Community Youth Sports

[imuakahuku]

I'm just curious, are the youth (8th grade and under) athletic programs in Utah as political as they are here in Ohio? I am looking to possibly move to Utah (actually prefer to do it) but I am worried about the effect it may have on my kids as far as friends etc. The teams here are all about the coach's son and specific kid's whose parents are friends of the coach. It is the norm here in Ohio and it forced me to become an asst coach just to try and combat it. I wonder if it is that bad in Utah or do most of the coaches there coach for all the boys and not just two or three kids on a team? I just can't imagine that it could be as bad there as it is here. And it would give me one more reason to leave this area (I am currently applying in Utah but being out here seems to be a pretty big obsticle for a lot of those companies).

[Cougarfan87]

I don't know about Utah, but in Alabama they certainly stacked teams. I became a soccer, baseball, and basketball coach just so I could actually develop kids. My soccer team was very good the first year, my baseball team were overachievers, and my basketball team took second place in a close game to a team that had smoked us twice. But, I was more interested in getting every player a chance to develop.

Now, I am fortunate enough that my kids have decided they don't like the competition of Rec Sports where everyone is watching. They have both taken up tennis lessons. It has been wonderful having the weekends as a family again. I should have pushed them to give up rec sports years ago.

To answer the question, as long as there are parents that don't understand what rec sports are for, you are going to have the same issues wherever you go. It is just too tempting for parents to live through their children's athletic conquests.

[BYUBALLIN]

I pitched div 1 and Iam a stay at home dad. I love baseball and coaching so I became a coach here at the cal Ripken league. I don't have any kids on the team and boy do the parents love that. I treated every kid the same and let the kids play determine who starts. With that all my kids get at bats and play in the field. A lot of the parents don't understand that this level it's about growing and developing fundamentals and a love of baseball. It kills me to see parents and coaches killing kids arms with breaking pitches to try and win games.. my kids throw two pitches fastball and change up. Iam proud to say my boys were state champs of Washington this year and 2 wins away from the World Series..your right no matter what place you go it's all political makes you sick it really does.. With not having a kid on the team every kid and parent love playing for me..Iam fair to every single on of them..

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