My son was nervous at the try-out, and kind of forgot everything his dad taught him. He didn't do well at the try-out, but we thought it wasn't a big deal. The coaches were supposed to pick the players for their teams at the try-outs. My son ended up in a team with no coaches! Someone finally volunteered to coach his team - a dad with two boys on the team. He had no experience in coaching basketball. My husband offered to help, but couldn't be there for every practice and game because of his own coaching schedule.
There were a few 8-year-olds on the team who had some basketball experience. However, most of the other kids, like my son, didn't know much about basketball. We were nervous about playing the first game! On game day, the two teams who played before us were fantastic! They were so good! I was shocked! However, a little insider news we heard explained everything. Some of the coaches told the good players they knew not to go for the try-outs. In that way, they could absorb them into their teams "naturally", ensuring they had a strong team with no "weak", inexperienced players. Of course, my son's first basketball game was disastrous! He was already intimidated watching the other teams play. On top of that, my husband couldn't make it for the first game, and so there was nobody who could coach their team. My son was like a lost sheep on the court!
Anyway, it's a pity that it's so competitive even at the Little League level! Can't a little guy learn to play a sport without the pressure of winning, or feeing like a loser in the first game?
