baseball/scouts conflicts

[hops_scout]

Doing something 4 days a week for a team that he isnt even going to get to play much is crazy!

 

It's crazy a summer team like that has to practice that much anyway. Our school team practices every day, but it's almost always right after school. In fact, today, I will be leaving in 2 hours for a game. A school sport and a summer league sport are totally different.

 

I try making it to Boy Scouts whenever I can. At times, that can be tough considering I never have a period of time where I dont have a sport going on. You just have to do it when you can.

[OldGreyEagle]

I am not sure about the statistics, so in a remarkable display of restraint I wont make them up. But I want the reader to consider how many sports there are on a club level, and I include little league baseball in there, then out of that group, how many get to play varsity level in High School and then how many get to play at Varsity level in college, let alone get a scholraship for it and then how many actually get to play at a major league level. Whether NFL, NBA, MLB, I would even include NFL Europe and the Continental League. At age thirty, forty, fifty, what are these guys doing, talking about how they reeled off 6 touchdowns or went 4 for 5 at the plate in their 19th birthday? But at 55 you can be hiking Philmont, paddling the Northern Tier, snorkeling the Keys and have had a thousand other adventures all because of a love of scouting instilled as a youth and most importantly givng back to a program thay gives us, the participnats so much

[Hunt]

I think team sports are a great learning experience, and they can be lots of fun...but only if you get to play. Why not switch to a rec league team (if one is available)? The kid will play more, will have more fun, will probably practice less, and it won't really look that different on the college application. If he'd lose playing time for leaving early from one of three weekly practices for another commitment...ugh.

[Fuzzy Bear]

OGE,

 

I think what you are trying to say is that Pee-Wee Team X will gather 50 kids and play 22. The others will get a few minutes play depending on the rules and the league. A few will get minor injuries and nobody will bother to check grades. This will be the same stats if they play for two or three years. Changes will come from moves and transfers. Everybody will believe that they are great and that a sport is their ticket to fame and fortune. Junior High Team X will take 35 kids from the Pee-Wees and play 25. 5 will fail and 1 will get a terminal sports injury and 6 will replace them. This will happen each of the three years prior to high school. At the High School level, two Jr. Highs will come together and they will take 40 of the best from the 70 Jr. High kids and they will play 28. 7 will fail, 4 will get a terminal sports injury and 11 will replace those for each of the three high school years. Then at college, they will take 30 of the top athletes from 50 of the top High Schools. They will keep 100 of the best athletes from all four of the year levels and 40 will be chosen for the traveling squad and 30 will play. Each year 10 will get a terminal sports injury nobody will fail but nobody will graduate from all 100 that play. Each year 2 might make it to the professional ranks but one will get a terminal sports injury and retire but the other will sit idly on the bench for three years and then he will get traded and/or cut. I agree the statistics get tricky but I think I see your point. In defense of sports, I want to say that many learn about competition and how to be a good sport.

 

FB

 

[kittle]

John D,

 

I am not kidding on the schedule. Our very small town takes baseball very serious. My husband takes sports very serious, as does my mother-in-law. Yes, a few of us parents are cowards about confronting the coaches. If we do, our son will only warm the bench.

 

OGE,

 

I would tend to agree with you (as would my son). But with that said, I want my son to experience some team play and there isn't much other opportunity for that in our area. The only other league in the immediate area requires that you be too old to play in the regular summer league.

[scoutldr]

Since baseball is the passion of your small town, are you the only Scout parent with a conflict? How about suggesting that the Scout meeting start a little later? My son played baseball from age 5 till his senior year in high school. Four years on the Varsity team. One year at summer camp, I drove 150 miles round trip every day so he could play with his team in a post-season tournament. (Pony league). Did he get a college scholarship? No. Was it worth all those hours on the bleachers? I wouldn't trade it for a minute. I did it because he loved baseball. He did scouting because it's what I did since I was 8 years old and I loved it. We each made sacrifices for the other. Isn't that what it's all about?

[kittle]

Scoutldr,

 

My son is the only Boy Scout in our hometown. We drive 25 miles one way to attend Troop meetings and events. There is one troop closer, but it didn't seem to be a good match for my son. He wanted this troop and I figured it should be his choice not mine.

 

Kittle

[EagleInKY]

"In our troop all we ask is that the boy make scouting a priority sometimes."

 

This is exactly what we ask of our parents. We ask that they try to bring a balance to it. If it's an important tournament vs. a regular campout, then go for the sport. If it's a regular game vs. a "special" campout (lots of advancement opportunities or special adventure), then go with scouts. Demonstrate to your son that scouts is of equal importance. If scouts always takes a backseat, he'll figure out where it is in your priorities.

[jteamnmj]

We're very lucky as our den meets at 6:30 pm and the baseball field is right next to the scout hut. Most practices as well as games end by 6:30 for our age group so all they have to do is walk off the field and into the building. I hope you find a happy medium

Julie

[Lynda J]

Haveyou thought about asking the coach to be a Merit Badge counselor for the Sports Merit Badge?

we were having a problem with a band director once and I went and ask if he would be the counselor for the Music Merit Badge. He said YES. Well guess what suddenly he realized that scouting and band could work together. He would let the boys in scouts out 15 minutes early from practice every other week. So everyone benifited

[SeattlePioneer]

Let's face it. Quite a few boys love sports and will choose sports over Scouting.

 

If you accept that fact, maybe you can make it work to your advantage. I've given some thought to trying to recruit a whole youth sports team for Scouting. Take the Troop out to the games one of the Scouts play in ---be the cheerleaders for the game, and offer the players Dutch Oven cobbler and such as a treat when the game is over, along with an invitation to join the Troop when the season is over or at some other suitable time.

 

I have no idea whether that would work. Perhaps it's something better done by a Cub Scout Pack.

 

I throw it out as a possible avenue of approach to boys who like sports.

 

 

 

Seattle Pioneer