Very good posts. I'll be glad when the season is over because I'm sick and tired of hearing about it at work from those who kids are playing.

I've never seen anything so completely out of control as youth baseball these days. And spare me the horse-#$%#$ about "it's good time with your kids"!!! Why wouldn't you fish or hunt with them as much as you practice, play, and travel for tournaments??? It's the most outwardly obvious form of idol worship you could think of today. I'm sure your kids love it, but so do the parents!!! If the parents weren't as passionately consumed with it as the kids they wouldn't even consider doing what it takes to maintain a baseball lifestyle (especially with multiple kids). It just irks my arse to see some of my Facebook buddies post 10,000 pictures a week of baseball, then make some dumb remark about how frazzled they are with baseball. Wut???

Best memories for me were with my Dad in the woods back in the days when we did deer drives. I never played much little league ball, Dad held me back. Starting playing in the 9 grade, then played a 4 yrs in college. I agree you have to be careful or the kids can get burned out. A lot of buddies, not all who played ball all there life burned out in high school or got tired of it. I on the other hand....couldn't wait till the next practice or training regime.

it's not time spent with your kid unless your a coach. you are in the stands and they are on the field. if your a coach then you have the other kids to worry about. if we were not playing ball he would be by my side either hunting or fishing. its not about spending time with the kids its about how much time it takes from everything else.

You know a little about this subject from some co-workers and their experience, that's as far as it goes apparently, beyond that you don't know of what you speak. Don't lump all baseball or sports parents together based on a few.

My daughter(9) has played league ball for 4 years now.I've been on the field helping coach since she started.We usually have 2 games a week but the schedule got changed up a lil a few weeks ago so now we're playing 3 games a week for a few weeks.We also started up a preliminary all-star team to do a few travel tourneys with to get em ready for all-stars.We're gonna do a tourney next weekend and the following weekend then wont play again with the travel team till next month.We dont spend alotta time at the park but love every minute of the time we spend there.We have watched our daughter become a great softball player and i couldnt be more proud of her.She loves the game and i love coaching her and being a part of it with her.Softball dont consume any part of our life and i will never get that deep into it to where it will.I know people that push their daughters so hard and put to much on em.Theres one set of parents out there that has their daughter also 9 yrs old playing league ball,travel ball with a team outta bham and shes on our local travel team.They are either at the park here or somewhere in the state playing/practicing most nights.I think thats stupid as hell but its their life and if thats what they like to do its none of my business.I'll never let it consume our life like that.I was even on the fence and was more than likely not goin to let my daughter play on the preliminary all-star team that we put together because i didnt want her getting burnt out on it but i let her decide and she said yes.Sports are good for kids but i just dont get these parents that think their kids are the best in the world and think their kids have to play everyday of the week.My daughter is a great ball player and outta 45 girls in tryouts she scored #1.Shes an all around great player but i dont think shes the best.Shes better at certain things than others but theirs others thats way better than her at things.I comes down to her being happy and thats it.If shes happy playing ball im happy..If she decides she dont wanna play next year im good with that too.I will never push her to do something shes not happy doing.We have always let her decide,sometimes she done things she thought she would like but got into it and didnt like it.I would never let her quit and she would finish doin what she started and just not do it again.She always looks forward to ball and she has fun doin it,I'll never let it consume our lives like some though.

Aw, come on 2Dogs, give me more credit than that. I'm not dumb, and I don't just make indefensible assumptions and accusations. I've got two teenage kids myself (18 and 15) so I "get it". But let's not pretend and defend. It's beyond out of control, it's outrageous. There's nothing else in life (externally noticeable anyway) that consumes entire communities like youth baseball. No other youth sport, no other extracurricular activity whatsoever is even within 50 light years of comparing. A high school football team can bring together whole communities for one night per week, for roughly 3 months, but baseball/teeball/softball does the same thing 5 or 6 days per week for up to 9 months of the year (and all year for some).

Sure am glad my son took time out from the game he loved so much to shoot quite a few "trophy" deer to go along with his baseball trophy's. Also finding time to study hard enough to win the Pat Trammel award for having the highest GPA of ALL male student athletes his senior year at SHS. I strongly disagree that playing a lot of baseball is "the most outwardly obvious form of idol worship you can think of today", my vote goes to PSP, X-box and all the other machines that control young lives today.

I played baseball all spring/summer for 11 straight years growing up. I was ALWAYS at the ball fields, most of the time not one-on-one with my parents.

I will not do the same with my children. Things are even more serious now, especially with travel ball, etc, and parents appear to be crazier pushing their kids to get athletic scholarships (after spending more than tuition on athletic programs and training). To each his own, but we like to spend time traveling together, working outside, fishing, hunting, one-on-one with friends/family, etc. Life is short and the current youth athletic rat race is one that we will not partake in.

Very true cullbuck. It can be plotted on a bell curve ,like many things, you have those that sign there kids up for rec ball practice 5-6 times play a few games and are happy when it's over, then you have the other extreme where 10 yo are playing travel all over the country 100+ games a year, insanity for sure. But many folks fall somewhere in the middle and do fine.
It's the Honey Booboo beauty pageant folks that scare me.

Just like anything else in life, it's a choice. Just don't let it become and idol, and please don't try to live your life vicariously through your kids. I've seen a lot of folks make asses of themselves at little league ballparks.

I don't feel like it's primarily people living vicariously through their kids, although I agree that's a minor motivator for all of the people there and a dominant motivator for some. I'm challenging you not to look at this subject so simply... I couldn't care less if the KIDS love playing or not, I'm not talking about the kids. That's why video games aren't the most obvious idol. I'm talking about entire communities (nation wide) of adults who's lives are enthralled by baseball/teeball/softball for 6-12 months of the year. It has become the new social clique. I hear so many conversations between moms (and dads) who make it sound like the practices and games are just a side show. My secretary (late 50's) has 4 grandsons, all who play teeball or baseball. She literally has their schedules taped to her computer and she rotates going to a game of theirs almost every night of the week. She'll come in on Monday talking about how tired she is, like she's complaining about having to do this, yet I hear her on the phone yacking it up with her buddies and she sounds excited that it's baseball season again!!! Another secretary in my office has a daughter who plays softball, and she does the same thing: Complains every Monday about being tired because they were gone on some two or three hour trip to a tournament. And just how many dadgum dads do we need to coach???? Every guy in my Sunday School class apparently coaches girls softball??? And I'm sorry to offend, you can blacklist me from the site if you want to, but what's up with all these girls playing softball anyway? You know where I'm going with that. I have two daughters (18 and 15), both petite, attractive girls. The last thing I'd want them doing is acting like boys. Both of them have hunted with me several times, but they're a little too girly to really get into it. And they have some stories about the "softball girls". Blurring the lines if you ask me.

Im just gonna keep my mouth shut..If you dont want your girls playing ball thats your choice and i could care less.For the ones of us that have girls that play softball dont try and turn it into something stupid because your girls have some stories about "softball girls".I know where your goin with that and really dont appreciate it to be honest.

Not trying to offend you, trox, but I have to agree with ikillibux about softball. My boys and I love baseball and they have played for several years, but I wont let my little girl play. I'm not a fan of women trying to act like men. I have alot of friends, men I respect, whose daughters play, but it just doesn't sit well with me. I have some close friends whose daughter has played for years very competitively who've confirmed the rumor that a ribbon in your hair means you're straight (if I'm wrong, please enlighten me). Any activity that requires my daughter to display a symbol that she's normal rubs me the wrong way a little. I'm sure most people disagree with me but that's ok. I'm used to it.

Alright, I shouldn't have said that, but only because it's a cheap shot at at the kids. But come on y'all, we are grown men who are capable of articulating things, and if you aren't aware of the stereotype then you're not being real. And lay down your sword, don't be so quick to bristle. Both of my girls are cheerleaders, and the "stereotype" is that they are snotty little goody-goodys. I'm not offended by the stereotype. But check this out... One of my youngest daughter's friends, who is a very pretty little girl (won a doggone beauty pageant last weekend, my daughter didn't even place as an alternate), is a cheerleader AND plays softball. When she spends the night at our house, she acts VERY different from my girls, she acts and talks and carrys herself like a boy. Take it for what it's worth, but it's noticeable to me.

I think its hysterical that some want to lecture certain parents that the time they spend with their kid doesn't count or isn't as good cause it is sports related and they don't understand the interest. There are just as many folks on here who spend just as much time in the woods with there kids (Sept - April 8 mths) and whose life revolves around hunting. Two different activities, same result. There is not a difference, its good parents spending time with their children on the weekends instead of boozing it up on the golf course with their buddies all weekend.

And don't give me the crazy baseball parents argument, because there are crazy "insert activity" parents in all activities.

Cant nobody on this website offend me.Never heard no kinda chit about a ribbon in your hair means your straight and to act like softball turns girls gay is dumb as hell...cause pretty much thats what yall are saying without saying it..

Nobody is lecturing anyone, except the folks who wish to put down the people whose kids play travel ball.
As far as talent, ability and drive...scholarships...Lets put it this way, if I had her drive I'd be a billionaire...Its something for her to do, that she loves doing...I dont have to worry about her when we'ere at a ball park...As far as the stereotyping female softball players as dykes...
Thats somewhat true, there are lesbians...and some do like boys and act like boys...ever seen a girly looking boy?
But $1000 says the percentages are no different in College baseball...or little league for that matter...Yes you have puffers playing little league...
This started as a complaint about people wasting time with travel sports etc...Its none of anyones business how I spend my time or money...anymore than its my business how you spend yours...My Dad spent his chasing the almighty dollar, made millions in real estate in South Florida in the 60-80's, died broke as schit...
If you dont like travel ball, dont play...if you watch NCAA ball on TV, you better stop, cause virtually every one of those kids play travel ball...or in some other competitive travel sport...HS sports will get you in a JUCO...maybe...

Like I said about its our families business if my kid plays ball...my oldest was a band geek, we went to band championships...she did very well...But she's my brainiac...a 29 ACT got me out of a LOT of college money...As afr as sports scholarships...My youngest has an offer from a PAC 12 team...which if she takes it save me about $35K a year on college also talking with 3, smaller NCAA D-1 schools and a full meal deal from an NAIA College...and no, she aint a dyke...Thats just a stereo type...Are you a from AL...whats the stereotype of everyone from AL or MS...or the south in general?...Do you have teeth? Live in a shack and make Moonshine?....Then again, its none of my business of you do...are all cheerleaders hoochies, dim wits like portrayed on TV?...Are all we who hunt barbarians like the TV says?...

As far as the game of fast pitched softball...go look up mens fast pitch...record pitch from 40 ft is 126 mph...Held by the King and his Court...Think you could hit it?...this aint the beer drinking pasttime you think...

Everything in moderation.

I'll just say this... If you want to know a man's idol, find out what's not funny to him. People will angrily defend baseball/teeball/softball like no other. It's in a league of it's own (pun intended). And the whole thing about girls being dykes in softball wasn't really a fight I wanted to pick, I should've left that alone. I think I could narrow down my point more specifically, and I hope you could catch my drift here... If you have a kid (boy or girl) who is 10th or 12th grade (just my arbitrary opinion) and they have shown that they're a "1 percenter" (1% of all high school athletes are good enough to earn a college scholarship), then it makes pretty good sense for mom and dad to go over and above to cultivate that gift. But y'all, every flippin' 6 year old in the county I live in is spending more time at the ballfield these days than they are at home. And so are their parents. Why the Sam Hill is that?? I'll tell you why, it's because parents are caught up in this craze like nothing I've ever seen. The ladies in my office can't wait to get out of here every evening to take their kids to ball practice! Little bitty kids, coach-pitch stuff! They show each other (and me) cell phone video of their kid getting a hit yesterday. It's raining here today, so they were complaining a few minutes ago that they'll probably call the games off. This is NOT the kids talking!!!!!..it's the parents. This is a societal problem, because it's not just a tiny subset of your communities, it's the majority. Each Sunday morning I teach a class of about 25 couples, and I don't know if I'm far off to say every one of them has spent more time at the ballfield this past week than they did at home. The whole conversation before class starts is about baseball stuff. Dads bring bats in to show each other what they bought for their kid. They'll ask stupid stuff during prayer requests like "Pray that it won't rain this week so we can practice".

And true, it's really none of my business. But there's an old story about Los Angeles....it's a dirty city, nasty place. When you're in the city though, it looks beautiful. Rich folks everywhere, fancy buildings, elaborately designed interstates, pretty people with Hollywood aspirations. But when you fly into LA-X, as you approach the city there's a filthy brown haze that hangs over it, an city-wide pollution cloud. The point? When you're in the middle of the city, you can't see that brown pollution haze! It's only when you step back from a distance, when you get outside the city, that you can get the true perspective of it. I'm not inside the softball craze, so I can see the incredible, consuming nature of it.