So if the Hollering Hanks from Roselle & Bloomingdale have their kids jump in Lake Michigan at the end of Navy Pier you would join them in their game...because they do it??

We elect community leaders to make decisions for what is best for our community. We can certainly criticize the decisions, which you do, but I choose to support the decision here because I think it is a good one. I think it is best for all of the community kids that want to play and develop. Once they have had a chance to develop, then separate the haves from the have nots into travel league baseball, softball, football...whatever sport you choose. Just because other sports boards have chosen their direction does not mean it is the right one.

Does anyone know what happened at the Park Board meeting that had this baseball thing on the agenda?

quote:

Originally posted by Main Streeter:
Let the kids play - all the positions - with all the kids in the local community and develop their talents along with the talents of other kids.

quote:

Originally posted by Grateful:
We are in the West Suburban League with 27 other 10u teams from this area and the league is just 2 years old.
Don't we have 10u travel or club soccer, swimming, basketball, football. girls softball. etc. already available in this town.


It's not about what you as a parent would do for your child, but that the PD is saying if you sign your child up for our program, you can't have your child where another team's hat for even one game as a substitute.

You can be exclusive if you are a private team or club, but not to a taxpayer that signs up for one of your programs. It's none of their business.

Not an easy thing to take a position on.

My suggestion? Modify the rule. Cease the prohibition on being a member of another organization and allow parents to make the decisions that are truly theirs as parents.

Institute a rule to drop children from the PD program for excess absences.

And most importantly force the PD board to make a clear policy of whatever is their choosing that emanates from them and NOT from an outside third party.

It is discussions like this that make me glad none of my kids were interested in or involved in team sports.

I'm glad there were no restrictions on the amount of baseball we could play when we were kids. A bunch of us just showed up at the park every day, chose sides, and pretty much played from dawn to dusk, adjusting the rules to close fields or play pitcher's-hand-out as the numbers dictated. Don't see much of that these days. Of course, we didn't have fancy uniforms, travelling teams, and what not.

Not being a sports parent, I often wonder how much of these organized sports is for the kids, and how much is for the parents.

Why doesn't the traveling baseball league play after the inhouse leagues are completed? If I remember from my pre-traveling league days, our season was complete around 4th of july. Couldn't the traveling leagues play a schedule after that?

Most of your friends growing up in this town were from your neighborhood or neighborhood school. Playing league baseball was one way of getting to know a lot of the other boys in town prior to Hadley.

I am all for giving your kids lots of opportunities, but not at the direct expense of others. What is so wrong with the inhouse leagues that make a traveling team so much more desireable? When we played Wheaton in an All-Star game after the season was completed, it was meaningful and fun.

I can appreciate your frustration, but if your child is involved in travel baseball, why do you also want him to play in the house league?

FYI a few years ago another group of dads also formed a "renegade" team...they were concerned that the GE post-season travel teams (at the time that was pretty much the only travel option) were getting smoked at every tourney they played in. Glen Ellyn Baseball (this was before it was taken over by the PD) would not acknowledge their existence at the time, but this program (now called the Rangers) took on steam and is now pretty successful.

one sport and team at a time. this whole thing has gotten out of hand. i like West's new rule that all kids make all the freshman teams (if d87 can afford it!)

howdy60137, my advice for you is to duck now.

Grateful,

I've been thinking about your situation and sports. Two questions come up.

1. What is the difference between a child playing rec soccer and travel soccer at the same time vs. a child playing rec baseball and travel baseball at the same time? Still going to miss some games somewhere right??

2. What is the difference between a child playing rec baseball and travel soccer at the same time and a child playing rec baseball and travel baseball at the same time?

And a statement - I've watched a lot of baseball and a lot of soccer. Quite frankly, as long as you `are not pitching in baseball you're not doing too much that will physically stress you. Soccer is a lot more physical work!!!

Just looking out for you...

Grateful's foray into travel baseball has nothing to do with the fact that no taxing body or advisory body thereof should be dictating to parents what sports our children can or can't play and when.
My daughters are involved in GEPD gymnastics as well as in a private gymnastics organization. They might even have two events the same day.

They sleep well those nights

quote:

Originally posted by howdy60137:
i like West's new rule that all kids make all the freshman teams (if d87 can afford it!)

Of course, one wrinkle of this policy is that in at least one instance I'm aware of, the size of V and JV squads have been reduced accordingly. Only so many kids the coaches can handle.

Grateful- At least it seems like a few posters "get it". I'm really sorry it has been so difficult. I know you are not some evil renegade. The park district and baseball board are WAY overstepping their authority. You are in it for the kids and for a better Glen Ellyn baseball future. Parents are the ones who should be in control, not the PD or baseball board. Hang in there. Things that are worth it aren't necessarily easy.

I just find it so sad that someone trying to get a program off and running has had so many stumbling blocks - or so it seems. Grateful, I wish you luck and success with your baseball endeavor.

quote:

Originally posted by Shore Thing:
Grateful- At least it seems like a few posters "get it". I'm really sorry it has been so difficult. I know you are not some evil renegade. The park district and baseball board are WAY overstepping their authority. You are in it for the kids and for a better Glen Ellyn baseball future. Parents are the ones who should be in control, not the PD or baseball board. Hang in there. Things that are worth it aren't necessarily easy.

That is true. Unfortunately, in a lot of these situations, this is not the case. Not Grateful bashing, just think about it from the other team's perspective. Pick a team and stick with it and them.

I believe the parents/kids are afraid of it being a new team/league and if it doesn't fly, they want to have a back up team. Isn't that the thought process here, Grateful? IMO once the first year is successful, you will have no problems.

My son loved soccer. During 7th and 8th grade he and a number of his friends played both HL and travel concurrently. He regarded his travel experience as serious and loved the fun of playing HL. The park district wisely scheduled the HL games early on Saturday when they were not likely to be in conflict with travel games. IIRC, he was able to attend all practices and games. On the other hand, he had travel teammates who played baseball during the spring travel season. These kids routinely had game day conflicts.

From what I’ve observed this is a situation that is completely dependent on the sports and levels involved. I think that it is something that should be regulated by parents, not the Park District. That said, the Park District should be doing their best to strongly urge that parents understand the scheduling and time commitments for each of their child’s activities and to avoid situations where routine scheduling conflicts are likely to occur.

I must not have made my point very well as some posters went off in different directions about the amount of time children play their favorite organized sport(s).

If your son/daughter was playing any sport through the park district, and was asked to play several games with a non-park district team when it didn't conflict with the park district schedule, would there be a problem with that? It's not a moral ? that I'm asking either. It's "Does the park district have the "Right" to tell any parent what their child does on their own time?

What if your child plays park district soccer and a club team from Wheaton asks if your child would like to play in some non-conflicting games with their team? Do you have to have the park district's board approval? NO What if 2-day a week piano leassons with occassional recitals on Saturdays might conflict. Does the park district have the right to ask you not to do that? NO,of course not, and they never have, except when the allowed for this "exception" when they let boys baseball come under their umbrella.

As Candadate said above, his girls particapate in the park district gymnastic program and on a club team. Who am I or the park district to tell him what is best for his girls?

They need to either change that old private baseball rule or make the rule the same for all of their programs,

"If you sign your child up for this park district program, you must be aware that you cannot sign up for any other similar coaching or sport while this program is going on".

My point was to make my fellow tax paying residents aware of what I think is an infringement of our rights as park district taxpayers.

I've grown tired of this topic and am moving on, thanks for listening.

I'm not tired of it. I'm just getting interested.

You're right Grateful. But like most things "Park District" in this town, their rules, responsiveness and ideas suck.

Grateful, how did the PD find out that your child was involved with travel when you were trying to sign up for the house league? Just curious...

You could be in trouble, Grateful. I think there are plenty of attorneys around here that would sue the park district on your behalf. But be warned..."GOD is the ultimate judge and has the final say,".

Grateful:

Not certain what this image has to do with your cause, but the prospect of the Big Man schooling a couple of out-of-shape little kids really, really, really amused me. Hansel and Gretel getting pwned!! They are going to wish for that evil old dame and the oven once the J-man is done wid 'dem. WOOT!!