until i was in college (and even some rec-league adult ball). i played football through high school. and while we were taught to play hard, give it your best, and play to win... i don't recall ever having the 'hurt the opponent' mindset or 'nastiness' that you mention. we were taught to win with humility, lose with grace and above all to practice sportsmanship. when we did lose, it made us want to be better... heck, i remember being punished mercilessly when we were less than sportsmen (we defeated a small town school in baseball on their field and some of the guys on my the team were laughing at the state of the facility... our coach asked their coach to allow his team to stay for a while after the game and watch while he ran us on that field til we nearly dropped).

today... things are totally different. it is a win-at-all-costs you-must-be-the-best attitude. we have friends who have their 7 and 8 year olds playing year-round baseball and going to camps during the lull between season. i have seen them play... they're nothing special and will likely not go past high school ball. i don't understand why people do this to their kids and themselves. as much as i loved baseball i would have hated it had this been done to me and would have quit the first chance I got.

sP

I read between the lines of your reply and see a lot of hurt and pain.

Anyway, yes, the poor sportsmanship of some is quite disgusting. Only made me want to make them feel have a taste of their indignity even more when i had the chance to rub it in their face. Not that i was always a tru-sportsman, but i tried to play fair, and win or lose, be content that i had given it my best.

But as in most physical endeavors the maxim remains: No pain, no gain.

Even rose bushes have thorns.

at all. in fact, i am not sure where you're getting it. was there physical pain in the work to be better? sure... anytime you're straining your body to excel and improve there could well be some pain but mainly there was physical exhaustion in which i found exhilaration (the endorphin rush became addictive).

i loved my time playing sports and look back on it with great fondness... the only regret is that my body would not let me play at the professional level but i am thankful for coaches who set proper expectations for me. i was good... a standout even... but pro-ball was beyond me. we won and lost games and it taught me a lot about life.

sP

. . . I think it had a negative impact. I grew up before the era of 'everybody plays'.

I was the fat kid, and not into sports at all.

Now, I'm probably in the top half of my age-cohort for fitness. But there are times that I still feel like the fat kid getting picked last for kickball.

My brother coaches at the High School level.

baseball was mostly work up...take turns at each position until you bat ( until little league.
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football was just separate the best players and then choose, everyone played