There are some things going on in sports these days that have me feeling bad for young athletes. Some of the things that have me feeling sympathetic are:
- The increasing amount of stories I read about kids being scouted by college and professional sports teams as young as the seventh grade
- The fact that my nephew and I sit and watch the Little League World series games on the family of ESPN networks, with the championship game being aired on ABC.
- Turning to ESPN and seeing a high school basketball game between two high schools that aren’t even in the same state
- An article I recently read discussing the growing popularity of athletic trainers for kids
- Lastly, a website I stumbled onto that says they specialize in training young athletes http://kidssportstraining.com/
It seems like as soon as a kid shows any promise or potential, the predators come running. There is no room for the average kid to play sports, and the kid that is the standout feels the pressure early. My nephew is 12. He’s short for his age and just started playing basketball a year ago. I heard someone tell him that he’s going be short and he started playing too late, so he might as well stop playing. What’s wrong with him playing just for fun or exercise? When I think about how children with or without athletic abilities are treated, it makes me wonder…when do kids have the chance to play their favorites sports, simply for the love of the game?
Monica Pierce, for War Room Sports
Tags: ABC, All's Fair in Sports and War, ESPN, Little League World Series, Monica Pierce, Sports Talk Radio, The War Room, War Room Sports