The bike helmet was the start of the world we live in now! The helmet, followed by knee and elbow pads. Just to ride a bike! Select/club sports were just that, SELECT! 1-2 teams per age group per organization max! Now you have 4, 5, +++ teams per age group. It's so watered down (not all organizations). At most orgs, (including all sports) after the top 2, it's Rec ball! Then they try to hid it by calling it a "developmental" team.... How many World Series/National Championships are there now?
My son started playing t-ball for the YMCA back in the late 90's. Everyone hit, no outs were recorded. After the game, the coaches said something along the lines of, "great job! you're all winners." My son says on the way home, "dad how come no one got out? and why did they say both teams won?" I didn't know what to say. He was 5, maybe 6. So I was honest and said, I have no idea? He says, "I know we won because I counted all the runs. haha The other team must of had less players!
This "everyone's a winner" has been a negative! They face any type of adversity and they give up and quit! How is that preparing them for adulthood, to become good husbands/wives, fathers/mothers, employees, etc? I have a 26, 24, 16 and 14 yr old and I let them be kids. They are going to get hurt. They are going to make mistakes. And they are going to get cut from teams. But they ARE going to learn from it and be better for it! I've coached my kids. But by 5th /6th grade, I stopped because they needed to learn to play for someone else. I'm not going to be there to hold their hand forever!
When my 16 yr old got cut from her school volleyball team. She went and tried out for cheer, made varsity and will get a state championship ring this year! She could have sat in her room on tic tok or watching Netflix all day. She chose to go out and do something else! She's never cheered and over 20+ girls were cut. Couldn't be happier for her!
And no coach was harder on them than I was! I never lied to them. If they played bad, I let them know. But I always started with what they did good 1st!
Just my 2 cents.