Are we still in the Everybody-Gets-A-Trophy era? Or are people gradually weaning themselves from the idea that everyone needs to win every time they are in some sort of competition? I thought that we were in the weaning process. But after reading about a sixth grader who plays football so well that he is now formally limited from scoring more than three touchdowns per game, I'm thinking that we're not quite as weaned as I would have hoped. See, Fox16 learned of a one Demias Jimerson. He's eleven. Apparently, Demias (pronounce that
any way you'd like) is an awesome football player who can score just about any time he touches the ball (so they claim). Thus, the Wilson Intermediate School Football League instituted something called the Madre Hill rule. (They make a point in the article of telling us that Madre Hill was a Razorback at the University of Arkansas. Like we care or know who he is anyway.) Apparently, Madre Hill could kick ass on the football field as well. So they made a rule that after a person has scored three touchdowns in a game, if their team is ahead by more than 14 points that person can't score any more for the rest of the game. Wait. What?
Yes! That's the rule. The Principal of Wilson Intermediate School is a one Terri Bryant. She claims that "...the rule isn't meant to punish Jimerson. It's there to help the other fifth and sixth graders on the field develop as football players too." Hmmm. And it's going to do that by having them play against sub-standard players and teams? I'm not seeing how that is helping. I'm also not seeing why the game can't just be played without having to make stuff up! Why is this happening? I understand that the kid is good. The other teams can't compensate? I don't know what to tell you. I don't think that the rules need to be changed because one guy is really good. Let's just dumb everything down for kids so that they won't have to try quite as hard. Let's just give everyone a chance...to think that they can do something that they can't. Are we supposed to make these sorts of exceptions for everything when one kid really excels? The answer, in case you're struggling, is NO! These things happen. Get used to it! Don't change the rules so that everyone doesn't feel bad! What is wrong with people?!
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