It seems to me that the current structure of recreational sports for kids isn’t doing anyone any favors. These days, if your child is really good at a sport, he or she is put in a “select” league. Whether it is baseball, basketball, hockey or soccer, it becomes a three day a week minimum, year-round sport, oftentimes more.

But what if your kid isn’t a rock star at a particular sport?  Then what?  In an effort to create well rounded kids, these kids have the chance to participate in a recreational league so they can learn skills and play “for fun.”  The problem is, it’s not fun when the teams are filled with select league kids.

I understand that select league kids want to play sports with their friends and that their friends want them to play on their teams.  I know firsthand how this works.  The trouble is, when I really reflect on it, it’s not fair to those kids for whom these programs are designed. If recreational teams are there to give kids an opportunity to learn to play a sport, they are blowing it.  Teams with fewer select players lose and select players often wind up playing more during the game so that the team has a better chance of winning.  As much as we can tell them that winning doesn’t matter, kids think that it does.

It seems to me that recreational leagues need to figure out what their real purpose is and have rules to reflect it. I’m not sure what the solution is, but I know the status quo isn’t it. Ban select players? Maybe. Make teams list their select players and allow similar teams to play against each other?  Another viable option. I’m sure there is a solution, but the situation, as it currently stands, is failing. Kids who don’t have skills lose confidence, think that they aren’t good at a sport just because they haven’t learned it, and consequently, don’t want to play after about fifth grade.

We claim that kids these days are too programmed and that they don’t get to just be kids. Life as we know it, for kids, has changed indeed.  As far as I can tell, though, the current recreational team structure sure isn’t helping.