UPDATED: Who doesn’t understand what youth sports are about?

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UPDATE: Matt's going to get to play after all. Here's a note that Jim Mostyn just posted at the Facebook group:

SB LL President Tim KaczMarek called and advised they had a kid drop out of a team and Matthew will be able to play in his place. Thank you all for your support. I am sure it was everyones efforts that made this happen. My sincere thanks and appreciation. Jim

I suspect it might be very hard to find that other kid who dropped out, but if that's what they have to say to save face and let Matt play, that's okay with me.

Hint: Youth sports are not there for the adults.

“It is about maintaining the integrity of our rules,” Tim Kaczmarek said.

The story was in today's Burlington Free Press.It's about a ten-year-old kid whose mother missed, by four days, the registration deadline for a 9-10 year old instructional Little League program.

The penalty? “Tough shit, kid, you don't get to play.”

Raising two sons in Montpelier, I confess that I have occasionally been guilty of the unforgivable crime of being late for a sports registration deadline. The penalty my sons suffered? None at all. You see, in Montpelier, and in most other places, the people running the sports programs recognize that youth sports programs exist to give kids a chance to participate in sports. To, if I may use an archaic and possibly outdated concept, play.

This clearly isn't the first time this kind of thing has happened. You may recall that last year some officious track officials disqualified Minh John Lu from going to the New England track championships because he wore the wrong kind of shorts for his winning long jump. They eventually backed down, and just recently the Vermont Principals' Association changed their rules so competing coaches can't protest uniform violations.

This is a ten-year-old kid, whose mother, raising two kids and working six days a week, missed the deadline by four days.

If you live in South Burlington it might be worth giving the people who run this program a call.

If you're interested you could also join the Facebook group about it.

6 thoughts on “UPDATED: Who doesn’t understand what youth sports are about?”

  1. “Yes, it’s not excusable, but still, for a child to be left out because a parent made a mistake and because I forgot – it’s not fair for the poor kid. Penalize me. I’m the one at fault,” she said. “Work is demanding, house is demanding, kids are demanding. It’s so hard for me.”

    Did she call the first day she knew it was late? Offer to fax it over and put the check in the mail? Hand deliver it? If this is a big deal in the kids life… what happened? iPhone not sync up to the kids calendar?

    Sure, you don’t want to penalize the kid, but if the kid is your priority, seems like other priorities got in the way. Where do you draw the line? How they are gonna get that financial aid form in time? References for college? That app to study abroad in the later years of high school? Showing up for graduation?

    Seems sports can teach kids and parents important lessons.

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