Honesty is the best policy?

[Striker991]

When I am in my home league, where I know everyone and everyone knows me, I tend to be less stringent on the "letter of the law" and try to let the kids play without as much interference as possible. In my home league, I probably would have responded the same as the umpire in the post. We need to remember, especially in Little League, why we are there. We are there so the kids can play. Let them play. At more competitive levels, as has been pointed out, we need to be more "professional." Little League, especially during the regular season, is for the kids to have fun and learn baseball. Why, on earth, would the coach and parents be dismayed at a child being honest? That would earn my children a pizza and a coke! Team Sports, at the Little League age level, is to teach the children teamwork, discipline, how that particular sport is played, integrity, and sportsmanship. If the catcher says he dropped the ball and you insist the runner is still out, who looks the fool here? I grant you, it's not the catcher.

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