Before you get mad at me and leave nasty comments, this isn't my idea. Yahoo! Sports writer Dan Wetzel has actually suggested that kids who play in the nationally-televised Little League World Series should be paid $1,000 per game. I'm not kidding. Here's a quick summary of his reasoning:
- Advertisers and the networks (and the non-profit Little League Inc.) make a lot of money from the event -- and the kids are the ones who play.
- Many of these young athletes come from developing countries, and a few thousand dollars could go a long way toward providing educational opportunities that they might otherwise miss out on.
- The event has already been corrupted: "There has long been cheating in Little League, from doctoring birth certificates to playing out-of-district ringers."
Here's the problem with these arguments:
- If the kids don't want to play because they're not being paid, they shouldn't. Plenty of people appear on television for no money. Should Olympic curlers, who often stand to gain little in the way of endorsements, be paid for providing something that sells ads? What about college basketball players, which is a much bigger business than the LLWS? And as Little League Inc. says, the organization uses the money it earns to fund its operations. Paying out money to the kids who are in the World Series could raise the costs of every other Little Leaguer.
- We should do more to provide educational opportunities for underprivileged youth? But why single out the kids who are fortunate enough to have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go to Williamsport and play on television? Maybe Little League should offer scholarships to kids who volunteer to coach youth baseball while they are in high school. That would make more sense. Reward community service. But why reward amateur athletes financially for reaching a major tournament? Isn't that the whole point of being an amateur -- no money?
- If you think it's corrupt now, wait til you see what happens when you toss money into the mix. As Wetzel points out, the per capita income in Venezuela is less than $5,000. The opportunity to double that through a a successful World Series run could prove irresistible to many families. People cheat now for reasons of misplaced pride, ego, and a desire for attention. But money? That'll double the problem, if not worse.
Wetzel certainly makes some valid arguments, but I believe that these are best-addressed through other means. There's no reason to turn Little League into a professional sports league. Do we really need little Jimmy hiring Scott Boras to lobby for a chunk of the hot dog sales?
Five winners of a weak dollar
For a quick-read on the U.S. economy, check the price of gasoline
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-24-2007 @ 5:55PM
SN said...
NOT, if anything, give money to their athletic associations for field maintenance, uniforms, training aids, etc. That would benifit more of the youth and maybe produce more sports oriented communities. Keep more kids out of getting in with the wrong crowds. Our athletic organization can't even afford to put lights on the baseball fields. We get games called for darkness all the time. That shorts the kids games. So, any amount of money that could be given back to the athletic associations could only better the athletes it teaches.
8-24-2007 @ 9:41PM
Deb said...
Paying a little leaguer is the most absurd thing I have EVER heard of. Maybe, just MAYBE offer an educational scholarship to the winners, or have the corporate sponsors put money towards additional equipment and traveling expenses. Take the corporate sponsor dollars and give them to those kids who can't afford a mitt and a hat, let alone a grass field. I played little league when I was a kid. I considered myself fortunate to have the opportunity to play, fortunate we had uniforms, and that I got a new mitt every year. Throwing money at children for playing a GAME will not send the right message to kids. Play because its fun, play because you WANT to, play because the lessons learned on the field of play lead to the lessons of life afterwards. Kids will have enough time AFTER little league to be tempted by the all mighty dollar. Don't take the fun out of the GAME, when it is still supposed to be just that, A GAME.
8-25-2007 @ 7:21AM
sharon miller said...
I enjoyed watching the games, and I am not a Baseball fan! If money was entered into the mix then I would like it to go to their school's sports program.
8-25-2007 @ 10:48AM
Tom Pate said...
Great,
How long after paying these players will it be until the steroids accusations begin to swirl?
8-25-2007 @ 11:59AM
animadvert4 said...
And has anybody asked what the NCAA would rule with respect to eligibility of these kids for college baseball scholarships after they personally accepted money as direct compensation for playing in a game?