It's About the Parents

A friend and co-worker told me about when he coached his 9 year old son in organized youth baseball a few years back. I was involved in organized youth baseball decades ago and it was bad, but in talking to my friend, it has gotten much worse. My friend is a former college baseball player, but he had parents of the players on his team regularly calling him and telling him how to coach and treat their son. Organized youth sports is dysfunctional. Many of the parents are obsessed with their kids being good in sports and will step on anyone who they think gets in the way of that.
As I talk about in my book, Carrying Lawn Chairs, I am against organized youth sports for especially young kids. I have come to the conclusion that young people shouldn't be involved in organized sports before age 12. Parents think they have to get their kids started young in sports if they have any chance to make it big. The dirty little secret is that young kids do not like playing organized youth sports. They want to please their parents though because the love of their parents is very important to them. They then think there must be something wrong with them since they don't have fun playing organized sports, but it's what their parents want. Again, it's all so dysfunctional. KIds actually have fun playing pick up games in the yard or playground.
Take T-Ball. This is where young boys and maybe girls play a game where they hit a ball off of a rubber tee in hopes it will help their swing. These kids aren't having fun. Then add the fact that the parents are in the stands often screaming at their young kids playing T-ball. And then there are adults on the field directing the young kids. Did I mention it's all so dysfunctional? It's nothing short of child abuse.
Most parents don't enjoy the present moment with their children, it's always about the future. It comes from feelings of low self worth.
Let children be children. Let them actually play. That's where they develop best. They gain self knowledge and thus are better equipped for the world as adults. Organized youth sports actually blocks healthy development. Let them play.