When something is taken from you it’s a terrible feeling but then when you see that its

adults
taking the opportunities from kids its even worse. The opportunity to possibly play baseball past high
school even to enjoy my last few years of playing was lost because of coaches that picked favorites and
were bought by parents. I am one of the lucky ones who was able to stick with it and finish some kids
gave up on playing from an early age because of the politics involved between coaches and parents.

As soon as I was old enough to sign up for little league I did, and I loved the game. Even at a
young age it became obvious that if your dad wasn’t the coach or if your parents didn’t kiss the coaches
butt you didn’t get to play or they would put you in the outfield. After a few seasons playing in the little
league of my home town it became obvious how bad it was. My parents refused to stoop to their level
and play the political games and insisted that I earn it which I will be forever grateful for. They told me
that they wouldn’t force me to play but as long as I wanted to play they would help me any other way
they could. So around third grade my parents began driving me to Asheville to play in a league where I
could earn a spot and I loved it. Those were some of the best years of baseball I had a great time and it
was because you got to play and enjoy the game. They also began taking me to private lessons around
the same time and I done this until my junior year of high school. After playing in a league that was fun
and you truly earned your spot I expected middle school to be the same way because the coaches had
no attachments to the players, but I was dead wrong. It was obvious from the beginning the coach had
his favorites and they were the kids whose parents would always be talking to the coach after practice.
The same treatment and actions continued in high school. I was resilient about it for years and tried to
work harder because I figured if I could play better than the people that were given the positions the
coach would have to give me a shot. It never happened and by my senior year I had given up and just
tried to enjoy the times I would get to DH or play a few innings. At the time it made me extremely mad
and it still does, but now I realize that its pathetic on the parents and coaches part. They took something
from me and other kids that could have been fun and possible changed our future. The other side is that
the parents politicking thought they were helping their kids but in fact they were hurting them. Most of
those kids have no work ethic and never pushed themselves because it was always handed to them and
never earned.

The opportunity to enjoy baseball except a few years and to play after high school was not only
lost but taken. Although this happened because of corrupt coaches and political parents, I am glad my
parents did not stoop to their level because it made me who I am today. I just hope one day that things
will change so kids can enjoy baseball and excel in it without parents and coaches getting in their way.