9 Year Old Boy Told He is Too Good to Pitch

There are few statements which buoy the argument that American has become a place where mediocrity is accepted more than the story about the young fellow who can't play his sport because he excels too much.

While there is a claim that his pitch is far too fast for other young players to react too, and therefore he poses a safety hazard, there is no proof that the pitcher is out of control. Nor has nine-year-old Jericho Scott ever hit another player.

Doesn't all sport contain a certain element of danger? Of injury? It is obviously best to eliminate all potentially dangerous parts of a sport, especially with younger children, but that must be done within reason. Schools have eliminated dodgeball because it alienates children. Tag is gone because being "it" is traumatizing to some kids. And now, Jericho must ride the pine because he has a little more fat-twitch muscle fibers than the other 9 year olds.

The story I linked to reports that Jericho may be targeted because "he turned down an invitation to join the defending league champion, which is sponsored by an employer of one of the league's administrators." Hold the phone. You mean adults' agendas are infringing on childhood play? Incomprehensible!

Meanwhile, Jericho is caught in the middle. "I feel sad," he said. "I feel like it's all my fault nobody could play."

The attorney for the league banning Jericho states: "He is a very skilled player, a very hard thrower. There are a lot of beginners 9 in the league). This is not a high-powered league. This is a developmental league whose main purpose is to promote the sport."

What promotes the sport more than showing kids that even one of their own, right amongst them, can excel? Doesn't this allow them to strive to be like him? To be good at something? Or is the fact that someone is better than them too much for fragile egos?

I played many sports growing up. In every single one of those sports, I can name 3 or four guys right off of the top of my head who were bigger stronger or faster than me, even just in my own grade. And Titusville only has 6,000 people. Jericho hails from New Haven, CT, a city of ~125,000 people. I am willing to bet dollars to doughnuts that there is another kid somewhere in those ranks who is just as good as, or close to Jericho. Does he get banned too?

We must quit coddling our children. Yes, we need to protect them. We MUST nurture them. But it is imperative that we teach them the lessons involved in both succeeding and failing. Much can be learned from both. Very little can be learned from being completely sheltered from any sort of disappointment, loss or failure.

A perfect, poignant example of how to strive for the top was found in this past Olympics. In fact, I am sure there were 1,000 examples but the one I am talking about revolves around Women's softball. Dropped from the London Olympics with no potential for being brought back at this point, Women's softball was done in by US dominance in the sport. Its last loss was in September 2000. In Athens, the Americans outscored the world winning by a combined 51-1.

Fortunately for Japan, they did not quite because the other team was just too good. As a result, they beat the US 3-1 in the gold medal game. By doing so, they may have just saved the sport for future Olympics.

Chances are, we should let Jericho throw a few more pitches until the other kids get better.