Jackie Robinson West has been stripped of their Little League National Title for allegedly including players from outside their district’s boundaries. Scandals in sports are becoming commonplace, but this is particularly emotional because it’s kids. When adults cheat it’s the kids that lose the most.
Did the kids know they were cheating? Probably. Perhaps their manager or coach told them “everyone poaches players.” The point is, these are kids. They are still learning about good judgment. They were thrilled to be on a good team. It’s understandable that they would go along with it.
Shame on the adults for putting the kids in this position.
Were they “doing it for the kids?” Bullshit. They were doing this for themselves and using the kids to do that.
They say it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. Is it better to have won a national championship and have your wins stripped away than to never have won at all?
So what is the lesson that these kids learned? Don’t cheat, or don’t get caught? Or save your cheating for the NFL?
I still support Jackie Robinson West. The team. The kids. They did not cheat on the field. They played great baseball. They were a team no matter where their members may have come from. I hope that is what they remember.
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