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Screensize: 640 x 480 800 x 600 1024 x 768 1280 x 1024 UserName: Password: Format Mode: Basic  Help  Prompt  Format: Font Andale Mono Arial Arial Black Book Antiqua Century Gothic Comic Sans MS Courier New Georgia Impact Lucida Console Script MT Bold Stencil Tahoma Times New Roman Trebuchet MS Verdana   Size 1 2 3 4 5 6   Color Black Red Yellow Pink Green Orange Purple Blue Beige Brown Teal Navy Maroon LimeGreen Message: * HTML is OFF * Forum Code is ON Smilies [quote][i]Originally posted by WC_Dad[/i] [br]Most of you probably dont know me. I've lurked on these boards since moving to the Marietta area a few years ago, and have gained alot of knowledge and insight from the many baseball savy folks who frequent this board. I'm a pretty quiet guy in person and obviously on these boards as well. But after this weekend I feel the need to point out a concern and remind people that some things are bigger than the game of baseball. This year has been eye opening for me. I've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of travel baseball. Being great at what you do and love(baseball) is a good goal for players and developing those players to be the best players in the country, a good goal for coaches. Youth baseball organizations provide the means for some people to meet these goals and in return develop a reputation and philosophy of their own as being the "best". But I will never measure a man, young man, or organization solely by their baseball related skill and reputation. Playing for, coaching, or running the best team/organization around does not make you a good man if your actions are morally unexcuseable. Basic right and wrong, politeness, courtesy, respect for elders, women, other human beings, treating others the way you would want to be treated... these are not hard things to figure out. Baseball should be an avenue to teach young men how to be good men not just how to throw the sickest curveball! And if someone is obviously lacking in this area, or does something rude and disrespectful in front of you, correct it, don't excuse it! Regardless of wether he's one of the best(players, coaches, administrators), of the best(team or organization), or if he's just the batboy. Players should be held accountable by their parents, coaches, and organizations. Coaches should be held accountable by the parents and organizations. Baseball organizations should be held accountable by the parents. What's better, a good baseball player that gets a scholarship to a small school, gets a good education, and goes on with his life... or... A stud player who is morally bankrupt but has been excused and praised by everyone around him because of his athletic skill, and ends up in jail or worse? I realize I'm touching on things that really should be addressed at home first and foremost(with regards to players). But it seems that at a certain level baseball is a big part of a player's and his family's life. Why not pay attention to the bigger issue of being a good person while we are out and about doing the travel ball thing? Parents, If you are part of an organization or team that puts a value on teaching young men to be good men while they reach towards their goals of being the best ballplayer they can be, then please let them know you appreciate it. Personally, I have seen both ends of the spectrum this year from players, coaches, and organizations. [/quote]