It has been a few weeks since Tee Ball started for my 5 year old nephew. It has been fun to see him play the sport and interact with the other kids. However, each time I go see a game I can't help but feel like something just isn't right.I know this is most kids first experience at playing baseball but playing any sport, no matter what level, isn't just about learning the skills for the sport. Playing sports is about learning life lessons. In my opinion, Tee Ball in its attempt to be fair and introductory for kids, is teaching them life lessons that will set them up for frustration and disappointment for the rest of their life.
Imagine going to work and having everyone in your department make the same money, work the same hours, and have the same workload. Where everyone has to take turns doing special projects and when someone makes a mistake that may cost the company large amounts of money are told, "nice try." Imagine a work environment where no one gets fired for attendance issues, poor performance, or for cheating or lying. Sounds fair on the surface but what about the long term consequences. We all have that one person who doesn't pull their weight at work or is just a bad worker. What if they are rewarded the exact same way you are? Is that fair?
If there are no consequences for our actions what incentive is there for
achievement? How can we learn how to cope with failure? In Tee Ball the rules are that everyone bats, no one gets out, and no one keeps score. It makes it fair and lets everyone play but at what age is it appropriate to introduce the real life rules of baseball? Do you wait until they are age 6, 7, or 8? Do you wait until they get more experience in school with bullies, grades, or games at recess? When do you burst the child's bubble that people get out, strike out, or sit on the bench when they don't perform well? Don't we learn more about ourselves and others when we fail?
By not introducing the real rules at the start are we making kids more susceptible to developing unrealistic expectations later in life? These are the kids that expect to get something for nothing. The kids that grow up thinking they are the victim all the time. These are the people we work with that think that no one understands them or recognizes how talented they are when we know they are just average. Or worse, these are the kids that give up on sports very young because they think they are failures the first time a coach tries to correct them. These are the kids that become an overweight statistic or frustrated worker because of an overinflated self-image that is continually challenged by an authority figure.
This past week I witnessed a kid walk to first base after he hit the ball. Kids will be kids and I realize they are still learning the game, but there was no consequence. No one said, "little Johnny you need to run hard to first base when you hit the ball so you don't get out." For little Johnny there is no incentive to run fast because no matter what he does he will be safe and get to run around the bases with the next three batters. Johnny had no reason to try his best.
At what point in our life is it not okay to walk to first base? Shouldn't we be taught from the very beginning to always do our best? For a child who may not understand striving to do your best out of moral conviction, shouldn't we insert consequences into their lives so there is at least the possibility to do something great or missing out on something? It will give them a reason to apply themselves and achieve something. It will naturally make them want to do their best and allow them to learn gradually what happens when life isn't fair.
