Kid makes interception and scores and is punished

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October 26, 2014 10:14 am Robert Zimmerman

Sick world: An 8-year-old boy took an interception in for a touchdown in a kid’s football game and his team is fined and his coach is suspended.

CBS 46 reports the Lawrenceville Black Knights were winning against their opponents, 32-0, in the fourth quarter. Burrell then intercepted a pass and went through with the touchdown, failing to comply with the league’s mercy rule. That six-point score caused the Georgia-based team to surpass the 33-point rule, which earned the coach a week-long suspension and the team a $500 fine.

Burrell’s mothers, Brooke Burdett, told CBS 46 that she and her son were “beyond excited” at first, before learning of the fine. “He had no idea” Burdett said. “This is his first year. This was his first touchdown. He is an 8-year-old boy making a pick-six.”

Heaven forbid we have an 8-year-old boy achieve something cool, get thrilled about it, and think he can do great things in the future. Noooooooo, we have to squelch that sense of worth and achievement so that the failures in life won’t have hurt feelings.

These idiotic parents and the people who run this league obviously don’t remember what it is like to play kids’ sports. Boys aren’t crushed by these kinds of defeats. Instead, most boys use the experience to figure out how they can win the next time. By denying them this lesson in life you act to cripple them.

3 comments

Garry

October 26, 2014 at 10:52 am

Sadly, this extends all the way to high school in some states.

If they are that worried about running up the score, they should impose some type of handicap on the winning team, such as putting in the second string/JV until the score gets closer, or if they want to get drastic, limit the number of players on the field. What they should never do is tell someone playing not to try hard.

I grew up playing sandlot baseball, football, soccer, hockey, etc. The greatest thing is that we did it all ourselves. A game ends up too one-sided? Just switch players for the next game to make it more competitive. There aren’t enough players to cover the baseball field? Easy, everything to the left of second base is a foul ball. We made all kinds of allowances for unbalanced teams, inadequate fields and equipment, etc., but the one thing we never did was tell anyone not to try as hard as they can.

We adults have gotten way too involved in children’s sports. There’s nothing wrong with having organized sports, but kids should have opportunities to organize their own teams, their own rules, etc., through which they learn responsibility and creativity.
Max

October 27, 2014 at 10:07 am

Very well put, I agree. My nine-year-old grandson has a whole bag full of Participation trophies, He says he’d rather have an ice cream cone.
Edward

October 27, 2014 at 5:22 pm

Max, your grandson knows what is valuable.

I notice that he does not proudly display his Participation Trophies on the mantle, as one does championship trophies, but keeps them in a bag.

Kid makes interception and scores and is punished

3 comments

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