Going up against a peer this good might harm some kid's self-esteem, and that would be the worst thing in the world:
As for the parents, this kid presents a great opportunity, which they're missing, to get their kids the kind of practice that may help them when they get older. The ones that learn how to handle someone this good at an early age would be able to hold their own very easily if they keep up with the sport when they get to high school. Of course, that doesn't matter. What really matters is the fact that this kid has hurt their self-esteem.
NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Nine-year-old Jericho Scott is a good baseball player -- too good, it turns out.It certainly would be intimidating to go up against someone who can pitch so well when you're that age, but it's no reason for anyone to tell him and his team that they have to give up. One thing that surprises me about this, is the fact that the other coaches aren't trying to get the kid to switch over to their side.
The right-hander has a fastball that tops out at about 40 mph. He throws so hard that the Youth Baseball League of New Haven told his coach that the boy could not pitch any more. When Jericho took the mound anyway last week, the opposing team forfeited the game, packed its gear and left, his coach said.
As for the parents, this kid presents a great opportunity, which they're missing, to get their kids the kind of practice that may help them when they get older. The ones that learn how to handle someone this good at an early age would be able to hold their own very easily if they keep up with the sport when they get to high school. Of course, that doesn't matter. What really matters is the fact that this kid has hurt their self-esteem.
Is safety one of the concerns? I've been hit by baseballs thrown by amateurs (slow) and it hurt like heck - I would think a 40mph fastball could do some real damage to a 9-year-old. For that matter, the amount of impulse involved if one of the batters actually hits could be pretty stunning for the batter - their muscles may not be able to take that well.
If it's self-esteem, that's lame. I'm a decent chessplayer, but I've had my butt handed to me by masters, and that was a good lesson.
Well, in the picture of him in the article, he doesn't look like he's very big for his age, so I think it's one of those things where a reasonable parent would tell their kid to just suck it up. IIRC, in the article, it described him as an accurate pitcher, so I don' t think there's really a safety issue behind it.