Who Owns Youth Sports? (Part II)
By Doug Abrams Last week’s column discussed the sandlot play that thrived in the United States until the late 1960s, and contrasted it with the adult-organized youth leagues that dominate today. I concluded that because children used to play sports without adult involvement most of the time, today’s children “do not need the adults to … Read more
2011 LITTLE LEAGUE UPDATE: PITCH COUNTS, CURVEBALLS AND ALUMINUM BATS – WHERE DO WE STAND?
By Steve Kallas Back in August of 2007, Rick Wolff and I wrote an article entitled “Little League – Is Winning More Important Than Safety?” (see Kallas Remarks, 8/30/07). In that article, we discussed the Little League approach to pitch counts, curveballs and aluminum bats. Here, a comparison of Little League’s 2007 rules and its … Read more
Who Owns Youth Sports?
By Doug Abrams Responding to last week’s column about “Mistakes,” Frank McMahon commented that “the time is long past for youth sports to be returned to their rightful owners, the children we purport to serve.” Mr. McMahon hit the nail right on the head. Our enterprise is called “youth sports” for a reason — youth … Read more
What are the Benchmarks of a “Great” Coach?
Most of us who played sports in school growing up can instantly recall one or two of our favorite coaches. Just like having a favorite teacher who made a real impact, or difference, in your life, those of us who competed athletically can pinpoint a coach or two who was unique. But for every great … Read more
Breaking News: LL Pitcher Fortunately Survives Line Drive to His Face
THIS JUST IN……In a Little League World Series game that was played and televised on ESPN yesterday afternoon, spectators and viewers collectively held their breath when, in the 3rd inning, Ryan McCormick of Cumberland, RI, hit a line-drive rocket directly back at the pitcher, Braydon Salzman, of Huntington Beach, CA. Amazingly, the line shot off … Read more
Little League “No Proof Curve Balls are More Dangerous than Other Pitches” — OUTRAGEOUS!!
If you’re a parent or coach of a Little League baseball pitcher, I can’t urge you strongly enough to go to WFAN.com, find The Sports Edge, and listen to the podcast from today’s show. I was most fortunate to have Dr. Timothy Kremchek, the medical director and orthopedic surgeon for the Cincinnati Reds as my special guest on … Read more
Huh? Little League Claims that Kids Can Throw Curves Without Any Fear of Injury?
What?? Throwing curves and sliders won’t hurt your kid’s arm? This proclamation — which was announced by Steve Keener, the CEO of Little League Baseball — was made last week, and it has sent shock waves through the world of youth sports. Why in the world would LL make this announcement? I’m inclined to think … Read more
Mistakes
By Doug Abrams Coaches are teachers in every sense of the word, and much of the educational psychology that works for teachers in the classroom can also work on the athletic field. You can tell a lot about a teacher, for example, by watching the teacher’s reactions to the mistakes students make as they seek … Read more
Kids Dying in the Summer Heat
It seems that over the last couple of weeks as the country has had to endure scorching temperatures everywhere, more and more HS football players (and coaches) are falling prey and dying because of the relentless heat and humidity. Just recently there have been reports of deaths from Pennsylvania, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, and other … Read more
"The Sports Edge"
Doug Abrams
Rick Wolff
Steve Kallas
