European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 31, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 26 b the stars and stripes sunday May 31, 1992reality infects kids Field of dreams have you gone overboard. I. Lotrn flu m a amps Kan Georg Kaiserslautern a Tony Scott agonies Over an error he made in last years european Little league tourney. Plantation Fla. A Thomas Tutko a san Jose state University sports psychologist and author of a winning is everything and other american myths and a monthly newsletter suggests some questions for parents to Monitor whether they and their children Are taking youth sports too seriously for kids a Are they suddenly doing poorly in school a Are they suddenly showing a Lack of concentration a Are they saying self condemnatory things about their play a Are they too cocky bragging about themselves and criticizing others a do they get headaches or stomachaches right before the events what s still fun Plantation Fla. Apr the Urcla sports psychology Laboratory funded by the Amateur athletic foundation of los Angeles recently measured attitudes among nearly 2,000 Southern California boys and girls who participate in sports. Here in order of importance Given by the children Are the rankings of the factors they said contributed most to their enjoyment 1. Positive coach support. 2. Learning Effort. 3. Positive team interactions. 4. Positive Parent interactions. 5. Sports ability. 6. Feeling fit. 7. Winning. A do they cry or have slumped shoulders after a game for parents a do you find yourself preoccupied with winning or losing a do you punish your children for poor play or losing a do husband and wife have open communication about their child a sports participation a Are you saying and doing things that Are harmful or helpful a Are you doing it for the child or for yourself a Tutko suggests that parents should a embellish the positive for their children playing Down winning or losing. A the parents have to be the support system a he says. A amps Kot Torge the reactions of 12-year-old czech Pitcher Radom Zengler and his coach roman Klemper speak volumes about the Joys of youth baseball. By Dan Sewell Plantation Fla. A by Day John Spencer evaluates or treats hardened criminals and other sociopaths. Evenings he is a coach Umpire and league director for preteen baseball players. Sometimes the contrasts Arentt As Sharp As would be expected. A it can be a Little disheartening a said Spencer a forensics psychologist who has also been Active for two decades in youth baseball programs. A a you a like to think that you re going to an ambiance that would be conducive to a fun time that the focus would be recreational. A but it can be a microcosm of the world. It really does become the Law of the Jungle a Spencer said. In Whiteville n.c., one coach of 10-and-younger players on May 18 slashed a rival coaches Throat with a pocketknife blood splattering on one players shirt. Spencer agreed that the Shock of the Whiteville slashing May not be that it happened but that such violence does no to erupt More often at youth games. Across the nation More than 2 million children each year play Little league baseball and tens of thousands More play in spin off organizations such As Knothole baseball Usa Khoury league or Dixie league. Many enjoy youth baseball for what lumber Yard clerk Carl Stotz intended when he started the first three team Little league in Williamsport pa., on june 6, 1939 Quot to assist youth in devel Oping qualities of citizenship discipline teamwork and physical Well being with proper guidance and exemplary  it does no to always work out that Way though. A there May be Only one incident in Little league a year like the slashing but maybe a million kids Are going to be embarrassed and think less of an adult or even their parents Quot said Bill Geist a lbs news feature correspondent and author of a new Book a Little league confidential a a sampling a in 1990, a Little league coach was hospitalized in intensive care in Willow Springs iii., after being assaulted by a rival coach and player. A a manager was clubbed with a Bat by a rival manager in Terre haute ind., in 1989. A in 1989, Al Centro calif., league play was suspended after an Umpire was threatened by a knife wielding Parent. A in 1989, Competition in a Houston suburb was halted after a coach whose team was in a playoff race protested another teams use of a too old player a who had cerebral palsy and was batting .167. Ray Recchi youth coach and columnist for the Sun Sentinel of fort Lauderdale wrote last week that so far this season in his league a Parent tried to scale a Fence to get at a coach who ordered his son to bunt coaches had to be restrained after one threw a clipboard at the other and police were called to quell a Brawl spurred when a manager was ejected for profanity. Quot the kids. Seldom cause problems a Recchi wrote. A in fact accusing adults of childishness for arguing or fighting is actually an insult to  a i think some of these people might not know what the real reasons for Little league Are a said Stotz now 82. Quot its for the  Quot he got a lot out of it a said Tony dra Bek former Little league coach in Victoria Texas whose son Doug went on from the neighbourhood team to become a Star Pitcher for the Pittsburgh pirates. A the Learned the game and he Learned to win and lose gracefully. And 1 think All the kids learn How to get along with each other when they re in Little  but the elder Drabek also remembered other coaches who a instead of teaching the kids sportsmanship it was win win  Doug Drabek joined hundreds of Little league players who have made the major leagues beginning with Joey Jay a 20-game-winning Pitcher for the Cincinnati reds in the 1960s. He was followed by Hall of Farmers Carl Yastrzemski and Jim Palmer and Likely Hall of Farmers such As Nolan Ryan and Mike Schmidt. Other Little leagues include vice president Dan Quayle sen. Bill Bradley d-n.j., Rock Star Bruce Springsteen and actors Tom Selleck and Danny Devito. Sheryl Mahler does no to know whether any of her four sons will follow their father former Brave and red Pitcher Rick Mahler to the big leagues but she does no to like the Start they be gotten in youth baseball in West Palm Beach. �?o1 would hate for another Parent to go through what i just went through with Ricky a she said of her oldest a 9-year-old whose harsh introduction to organized baseball brought him Home crying and wanting to quit. A coming from the major leagues its really a Surprise to see How intense these games Are. These coaches and parents Are really out there to win a mrs. Mahler said adding that she May become a coach next year to protect her other children from hav ing experiences that sour them on the game. Geist who has coached his son and daughter from their Early childhoods said the intensity can be almost unavoidable. Quot there a something that makes your sap Rise you want to protect your Young a Geist said recounting his fury at an Umpire that had his daughter in tears the night before. Also he decided after driving into new York City that a the same people who Cut you off on the highways Are the people who Are doing Little things in order to win these games. There a something deeply psychological going  indeed say psychologists. Thomas Tutko a san Jose state University psychologist who authored a Book titled Quot winning is everything and other american myths a said youth sports for Many Are a child abuse in a Subtle emotional  coaches who overemphasize winning parents who push their children to Excel until they Burn out and parents who have gifted children and a Start picking on everybody else create an atmosphere of pressure that makes it Quot really hard for a mature child oriented coach to do  a parents too often Are trying to undo their own frustrations and living through their kids a Tutko said. Spencer said rootless suburban neighbourhoods help make children a Fields a Battleground. Quot you done to know your next door neigh Bor. The Days of the sunday afternoon Church picnic game Are gone. Everybody a trying to get theirs. Maybe you can to afford the car the Joneses have but your son can play shortstop and theirs can to he said. Tutko said he believes there Are Many values to be Learned from youth sports but it would be better to save a the adult Model for teen agers and use a alternative approaches As in some communities. Some leagues rotate rosters every week or two so there Are no team standings. In some leagues no scores Are kept in tee Ball or coach pitch leagues. In Many leagues every player must play in some every player must play in the infield at least part of the time. The Plantation athletic league screens coaches cracks Down on unruly parents and holds hearings on complaints filed about coaches. Usually no More than one coach a season gets suspended said league director Jim Jacobs but others who seem to go too far will not be assigned teams the next season. Jacobs rushes Home each Day from his furniture design business to spend up to 20 hours a week coaching his songs team and directing three leagues making schedules presiding Over meetings settling arguments. Quot i enjoy working with kids being involved. I feel its important for me to be part of the program my children Are in a said Jacobs adding a a it a cheaper than