East Cleveland leader. [volume] (East Cleveland, Ohio) 1942-1970, 1953-07-30
Parents Are Threat
To Little League
Says Heights Writer

League has developed an amazing
amount Of adult and juvenile in
terest. However, like most worth
while projects, many wrinkles
must be ironed out before the
stamp of success can be applied
to it.
This organization, which in
cludes boys from 9 to II, is in a
position to contribute inestimably
to the development of good future
citizens. Give a boy something
that he likes, attach worthy re-
strictions to it, and you have an
combination W h c h
will produce results which no
amount of literature or lecturing
could duplicate.
This organization properly man.
aged (as it isl and judiciously
backed by parents (as it is not)
could erase the sight of the follow
ing eyesores in the upper elemen-
tary and junior high schools:
Cd Lying and forging Of alb
sence excuse notes, (2) cheat
ing on tests and copying home
work, CD stealing. especially
from gym lockers, (4 destruc-
ton of school property by break
ing windows. flooding of lava
tory floors, drawing Of obscene
pictures in lavatOries, and de-
facing of newly painted walls.
Why do these things take place?
Outside of few rare cases OF emo
tionally-disturbed boys, most Of
these reprehensible habits have de-
veloped because of improper home
guidance and poor examples Of
behavior set by parents.
What can the Little League or
ganization do about this situation? =?
The answer is not simple one.
However, this Little League, di-
rectly and indirectly, controls
about 500 boys between the ages
Of and II.
Basically, any boy from 9 to II
is of good character and is a pros
pective good citizen. 1t is only
through the omissions and COM
missions of behavior and inStruc-
ton Of their parents that some
of these boys become misfits.
Watch any Little League game
and keep your ears open. Some
parents will below like wounded
elephants and behave like frus-
trated morons when the umpire
calls bad one. The intelligent
parents will merely shake their
heads. or philoaophically remark
that anyone can make mistake.
Some young tars VIII take up the
cry Of the iormer immature par
enys they emulate.
Soon these misguided boys be
come chronic cCmy.ainers and
poor spores, chGl actei .atics which
undoubtedly can" over into the.l
daily lives. Not only is their play
on the field sc. iOusiy aftec ed by
The h2l boring Of a grudge, but,
what is mere important, they de
yelop lack Of lea pect for authoE-
ity. Certainly, the Little League
oleaniza ion does not want to de-
velop that which is instigated
tn ough the short sishtedness OF
few pa cnts.
At the opening of the season al
boys parents signed statement
confirming The age Of their boy
none Of whom could be over p
Yet every team manager IN the
Little League knows that there
were IS and 14-year olds playing
for several weeks until the birth
certificate crack-doNn recently.
Don't these parents realize that
they are contributing to the de
linquency of their own children
by lying or supporting lie? Here
can be the beginning Of those
forged school notes, cheating, and
even stealing. Unquestionaoly
this child will lie to his own par
enus sooner or later. I'm sure
that the Little League organiza-
ton wants no part of such par
ents or their offspring
1t has come to my attention
unsoIiciated on my part, that some
boys Of inferior ability were play
ing on certain teams because THEN
fathers We're associated with the
organization in some capacity
Really, the only one who suffers
in such cases is the boy himself
His fellow teammates lose THEN
respect for, him and treat him a
only clueI youngsters know how
Besides the boy develops the
obnoxious, although true in some
cases, idea that pull will get you
through the tough shedding" in
life. Although this may or may
not be true, a child with such ar
idea will lack initiative and de.
sire to succeed on his own, all Of
which must inevitably lead tc
lack of seif-respect. The Little