer properly. Through over-protection, we're removing all consequences for stupidity and oafishness. We can only fight evolution for so long before something so simple as shoelaces or gravel will trip us up. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-04-18 15:20 |
| #7 Half of life is learning how to take a punch and get up again. My first football coach told us that the only way for most people to find the 'will to win' is to discover just how distasteful it is to lose. |
| Posted by: frank martin 2007-04-18 15:17 |
| #6 I have to agree on this one with Zorg, the evil bastard: "That what doesn't kill you makes you stronger". |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2007-04-18 14:04 |
| #5 dodge ball with dirt clods (rocks). I used to enjoy playing Orcs and Men/Elves/Dwarves/Hobbits in thick woods with whatever was at hand. Amazingly nobody broke any bones or needed stitches. |
| Posted by: xbalanke 2007-04-18 12:59 |
| #4 Surely it's a result of litigation culture. The organisers of the league are terrified of being sued for millions if one of the kids gets hurt. |
| Posted by: Sonar 2007-04-18 11:03 |
| #3 Everyone wins and all must have prizes. This bullsh*t is why I quit teaching. I could no longer tolerate the ever-increasing and for the most part totally unearned self-esteem (better described as self-regard) of the little bastards. |
| Posted by: Excalibur 2007-04-18 10:24 |
| #2 These poor kids these days. My heart goes out to them. They'll never know the joy of BB guns, splodey frogs, knives, matches, bicycles without helmets and knee guards, dodge ball with dirt clods (rocks). The list goes on. Sad. |
| Posted by: BrerRabbit 2007-04-18 10:06 |
| #1 Yes, below a certain age just about every sport has the "everybody is above average!" ethic. Which is why these kids tend to be so fragile when they get older: they've never been taught how to handle defeat gracefully and learn lessons from it. |
| Posted by: Jonathan 2007-04-18 09:59 |