Players Lose Out to Parents’ Egos

Regardless of who’s right, the recent flap over the alleged use of ringers on a talented Woodland Hills Little League team exposes the kind of parental ugliness and ambition that, although common, simply don’t belong in youth sports. If those accusing a star 12-year-old of living outside the team boundaries are right, then Woodland Hills parents and coaches struck out for teaching kids that cheating can pay off. If defenders of the boy are right, then critics can be flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Who loses? The players. Youth sports like Little League are intended to teach teamwork and camaraderie, that winning matters less than the thrill and discipline of a game well played. The games, of course, are supposed to be fun, too. Otherwise, what’s the point? Those lessons seem lost in the current tussle, as parents and coaches take their cases to court and dig up evidence from canceled checks to lease papers.

That’s the wrong course. National Little League officials have ruled on the case--deciding that two boys on the team are ineligible--and have so far rejected appeals. Pursuing further appeals only exposes the kids to further childishness. Yes, one side or the other may prevail in court and, technically, be right. But at what cost? Both players are 12--the age limit for Little League--so this was their final season anyway. Better instead to go after the adults who created the current mess and determine whether they deserve another season.

Adults are entrusted with teaching kids bigger lessons than just the rules of the game. When they can’t do that, when they undermine the values sports instill, it’s time for them to get out of youth sports. And this applies not just to Woodland Hills, but to teams across the San Fernando Valley and the nation. To be sure, the Woodland Hills fight is not an isolated case. It’s a poorly kept secret that youth sports teams--from Little League to soccer--covet the best players and sometimes bend the rules to build a strong squad with championship potential. National Little League officials routinely rule on eligibility disputes.

If nothing else, the current squabble highlights how destructive that kind of sneakiness--or the mere suspicion of it--can be. When the egos of parents and the ambitions of coaches cloud youth sports, the big lessons get rained out and kids are left with the impression that winning is everything. It’s not. As the dad of one of the ousted players observed sagely last week: “It’s too much for a little kid.”

Yes, it is.