Cheating and Failing our Kids

I had this one ready to go back when it happened but it slipped through the cracks.  My mind is muddy so nothing new is coming out of it worth your time so you get this.

I read an article a while back about last years Little League Champions from Chicago that were stripped of their title for cheating. 

 

 I had a link to the story but it no longer works.  Hmmm, wonder why.  It seems the mayor of Chicago now wants to honor the cheating team for what they accomplished.  It's not the first time something like this (cheating) has happened on such a big stage.  Nor will it be the last.  The thing I don't understand, is how the adults think they will get away with something like this.   They have to know they are going to be scrutinized extremely close by those that run things or those that didn't want them to win it or for many other reasons.  I went through the scrutiny with my team when we made the local tournament.  It only gets stricter as you move up.  I would venture to say it was more than just the local coaches that try to hide the truth.  Their had to be officials involved also.

I love to win, everyone that has ever competed does.  But at what cost?  What does this latest cheating scandal tell everyone, especially the kids?  It's not good to cheat, unless you don't get caught?  Now the politicians are celebrating their cheating.  With all the issues with the decline of values in our country you would think the politicians would just stay out of it and keep their mouths shut or they might receive political backlash for condoning such behavior.   But look who is involved in this one. 

They have never been known to have any integrity and seem to thrive on doing things that would have made them a pariah before.  Children mixed with politics used to be exempt from these type scandals so how is the media so silent on the politicians stance?  I think we all know the answer.

I have seen some of this cheating, a bit different but it's still cheating, first hand in my own time as a Little League coach/manager that involved the local big city's police chief.  I know he was trying to cheat, he knows he was trying to cheat, if it had not been for the umpire that also knew, he would have gotten away with it.  It was just one game, but it was enough to change the league standings.  The thing about it that bothered me most was that he, a police chief, should be held to a higher standard, and he should know it, for several reasons.  He was the manager, teaching young boys.  It's not just about playing the game, they learn so many things they don't even realize they are learning.  Second he was the Freaking Chief of Police for goodness sakes, the upholder of the law.  You have integrity or you don't.  What's integrity?   It's when you do the right thing, every time, even when no one is looking.  Well everyone was looking and he still chose to cheat.  Yeah, it's just a kids game.  But later in life, those same boys will remember it's OK to bend the rules and claim they either didn't remember or deny it ever happened.  Most probably won't even remember this even specifically but it does have the ability to influence young minds.  All because he wanted to win.  A tarnished win in a child's game is pretty sad and no one really enjoys the win, even those that cheated.  Others know you cheated.  If they say they enjoyed it, it's a lie.

I know that this is small potatoes, but in the long run it shows how we are failing our children.  Is it really that hard to stand up for right?   

Happy Trails