Celebrating mediocrity

[Coachmom]

I understand what you are saying...I just don't think the negatives outweigh the positives.

Would you mind expanding on that answer. Not trying to be confrontational just trying to understand the thought process.
Because the only positive I can see is "keeping everyone happy" which is really a false positive because everyone will still not be happy about this decision.

 

[EP Dad]

Perhaps they're being negligent about not having an All-Star game with this one but I don't see anything wrong with having a corresponding up and comers game too. Kind of like the rookie game to go with the All-Star game.

 

[andyh64000]

I think you are discounting the positive aspect of trying to keep the girls involved in the sport. These are 12 and under girls who worked hard all year (I assume because they are still "picked" for these teams right?) why not give them this small reward? Maybe a few that would have dropped out see their own potential and stick around and become late bloomers (one of the best pitchers ever from the Puget Sound area didn't even start pitching until she was 15).

The negative that it somehow harms the All-Stars...I just don't see it. They get to practice and play for at least another month.

Also, you might actually have a rule against it. I know my all star team could not participate in any kind of games once they were chosen.

 

[SoCalDad]

Coachmom,

It seems to me your league has found an innovative way to validate the parents of those kids in the middle of the skill bell curve. By validate I mean once you take away the all-stars the remaining parents will now be able to say, "See I told you given the chance my little Sally could start at (insert position here)." Your BoD will now make everyone happy just in time for board elections. Yes I am a bit cynical at this time of year.

 

[Coachmom]

Perhaps they're being negligent about not having an All-Star game with this one but I don't see anything wrong with having a corresponding up and comers game too. Kind of like the rookie game to go with the All-Star game.

Maybe we could have a total newbies game too? Then no one will have their feelings hurt and everyone will be happy.
It could be like this
BBQ @ 12:00
All-Star games @ 1:00
All-League games @ 3:00
All-the-Rest Games @ 5:00

But wait then we'd have parents complaining about that too. Why is my DD on All League and Not All stars? Why is my DD on All-the Rest not All League?

Oh wait a minute....why not just have the regular season for everyone to have fun and then an All-Star game to exhibit the best players in the league and give the others a goal to achieve? A standard, a guideline, a set of expectations.

 

[EP Dad]

Point taken. I think I'll shut up now.

 

[Coachmom]

Andy: I'm not saying that this harms the Allstars even though I think it is discriminatory, I believe it harms the integrity of the game.
It hurts the spirit of competition. It negates the hard work and effort that many of these players put in during their spare time, while rewarding mediocrity.
It does the opposite of what it is intended to do because it dumbs everything down to a lower common denominator.

And I do not think it encourages middle of the pack players to aspire to be greater. I think that is an assumption that is being made with no basis or empirical evidence to back it up.

PS. There is no ASA rule regarding AllStars playing in the end of season game.

 

[Coachmom]

Coachmom,

It seems to me your league has found an innovative way to validate the parents of those kids in the middle of the skill bell curve. By validate I mean once you take away the all-stars the remaining parents will now be able to say, "See I told you given the chance my little Sally could start at (insert position here)." Your BoD will now make everyone happy just in time for board elections. Yes I am a bit cynical at this time of year.

Seems that way. I think it is rather unfortunate but I'll do my coaching duty and follow the guidelines as set by the BoD.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Our league did this same type of thing. Mostly, all of the good 12 YOs went to all stars, so the rest of the 12s and the better 11 YOs played a double header and got t-shirts. A couple of the dads sponsored it and it was fun.

 

[stephanie]

Again, maybe it's just me, but can you imagine being one of the girls who gets chosen for this? I would HATE knowing that I'm one of the best players left after the best players got picked for all-stars...It's kinda like getting to go to the prom with a guy after 5 other girls turned him down, and the whole school knew he didn't really want to take you to begin with.