With All Of Life's Uncertainties

**Unchained** · April 18th, 2009, 07:17 AM

It's good to know that beating the Raiders on the diamond is still a given. What is Shupe now vs Wyrick 2-27? (know he's only won twice). It wasn't easy,but the result is still the same as it is,ever was,will be.... 3-2 JJK as Zak fans 13. When Shupe went to Norton folks sounded like Christ was coming (promised a state title within 3 years). I still can't help but chuckle.

**Golic** · April 18th, 2009, 09:43 AM

Originally Posted by Unchained

It's good to know that beating the Raiders on the diamond is still a given. What is Shupe now vs Wyrick 2-27? (know he's only won twice). It wasn't easy,but the result is still the same as it is,ever was,will be.... 3-2 JJK as Zak fans 13. When Shupe went to Norton folks sounded like Christ was coming (promised a state title within 3 years). I still can't help but chuckle.

Shupe has brought a level of respectablity to the program in Norton. Have they won that state title he promised? No. But are they a bottom feeder in the district? No. While I think Wyrick has done a fine job at Kelly, I think Shupe would have been just as successful, if not more so, had he stayed at Wise.

**Unchained** · April 18th, 2009, 02:47 PM

Shupe had so much more to work with when he was at JJK than Wyrick has had/has now. Drive out and watch some Little League there if you doubt it. When I played Little League baseball,we had 12 fully loaded teams. Now we struggle to field 4. When Dave took the reins at JJK the cupboard was completely bare. What he has managed to do here is truly remarkable.

**Golic** · April 18th, 2009, 11:09 PM

Originally Posted by Unchained

Shupe had so much more to work with when he was at JJK than Wyrick has had/has now. Drive out and watch some Little League there if you doubt it. When I played Little League baseball,we had 12 fully loaded teams. Now we struggle to field 4. When Dave took the reins at JJK the cupboard was completely bare. What he has managed to do here is truly remarkable.

The team Wyrick won with last year had been playing together for years. It is because of this that Wise Little League is in such the shape that it is in. No one wanted to play Little League in Wise because they put all of the good players on the same team and ruined it for the rest. Now there is a struggle trying to get kids to come out and play baseball again in Wise LL. Of course they have 8 T-Balls teams in Wise now (each with about 12 kids per team), so lets hope that is a sign of good things to come.

**basketballguy** · April 18th, 2009, 11:45 PM

hmm golic seems like you are sour with the team. Well let's clear this up for everyone since the group that won state seemed to ruin wise LL for years to come. When these kids were 9 they played little league and the entire little league went into a draft. There were four teams at that point all head coaches were dad's i do believe. After the draft one team was stacked wit about six 9 year olds and played 12 year olds in coeburn and wise. The all star team was then chosen by who played the best that season. It was apparent who was the 12 that would play because those 12 kids practiced nearly year-round since they were 9. When they were 12 Cody Bentley transferred to wise and when that group was freshmen Justin Wilson transferred. Also they received Chris Strougth their senior season.

I suppose the kids who didn't want to play didn't want to work to get better. By the end of regular season most of the kids didnt want to play anymore except the 12 kids playing allstars. So to say that those group of kids ruined Wise LL is crazy. They were long gone and the program still couldnt get back on its feet. I believe it was the sorry parents who never pushed their child to do any better and gave them a bag of chips and said its ok honey you can play video games instead of playing baseball.

**starbuck** · April 19th, 2009, 08:54 AM

I don't have much of a horse in this race because I for one don't like baseball one bit. It could go the way of hockey and soccer for all I care but little league should be "fun" for all kids not a win at all cost situation. when you get to the JV level I can see things changing to the best play and if that isn't you then try harder. I never was the most gifted player on my football team, never a natural and I had to learn to work hard for every bit of playing time I got while some were naturally blessed. my daughter is playing t-ball this year and if it is a "win at all cost" thing and making 5 year olds feel awful then that is wrong.

**Golic** · April 19th, 2009, 12:10 PM

It wasn't the kids who ruined the league, but those who ran the league and allowed all of these kids to play on the same team.

And when you say these kids didn't want to work to get better? These are 9-12 year old KIDS! You allow these kids to play when they can. Little League baseball isn't a year round thing. Not ALL 9-12 year old kids can nor want to make that sort of committment. To deny those kids the chance to play because some of the "so-called" better kids are willing to play year round is ludicrous. And then when some do play, and they are playing against a pre-loaded team and getting beat every game, that isn't fun for the others.

Yes, you can blame parents to some degree. But not at the point you made. Parents should push their kids to get better?? Yes, some parents can work with their kids to get better. But Little League is meant to be FUN! Not all kids are going to go on to play High School baseball. In fact, if you have a solid league, I'm willing to say only about 20% will play ball at the high school level. The regular season is meant to be fun by all the kids. At the end of the season, that is when you can get your "all-stars" together to play with one another.

**basketballguy** · April 19th, 2009, 12:53 PM

That's the thing you do not get. They didn;t all play together until all-stars. They were split up by the draft and one team had 5 kids on it and the other 3 had the rest. Obviously the one with 5 kids took there licks when they were young but they laid some licks when they got older.

**Unchained** · April 19th, 2009, 03:31 PM

If folks want to lay blame with the problems with numbers and the league,don't rag on the team,rag on the Playstation Genertaion kids that just don't get out and do it. The soccer boom has had alot to do with it as well. Lots of kids are on the pitch nowadays instead of the diamond.

**lpdbsbl** · April 19th, 2009, 05:51 PM

There are a lot of things to be said about Little League, good and bad. I have personally seen some changes taking place lately at Wise Little League that is working to lay the foundation to rebuild it into what it had previously been in the past. There are 8 T-Ball teams, but most importantly, there are some good folks involved at that level as well. Not just good dads who are willing to give their time, but good coaches as well. Guys who know the "FUN"damentals of baseball and I know that Coach Wyrick has reached out to them and offered his assistance. There are many ways for folks to contribute to the future success of the league and I would encourage them to offer their services to the league instead of looking to blame the league for something that went wrong.