Remember: It's supposed to be fun

First of all, I apologize for the shameless cliché of a headline. Of course, I think we would all do well to remember there's nearly always some truth behind each time-worn ideal or, in this case, sports cliché.

This particular headline is geared toward those most revered of youth athletic staples: summer baseball and softball.

One of the biggest gripes I have in the entire world (What can I say? I try very hard to keep my life simple.) is when adults ruin things for children. Before things take too much of a negative turn, I want to point out how this is not the norm, but more of an exception. Especially in our community, a very high percentage of youth sports is about offering a healthy, fun activity for children to take part in and enjoy during the summer months. Basically, we're pretty good at getting it right.

Still, I'd like to remind everyone who plans on attending any of these games that no matter what, the point is to provide something beneficial to the young players. We're all rooting FOR someone. There shouldn't be any rooting AGAINST the other players. These are children out there and we need to act accordingly. Personally, I enjoy seeing all the children playing. I'd prefer it if every one of the tiny athletes got a hit and made a play in the field.

Typically, the biggest complaints come from the varied personalities of the spectators. As adults, we all have the responsibility to make the effort to present the best examples we can for the youth in our community.