I don’t like baseball. In fact, I hate baseball.
So when my son DJ swore off baseball several years ago, I was thrilled. It’s not like DJ is one of those dreaded “sedentary” kids. It’s just that he’s into more non-traditional stuff like mixed martial arts and skateboarding.
I’m not quite free of baseball, though. My 11 year-old nephew, Daniel, plays in the sorts of leagues that you have to try out for. His sports schedule stretches through the spring and picks back up in fall.
Baseball talk dominates family get-togethers and the grandparents regularly trek over to watch Daniel’s games. My brother – Daniel’s dad – even cajoles me to come watch a few of Daniel’s games (and he knows how much I despise the sport).
On the other hand, no one feels compelled to watch DJ skateboarding or doing martial arts. News of his achievement is… well, not exactly newsworthy.
“What is it?” I recently complained to my husband. “Is it the cute uniforms? The bleachers? Why does baseball matter so much?”
Bitterness aside, I think I realize one big reason – because organized activities look more legitimate in grown-up eyes.
Youth baseball is organized by adults, paid for by adults, and led by adult coaches and referees. Games are hosted by adults, attended primarily by adults. It makes me think of one of Alissa Quart’s insight in her book Hothouse Kids, that children’s competitions are held as much for the benefit of adults as for kids.
Doubt my thinking? Consider this: how many of those kids on the field have ever played a pick-up game of baseball? How many would be playing baseball if it depended solely on the kids’ own motivation, without any adult involvement or rewards?
That’s ludicrous, you’re probably thinking.
Then go check out a skatepark. Nary a coach to be found. Parents often read or talk on their phones nearby – no aggressive cheering/jeering here (at least in my experience). The kids work hard, they hustle as much as any baseball player I’ve seen, without some beefy coach barking at their heels. Many kids depend on the random kindness of their parents to drive them to the park. After all, there are no scheduled practices that you don’t dare miss, lest you face sanctions for not being “serious” enough. And there’s no snacks or celebratory ice cream cones unless mom is feeling extra generous.
Maybe it’s a good thing that adults haven’t taken over youth sports like skateboarding. On the other hand, I often wish that these non-traditional sports would get more respect, because that’s what drives funding for facilities and programs. And maybe, if non-traditional sports were perceived to be as interesting and legit as baseball, my family might show up to watch DJ once in a while.
Is your kid into non-traditional sports? To paraphrase Rodney Dangerfield, do you feel like non-traditional sports “don’t get no respect?”
