The games of baseball and softball are played by boys and girls from a very young age and coached by many aspiring parents. Not all of these youngsters have major league talent but the parents often have other ideas. IB Rundown in a recent edition shared an interesting letter from a young player to his father.

The anonymous letter below, from a boy to his father, shows the mature attitude of some children when faced with the negative interference of parents or coaches in team sports. This interference sometimes causes a child to abandon an activity that might otherwise lead him or her away from a life of inactivity, drug abuse or alcohol addiction. Many people believe that healthy adult habits are formed in childhood, and these habits can include working as a member of a team, honesty, respect, knowing how to lose and how to win, discipline, and many other virtues. These all can be gained through an active interest in sports. But the message is clear: Bad habits can also be learned that might last a lifetime. Here is the letter:

My Dear Dad,
"I have to tell you, I don't know if this is the best way for a boy of nine years, like me, but I have to tell you anyway. It's because I suffer a lot, you see? When I am supposed to be having fun. I say that because when you make me play something it is to have fun.

"I used to like baseball. I don't anymore, because I suffer. I thought that to play baseball was only that, to play. Between you and the mothers and fathers of the rest of the kids on the team, it makes me crazy and I don't want to wear my uniform anymore.

"On one of the days when I was catching, because the kid who plays that position didn't come, I threw to second base when someone was stealing. You screamed at me, "Don't throw it like that. It's too high!" The truth was that I didn't even think that my throw was going to reach the base.

"That day, Sunday, was when I was going to have fun after being in school all week. I didn't tell you anything because I didn't want you to grumble, but my left hand was inflamed after the game. I think it was because I never played that position before. I usually play second base. The catcher's mask was heavy and one throw hit me in the arm. It hurt, but if I said something you will be mad, like when we lose a game.

"I used to like to make believe I was Luis Sojo or Robert Alomar at second base, but now I don't like it very much because people are yelling and grumbling all the time, including my own father.

"All of us on the team have been talking about it and some have decided not to play baseball anymore, to see if then we would be happy like other kids".

"Our manager also suffers when everyone yells, and when we lose they all complain about the bad substitutions. Every parent wants their kid to play and the manager can't play us all at the same time at the same position. And when we win not everyone congratulates him."

"I'm very sure, dad, that you think you are doing what you have to do. But do you know what I heard" That a lot of parents want to pressure their sons to improve their game, without caring whether he is having fun or not. You're not like that, are you dad" Because that would be very bad, and you are a good person.

"I forgot how to hit, dad, because when I'm standing there, the people start to say things to me, to move here or there, and I get confused. Besides, what they yell is different from what we practice."

"I don't understand, and I would like to understand. To see you so worried and so distressed when I play is hard. You know, daddy, I love you very much and I don't want you to suffer because I don't know how to play the way you want me to play, like Sojo or Alomar."

"Many kisses, your son, (who doesn't know how to play catcher)."