The nerf of some people....

It's bad enough that we coddle our children and try to be their "best friend." The result being "grown-ups" who have never had to grow up. We don't discipline anymore out of fear of over-reactive observers who claim that a justified smack on the bottom constitutes child abuse. Instead of laying ground rules and consequences, we encourage indifference and contempt for authority. Children who are not held accountable for their actions will continue to be irresponsible in the future. What we do now influences how these kids will behave as adults.

So it was with complete exasperation that I read about a Little League conference in Ohio that has cancelled it's All-Star Game for fear that "singling out certain kids as better players than others can hurt youthful self-confidence."

Well, then, when these summer sluggers get back to school, we had better make sure we eliminate the honor roll, and then for high schools and colleges, the valedictorian and salutatorian honors. We don't want the "stupid" kids to feel any "stupider" than they already are.
How will this help them!? Are they going to go to their boss when they get a job and cry that it's unfair that someone else got a promotion and they didn't? Or be surprised when they get a performance review?

How will this help them learn to take criticism, feedback, learn humility, respect for others, respect for hard work, respect for determination, respect for the job they have done? How does this help them learn to better themselves? How does this help them learn introspection?

It doesn't, plain and simple. What it does teach them is that if you don't try and you don't give your best effort, you'll be congratulated anyway. You'll be taught that it's not important to to try and be better, to do better. You will never be able to learn from your own mistakes because you will never be able to recognize when you do make mistakes. You will never realize your own potential.

Coddle these kids now, and they'll be bigger cry-babies in the future than what you're trying to prevent them from being now.

So this season, Beechwood, Ohio, don't do it half-assed: stop keeping score (or at least make sure every game ends in a tie), let everyone get on base, eliminate the play-offs, and you better use an extra-soft nerf ball (egos can be pretty fragile....).