Philosophical musing shrouding shameless self-promotion

 My niblings both play youth sports. I do not live nearby so I do not get to see them do so that often. But even though they play at a pretty recreational level, the vibe is still pretty intense. Though it is nothing close to the awfulness I hear some of my students describe or things I have seen in the media. 

And though it is not perfect, there are some good practices. Some of the sports that are more cost-intense have programs to help with accessibility. Neither of the leagues my niblings play in really keep score (the parents may and I am not sure which ones share that info with their children). The coaching I have seen seems good and I have not witness any parent or coach yelling at a ref/official (who are all teens). 

Still I was surprised--pleasantly--when I heard what happened at the lacrosse jamboree my niece played in earlier this summer. One team was short a few players and so players from my niece's team played for the short-handed team--including my niece--who scored! And that team won. And no one was mad (that I am aware of--this is all secondhand). 

And it reminded me of my favorite softball league: The Mary Vazquez League in western Massachusetts, which I not only played in for 10 years but got to research as well. As a member of Valley Women's History Collaborative, I helped collect interviews about the early years of this feminist softball league. It was a league that stressed participation and learning. Yes we kept score--but not standings; and we called balls and strikes. But also, you could request the pitcher slow down (the league is modified fast pitch); or get a pinch runner from home late. Running up the score was a cultural no-no and so teams would stop stealing or change up their usual field positions. And when teams were short-handed, players were shared. 

Why? Because it is recreational sport and participation and enjoyment and learning are they core values. And I am happy to see some of that in my niblings' sports experiences. I am not sure how long it will last and I still wish there were more pleasure and participation models of sport for folks of all ages and abilities. 

If you want to read more about the league's philosophies--along with some very fun stories from the women who founded and helped shape the league--my article is available for free for three months here. It was fun and rewarding to write. I had a great experience in the editing and revision process thanks the the editors and kind and thoughtful anonymous reviewers. 

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