Boys will be....

This afternoon my 9 year old grandson celebrated his football season.  Wasn't much of a season for him - he broke his arm early in the season and so missed most of his games.  He played in the championship round and was voted MVP for the tournament.

We went to a pizza joint near Roseville (very good pizza - Touch of Tuscany) but where was my grandson? He and a couple of his team mates went outside and engaged in what 9 year olds do - playing for the shear joy of it.

There are many things about youth sports today that I appreciate. Kids can get involved at a very early age.   But in playing many parents do not get that at his age and for a bit longer - the game should be fun.  Some parents - including a moron from last season - thought their kids should be playing at the highest level.

There is another thing about the current range of kids sports that I abhor - trophies.  There is a subtle line between encouraging achievement and forgetting that this level of sports should be fun.  Now every kid - regardless of commitment - gets a memento of the season which is a trophy.  That cheapens real achievement.

The kids outside today understood that they could enjoy the sheer experience of running and catching balls without wondering what the score is.   My grandson came in and got his trophy - but his real interest was in playing with his buddies.  That is as it should be.