9-Year-Old Athlete Kicked Off Team For Being Too Good?

August 27, 2008

If Michael Phelps had been pulled from the pool, would he have gone on to be the winningest Olympian? It's ridiculous to think that a child could be punished for being too good an athlete, but that's what is happening to Jericho Scott, a 9-year-old little leaguer in Connecticut who has an arm that can throw a fast one. While the pitcher tops off at 40 mph and has never beamed another child during a game, batters have a hard time hitting his pitches, and some parents were concerned when their sluggers went up to bat. As a result, the league has banned Jericho's team. Do you think this is fair?

23 Comments

lily8206 4 years 37 weeks

You learn more when you compete against better teams/players. The more the other kids face the fast pitcher, the more experience they will have with different speeds and abilities.If the kid is just way too advanced for his age group, then move him up a level! If he's that good you'd think the older teams would be happy to take him!

lily8206 4 years 37 weeks

You learn more when you compete against better teams/players. The more the other kids face the fast pitcher, the more experience they will have with different speeds and abilities. If the kid is just way too advanced for his age group, then move him up a level! If he's that good you'd think the older teams would be happy to take him!

Roarman 4 years 37 weeks

I don't think it is unfair, he is too advanced for this team/league. Most of the other kids on the team are just starting out. This is not a formal league. They do have an official little league in the area, but instead of switching her son to that league, where he might actually be challenged, she is suing the league that won't let him play. I think the boys mother is being ridiculous.

BlairBear 4 years 37 weeks

I heard about this a few days ago too and I agree it is completely unfair. From what I heard, they didn't stop him from pitching until the team had reached 8-0. After that, they put him on second base for a game and then he went back to pitching but the other team forfeited when they saw he was pitching. So that's when his mother got irate (somewhat understandably) with the other team. Another reason his mother thinks he isn't allowed to pitch is because he was offered a spot with another championship team and turned it down and one of the league administrators was a parent or coach or something like that for the champion team. I can't remember exactly. All in all, I think it is unfair to penalize little Jericho because their kids aren't good enough to beat him.

mom2bella 4 years 37 weeks

What kind of an example is this to the kids if they don't let him pitch? That when things are too tough you asked for it to be changed so that it is easier for you? Uh-hello - real world here!

mom2bella 4 years 37 weeks

What kind of an example is this to the kids if they don't let him pitch? That when things are too tough you asked for it to be changed so that it is easier for you? Uh-hello - real world here!

lawchick 4 years 37 weeks

sad and unfair for that kid. but also, the other kids are going to be exposed to people who are better and worse than they are at everything in life -- that is normal and shielding them from it in this isolated instance isn't going to help them.

Nak Nak 4 years 37 weeks

I read this story a few days ago. It seems that this is a newer league in the area and I think there isn't a more competitive league available for him to play in.

minxa25 4 years 37 weeks

that totally ridicuolus. it like mum are jealous

chancleta 4 years 37 weeks

i could not BELIEVE when i heard thiscompletely unfair

chancleta 4 years 37 weeks

i could not BELIEVE when i heard this completely unfair

lickety split 4 years 37 weeks

no, but is there a more competitive leauge the child SHOULD be playing in that would let everyone have a good time? here we have different leels of competition and some of the kids (parents) do what they call "sandbag" where they hold a kid back from one year to the next and don't move on when the child is ready for more challenging competition.

kia 4 years 37 weeks

I think this is a weird case. I saw some of it on the news. I wonder how much of how his team and he are being penalized has to do with his mother? She apparently threatened someone associated with the sport with violence. I hope that isn't the case that the kid is being penalized because of his mom and that this is an excuse.

ckeller825 4 years 37 weeks

this happened to me when i was in elementary school too, but not with sports. whenever our classroom would have math or spelling competitions, i would always beat everybody because i was the fastest and smartest in my class. so my teachers always discouraged me from participating to give the other kids a chance.i think that really screwed with my head, because i thought trying hard to be great was a bad thing.

ckeller825 4 years 37 weeks

this happened to me when i was in elementary school too, but not with sports. whenever our classroom would have math or spelling competitions, i would always beat everybody because i was the fastest and smartest in my class. so my teachers always discouraged me from participating to give the other kids a chance. i think that really screwed with my head, because i thought trying hard to be great was a bad thing.

bluepuppybites 4 years 37 weeks

I guess I can see the parents' concerns but I wouldn't kick him off the team I would move him up in the leagues for this circumstance. This way he would be challenged as well as other players. A neighbor of mine growing up was put on the varsity track team at the high school when she was just in 8th grade because she was too good.

jessie 4 years 37 weeks

the kid is 9....and being singled out for being to good...:oy:...so unfair for the entire team...just because the others can't take the heat...welcome to the world of sports......for those playing against jerochios team...learn from it...better their skill....let them all play ball..

leeluvfashion 4 years 37 weeks

Unfair. It is not his fault that he can throw so quickly; he shouldn't be punished for that. If anything having such a good player should make the other player's step their game up.

DesignRchic 4 years 37 weeks

Totally not fair. Why is it his fault that he's really good at it? If he's the right age for the team then I think he should stay. I understand that he might cause little boys to go home crying because they couldn't hit one of his balls, but it will only help them to be more competitive and strive to be better.

Frank y Ava 4 years 37 weeks

He should have just been moved up to a higher level. I heard of this before where the kids have potential to be superstars so they get moved up to the older kids. That was wrong though, he probably is so heartbroken. He just wants to play.

milosmommy 4 years 37 weeks

I was thinking that maybe they could find a team that had older kids since his ability would be more up to par with them than the ones his age.

jennifer76 4 years 37 weeks

No, that's ridiculous. If you're scared to let your son play against him, pull your son. There's always some players in any league that are just much better than the rest. That said, maybe his parents can find an invitational league in his age range that will benefit him more than playing with the average kid anyway.

jennifer76 4 years 37 weeks

No, that's ridiculous. If you're scared to let your son play against him, pull <em>your</em> son. There's always some players in any league that are just much better than the rest.That said, maybe his parents can find an invitational league in his age range that will benefit him more than playing with the average kid anyway.

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