At what point do PARENTS grow up? Jezzz????

Was this by chance 11-12 year olds?

 

Yes

Kind of off-topic on my part, but that is exactly the problem I have with the 11-12 year old division of Little League play. These teams are composed of the best kids in their area and are more than capable of playing "real" baseball rules - stealing, dropped third strike, leadoffs, longer pitching and base distances, etc. The rules make perfect sense at the 9-10 age level, but after that it's time to learn and play real baseball.

 

I agree. Same with softball. Little League needs to review their rules and to which ages they should legitimately apply.

Pretty amazing that someone would go through the charade of renting an office/ apartment in another part of town just to get their 11-12 year old eligible to play in a different league. I was told that one of the parents even changed their address on their drivers license to perpetuate the myth. I think they did everything BUT move.

 

As a resident of Laurel County, I am very disappointed with the all of the adults involved in this. Parents, league officials, board members, all of them knew what was going on, and just turned their heads. I even told a board member that it would blow up on them eventually, and it did. Yet again, adults ruining a kids game.

Pretty amazing that someone would go through the charade of renting an office/ apartment in another part of town just to get their 11-12 year old eligible to play in a different league. I was told that one of the parents even changed their address on their drivers license to perpetuate the myth. I think they did everything BUT move.

 

As a resident of Laurel County, I am very disappointed with the all of the adults involved in this. Parents, league officials, board members, all of them knew what was going on, and just turned their heads. I even told a board member that it would blow up on them eventually, and it did. Yet again, adults ruining a kids game.

 

Don't you think the bigger part of it is so the kid could ultimately go to SLMS and SLHS? Good Lord, if I had a nickel for all the crazy stories I heard about movement back and forth between the NL and SL districts ...

Don't you think the bigger part of it is so the kid could ultimately go to SLMS and SLHS? Good Lord, if I had a nickel for all the crazy stories I heard about movement back and forth between the NL and SL districts ...

 

Nope, his father has applied for a job coaching basketball at North Middle. Go figure.

Nope, his father has applied for a job coaching basketball at North Middle. Go figure.

 

I was told last night that either he had withdrawn his application or it was rejected and he won't be coaching at North Middle. Who knows what will happen now.

 

However, with some of the new rules athletics the school board just passed last night, you won't see as many transfers from one school to another for athletics. The board seems to be trying to take away many of the loopholes that many have worked around for years.

 

Some of what I was told passed was:

1. Once you start 6th grade in the county, you have 3 calendar years to play middle school athletics (if eligible). No more of this playing 2 years at NLMS or SLMS, transferring to an out of county school to repeat 7th grade, then moving back to Laurel County to play 8th grade. If they are going to hold back, it better be in elementary school.

2. Any student athlete who participates in sports at one of the county schools and transfers to the other must sit out 1 calendar year, period. I am not 100% sure, but I believe that this includes middle school as well. I do believe the exception for teachers hired at a school is still in play, but this should cut WAY down on parents moving their kids from one school to the other for sports as we see constantly.

3. No hiring of part-time coaches only as coaches then bringing their kids with them to play. If they are teachers, that is a different matter.

 

This latest little league incident wasn't the reason for these new rules, but it sure pushed it up on the agenda.

I was told last night that either he had withdrawn his application or it was rejected and he won't be coaching at North Middle. Who knows what will happen now.

 

However, with some of the new rules athletics the school board just passed last night, you won't see as many transfers from one school to another for athletics. The board seems to be trying to take away many of the loopholes that many have worked around for years.

 

Some of what I was told passed was:

1. Once you start 6th grade in the county, you have 3 calendar years to play middle school athletics (if eligible). No more of this playing 2 years at NLMS or SLMS, transferring to an out of county school to repeat 7th grade, then moving back to Laurel County to play 8th grade. If they are going to hold back, it better be in elementary school.

2. Any student athlete who participates in sports at one of the county schools and transfers to the other must sit out 1 calendar year, period. I am not 100% sure, but I believe that this includes middle school as well. I do believe the exception for teachers hired at a school is still in play, but this should cut WAY down on parents moving their kids from one school to the other for sports as we see constantly.

3. No hiring of part-time coaches only as coaches then bringing their kids with them to play. If they are teachers, that is a different matter.

 

This latest little league incident wasn't the reason for these new rules, but it sure pushed it up on the agenda.

 

I like No. 1 more than any of them. I've always found the idea of "red-shirting" kids to gain some perceived athletic advantage in high school sports to be utterly, completely, and almost pathetically ridiculous. Especially in light of how few kids actually go on to play any sport in college.

I was told last night that either he had withdrawn his application or it was rejected and he won't be coaching at North Middle. Who knows what will happen now.

 

However, with some of the new rules athletics the school board just passed last night, you won't see as many transfers from one school to another for athletics. The board seems to be trying to take away many of the loopholes that many have worked around for years.

 

Some of what I was told passed was:

1. Once you start 6th grade in the county, you have 3 calendar years to play middle school athletics (if eligible). No more of this playing 2 years at NLMS or SLMS, transferring to an out of county school to repeat 7th grade, then moving back to Laurel County to play 8th grade. If they are going to hold back, it better be in elementary school.

2. Any student athlete who participates in sports at one of the county schools and transfers to the other must sit out 1 calendar year, period. I am not 100% sure, but I believe that this includes middle school as well. I do believe the exception for teachers hired at a school is still in play, but this should cut WAY down on parents moving their kids from one school to the other for sports as we see constantly.

3. No hiring of part-time coaches only as coaches then bringing their kids with them to play. If they are teachers, that is a different matter.

 

This latest little league incident wasn't the reason for these new rules, but it sure pushed it up on the agenda.

 

Parents will now hold them back and transfer prior to middle school, but this rule should help.........especially North Laurel.

Parents will now hold them back and transfer prior to middle school, but this rule should help.........especially North Laurel.

 

Why North in particular?

Why North in particular?

 

I am not sure on that rule helping North more than South except that in the past, more parents at North have been more reluctant to hold back. However, the past 10 years, I would say it has been pretty equal and has gone on all over the county in regards to parents holding kids back at the middle school level.

 

I think the transfer rule helps North a little bit more. While there have been transfers both ways over the years, it has been from North to South more often than the other way. Generally, because most (not all) of the sports programs have historically better success at South than at North. I'm not trying to put down North, but most of the sports programs at South have had more success, except softball, cheerleading and possibly track (at least as of late). South has had more consistent success in football, basketball (boys and girls), baseball, volleyball, soccer, etc.

I like No. 1 more than any of them. I've always found the idea of "red-shirting" kids to gain some perceived athletic advantage in high school sports to be utterly, completely, and almost pathetically ridiculous. Especially in light of how few kids actually go on to play any sport in college.

 

I like them all, but agree wholeheartedly on #1 with you. I could have held my kids back but once they started school, they were emotionally and academically above average and I saw no reason to remove them from their graduating class. I love the idea of #2 where kids can't transfer all the time, especially at the middle school level which is a real problem and happens all the time (or at least used to) as well as #3.

Why North in particular?

 

Well, had this rule been in place in the last few years, 40% of South Laurel HS's starting basketball lineup would have had to sit out a year. I don't think those affected would have chosen to move schools if they had to miss a season.

I really like that rule and think it should be considered statewide. The only problem is we need a governing board to be in place for middle school athletics.

 

I am shocked about the Laurel County little league situation. It takes away from any accomplishment you achieve if you have to cheat to do it. I wonder if they will go back to see if it has happened in the past?

I really like that rule and think it should be considered statewide. The only problem is we need a governing board to be in place for middle school athletics.

 

I am shocked about the Laurel County little league situation. It takes away from any accomplishment you achieve if you have to cheat to do it. I wonder if they will go back to see if it has happened in the past?

 

If South London were to lose their little league charter, they would probably go to Cal Ripken. I believe they have considered that in the past anyway. My understanding is that the parent asked what he would have to do so that his son could play at South London and have a chance at playing better competition. He then took the advice and went with it.

 

IMHO, if you really want them to play against better competition, then travel ball seems the best way to go. Little league is slowly fading away as they have been slow to adjust the rules, especially at the 11-12 year old level to the same rules these kids play under in school ball, travel ball, etc.