Excellence Version 2

I was having this discussion with someone else, and decided that since I dont have children, maybe I'm not the best to judge this. Also, having skipped an entire bloc of basic education, it would be somewhat hypocritical of me to dogmatically suggest that all advanced children be forced/allowed to compete on the same level as the others.

Ok. Fair enough.



But I do think that one of three things is happening: we are seeing a trend of media overblown-ness in these stories; we are seeing scattered incidents where parents/coaches are behaving selfishly; or we are seeing a consistent lack of phenom-escalation in sports specifically.

Because I think there is a forum for educational/academic graduation of advanced children. Why wouldnt that same forum for systematic advancement based on skill level not also apply in the sports arena?

...oh wait. It does apply .... if you're a high school student being drafted for the NBA.

In this case, you're right, we dont have all the facts. But I think that one could make a basic assumption that should not be made: how can you be sure that there WAS a next level into which this boy could have advanced? I have played summer league baseball, and depending on where you are located and how rural the location is, some leagues only go to certain ages. Granted, often there are other leagues for older children, but in some cases, there are not.

What then? In that sort of a vacuum of sporting outlets, what mechanism allows children like this to also be allowed to play at that point, or do we just give them a bench spot where they, too, can clap with the cheerleaders? Back the team with the rest of the spectators?

I would have liked to see the following:
1. If the boy is advanced, the league and his parents should have advanced him to the next level based on his skill set. Assuming there IS a next level.
2. If there ISNT a next level in this league - granted, his parents could/should look into getting him on some other team/league in the surrounding area. But barring that, if none exists, I dont agree that its fair that he should be benched or worse, fired, so-to-speak.

Because that would be a horrible waste of talent, and essentially, without benefit of other outlets, you are basically burying a boy like that by taking away the only opportunity he has to play.

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