Now I realize that I come from a different era than many who might skim these posts, but I remember neighborhood games. All of the kids from the block would spontaneously appear in the hours between breakfast and lunch, lunch and dinner, or after the school bell rang (yes, we still had school bells) and we’d play. We’d play. We had no coaches or referees. We often didn’t even have the proper equipment. But all of that was unnecessary. We created rules where they were needed, devised teams - admittedly utilizing outdated and less than perfect techniques - and manufactured our own Game Seven or Super Bowl. Little League was about as organized as our sports world got in a small town in Pennsylvania, at least until we entered high school. Neighborhoods have certainly changed since those days and, consequently perhaps, so have our children’s games. Some would argue that today’s youth sports offer more opportunity and exposure than ever while others might challenge the benefits of the new, highly-structured and hyper-competitive versions of our beloved pastimes. In what promises to be an ongoing discussion, the following is an easy read on the topic. 

…it’s true that the playing field for youth baseball has changed dramatically since Little League was founded 75 years ago. And with the loss of so many players and their families to travel teams, our community league games have lost a certain sense of community.

Stealing Home: How Travel Teams Are Eroding Community Baseball by David Mendell

Dan Lopez has been the Athletic Trainer at Park since 1998. He earned a BS in Kinesiology, Athletic Training from Temple University and a MS Exercise & Sport Science from the University of Florida. At Park, Dan teaches Anatomy & Physiology in the Upper School Science Department and is involved with the Sports Committee and the Bruin Athletic Club. At home, he is husband to his wife Patricia and father to two daughters, Ona & Wynn. You can follow Dan online through the Park Bruins Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/ParkBruins), Park Bruins Twitter Feed (@ParkBruins).