<p>OK so like mini I have to come to the defense of football. First, there are more injuries in basketball than football. But as far as the coolness aspect- it is more than outweighed by the sheer difficulty, rigor, blood sweat and tears of the day to day grind of practice. On my son’s hs football team, the kids who came out just to put the uniform on didn’t last long (like not past the first week). You really have to love the game to stick with it; there are a ton of ways to be cool at your school without playing football. Football taught my son discipline, courage, and loyalty- not that you can’t learn those things in other ways.</p>
<p>As for Little League baseball, there are leagues where things have gotten out of hand. We were lucky to find a good coach/team. At the minor level and below, it should be all about teaching fundamentals. At the major level (around 6th grade), it gets a little more competitive but is still about learning. But at about that time, the coaches do start letting some kids play more than others, mostly for safety sake (you don’t put a novice at short, for instance). Before that, though, the kids should be learning all the positions, learning how to hit, run, steal, and playing equal time. Spitting?? Maybe seeds… </p>
<p>My heart would swell with pride if my sons were to go on to become volunteer LL coaches. They’ve learned under the best, and it’s up to people like them to carry the torch and teach another generation our national pastime.</p>