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Dr. Andrew Jacobs has been a sport psychologist for 25 years and has worked with all levels of competitive athletes from youth sports to the professional and Olympic level. He has graciously contributed an article he recently wrote about mental toughness. He also will be leading a teleseminar with Fred Engh about "How to avoid and overcome the issues that can ruin your child's youth sports experience." Information can be found at winnersunlimited.com--click on 'Seminars' to sign up.


As a sport psychologist, I have dealt with numerous issues over the years related to sportsmanship, proper coaching and parenting.


It is quite common for a parent or coach to discuss with me issues about motivation with young athletes, when should you push them and when should you ease off on them. Almost always the topic of winning comes into play.



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Nov 10, 2006 10:16 AM Reply Guest C Fernando

I don't agree. I think you should apply proper (clean) strategies at any level of play. In fact, I looked at it as KIND of the Yankees to walk the 1st batter ALLOWING the cancer survivor a last chance at bat. The better player could have just as easily hit a (caught) pop fly & been out. Then the game would have been over, and the weaker boy would've never gotten up to bat. Just the same, the weaker boy could've connected, similar to a bunt, & could've gotten that last runner in (my younger son is this age in rec baseball & the catcher rarely got anyone out at home base) and been the star of the game. Believe me, I've seen odder things happen when the perceived weaker (team or player) triumphed over the perceived stronger.

Nov 10, 2006 10:47 AM Reply Guest Charlie S

I also disagree. I think the decision on whether to walk Jordan or pitch to him was made when the game was called a "Championship Game". Had Romney knocked in the winning run, this article is written completely different. The strategy of baseball was established along time ago and we all know what that is. I think an even stronger lesson here is that Romney participated with a chance to win the game.

Nov 10, 2006 11:34 AM Reply Guest George N

I also disagree. The coaches of the winning team used good strategy. The coaches of the losing team did not. Who would follow their best hitter with their worst hitter? They should never have been in that situation.

Nov 10, 2006 2:23 PM Reply Guest jerry

I disagree also because most kids and their families with some sort of disability would have been wanted to be treated just as equal as the other kids on the team. If the child's parents(cancer survivor) or the team felt that he needed to be treated differently what message does that send to the other kids?

This is all even before baseball strategy enters into the picture.

Nov 10, 2006 8:24 PM Reply Guest Pat m

The opposing coaches were responsible to their team, it was just a matter of chance who was up to bat in the last inning and they used the line-up to their team's advantage. It is quite unusual to put the "least experienced batter" behind the "best batter" you would want the next batter to be more likely to help get the "best batter/runner" back home with a base hit or two, because the best batter/runner is not going to hit a home run everytime up to bat. It was smart for the other coaches to want the best batter walked in the particular game situation. When do you start teaching some strategy? This was a championship game for both teams. If Romney has had health problems he is likely trying to overcome them and get on with his life and wants to be treated evenly with the other players, the last batter to strike out would likely be disappointed, no matter who it was, and it was the coaches call to have used a sub if they were that concerned. For the coaches to get in a fight, Jordan and Romney's coaches must have initiated that, why would the winners want to fight. So what kind of role models were they being?

Nov 11, 2006 7:19 AM Reply Guest Sioux

Am I missing something? Doesn't the story start "The Red Sox were up in the bottom of the last inning?" Doesn't that mean they were winning the game? or does it mean they were just up to bat?

Nov 11, 2006 11:24 AM Reply Guest Doug

I disagree. Walking the batter was "good baseball strategy".

Nov 11, 2006 11:49 AM Reply Guest Joe

Let's remove the fact that the player was a Cancer survivor. If you do that... then the story is something that happens in almost every competitive baseball league.

If you keep score, there will always be competition. If the league rules allow for this action, then it is perfectly legal.

Nov 11, 2006 5:21 PM Reply Guest John Baughman

These are 9 and 10 year olds.. What exactly do you intend to accomplish by winning the championship? This was an opportunity to teach your kids a life lesson as opposed to winning a meaningless ball game.

I coach t-ball and regularly watch other coaches teach their kids how to end a play by touching the closest base as opposed to making the proper baseball play and throwing to first etc....

Do the other teams sometimes get an extra base? Sure they do.. but my kids will not be the kids that do not know what to do with the ball at the next level when they have to make decisions for themselves..

I love seeing my kids have more fun learning and maybe losing than winning for the wrong reasons!!

Nov 14, 2006 8:03 PM Reply Guest joe "Mama" Besser

u all are smokin sumtin, god hes a cancer survivor he shouldnt even be playing baseball, and hes taking staroids, jez thats what i call some serious problems, he should be kicked out for staroids, whats wrong with u people, Ive had testicular cancer and i got my balls choped off, no big i wasnt a sissy who goes and takes staroids. all natural baby!!!!!

Feb 9, 2007 3:35 PM Reply Guest Will

The guy right before me is an absolute moron. This is a kid trying to overcome a medical battle and live his life. Do you really think he is juicing up for little league? If your answer is yes, please stop using up every one elses air!

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