The demise of sandlot baseball

good article and how true!!
http://www.newsobserver.com/print/sunday/sports/story/1147544.html

 

Same article ran in the WS Journal today, yes it was a good read & a lot of truth

 

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One of the many things that our generation got to enjoy that our children will not. I am not sure when organized play became the norm, and I am sure it has something to do with personal safety. I just think our kids are worse off for the change. They learned so much more than the actual activity when playing alone. Leadership, fair play, allowing for the weakest link, conflict resolution (usually a rasslin match with a few punches thrown). I don't think these things can be taught by an instructor.

 

One other thing that contributes is that more fields/parks are controlled by town departments and the fields are either rented or locked if not being used by a paying customer. That's a big issue around Greensboro.

 

Backyard ball

I agree with the article and comments. I grew up in suburban south Mecklenburg County in the late 50's and 60's (now within Charlotte for miles and miles in all directions), and played neighborhood 'backyard ball'. The lots in our neighborhood were big enough (with two open backyards together) for young kids to create a ball field... home plate in front of the big oak tree (the backstop), first base next to the bush to the right, etc. We created our own 'ground' rules... any ball hit in the briar patch in left field was an automatic out, (and probably ended the game 'cause 90% of the time we could not find the ball and did not have another one, not to mention the fact that we would have to go home to get our shoes to look for it in the briars). We played because we loved to play, not because a parent or coach wanted us to. The backyards of lots in today's mega-developments are barely big enough to play catch, much less have a game. The developers have laughed all the way to the bank, (especially in light of the recent mortgage fiasco), and leave maybe one small 'open space' per hundreds of houses. I know it can never be that way again, but it is sad that so many kids today will never know the fun of those summer afternoons and evenings playing ball with friends.

 

I remember going over to my mama's house one day after I'd moved out, and to my horror, my daddy had cut down 3rd base! I still tease him about that 25 years later. We played in the front yard, the back yard, and the neighbor's vacant lot. It's amazing we never broke any windows!

 

Some people

Saw this report this weekend. Tried to get the video version. Could not find. So read this one. And we ask why kids are overweight. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/10/n...em&ex=1215835200&en=c84dff99e1e7a1fd&ei=5087

 

summer pick up ball

couple of my favorite summers in coaching involved running a summer league (young kids) where we would do drills and practice during the week (whoever was in town). On the weekends, kids would show up and I would pick two kids as captains (suprised at how many times when I told them I had one hand behind my back to pick a number between one and ten that someone would say a number greater than 5) who would pick and coach their teams. Then they would go at it - no adult coaching. Only adult involved would be the umpire who sometimes would change the rules in the game - such as there are no outs and you've got runner at second. If he doesn't score, you lose a run. Was interesting to watch the kids have to think and run for themselves and manage the game all while having a good time.

 

we played in the backyard. had those roll out window panes with the storm windows behind it in the winter and screens in the summer. one summer we broke out over a hundred little panes. dad never said anything, he just came home one day with a plastic ball and bat...... we got the hint. first and second where trees, third was the clothsline pole (some of you may remember them) and home was a bare spot in the grass. had to hit it through the trees to get over the fence. oh what days they where. we also knocked down the back wall to the garage playing pitch back