''It Was Fun'': Some Thoughts for Parents on Youth Sports

By Gary C. Salivar

Sports for youngsters have changed drastically in the last forty years. Gone are days when boys used to gather at a field on a summer day to play baseball from dawn to dusk; to make rules, argue, work out solutions, and continue play. They also participated in team sports, but not to the level of organization of youth sports today: all-star teams, travel teams for all ages, and a parental focus on making it to the big leagues. This book presents observations made over years of coaching, to raise thoughts for parents and coaches to consider what youth sports are today.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 20, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465310064

Gary C. Salivar

Gary Salivar is the father of two boys who spent fifteen years coaching youth league and travel baseball teams for both sons as either head coach, assistant coach, or pitching coach. He also spent twelve years as an offensive line coach for a high school football team. He has been active in sports all of his life and believes that they are essential to the development of our children and to teaching the importance of teamwork.

Book preview

It Was Fun

Some Thoughts For Parents On Youth Sports

Gary C. Salivar

Copyright © 2012 by Gary C. Salivar.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2011961371

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4653-1005-7

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4653-1004-0

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4653-1006-4

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

108482

CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter One T-Ball, The Beginning

Chapter Two Parents

Chapter Three The Middle Years

Rookie League (Coach Pitch)

Minor League (Kid Pitch)

Major League

Chapter Four The Draft

Chapter Five Senior League

Chapter Six Coaches

Chapter Seven So Where Are We Today?

Chapter Eight Conclusion

This book is dedicated to the young men and coaches that I have worked with in baseball and football. You have had a wonderful influence on my life, and I hope that I was able to influence you in a positive way. Also, I dedicate this to my two sons, who allowed me to share their athletic experiences. They know the pride I have in each of their performances and in the strength of our relationships. Finally, I dedicate this to my wife, who put up with me and allowed me to devote time to my coaching. Thank you, all.

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Introduction

Baseball. America’s game. Where are we, and where are we going? How can we make it a better experience for the kids playing the game? After all, that is what should be important. This book is a compilation of thoughts generated over fifteen years of coaching youth-league baseball, along with twelve years of coaching high school football. It is based on continuous observation and listening to parents, to coaches, and to players during those years. It is also based on listening to the latest generation of parents and players about their experiences in youth sports. Much is still the same, but some has changed and not for the better. I just hope some will read this book and think about a system that I believe is broken and come up with the ways to fix it. Talk like this can get you a lot of criticism. "You don’t know what you’re talking about. You can’t win like that! I’m proud to say that as a youth-league baseball coach, my winning percentage was around 50 percent; we won as many as we lost. That stinks, you say? You’re not much of a coach!" Well, everyone who played on my team was given the chance to play all positions. That got me in trouble with parents many times, but more on that later.

Where has the game gone? That game that we all played all summer at whatever ball field we could find. It’s 1965.