On being the parent of a youth sports prodigy

The first word one of my sons (sorry, won't divulge which one) ever spoke was: bump. Not sure why. Just sure it was bump.

The second through sixth words were: "Tony Fernandez and Cal Ripken." He'd memorized the names and faces from a pack of baseball cards that found its way into the house. It was exciting to have an 18-month-old who could recite the names of two All-Star shortstops. So exciting that I wonder whether I would have been tempted to turn him into a YouTube star had there been YouTube at the time. Actually, I know I would have been tempted.

As the parent of a prodigy (sports, music or otherwise) it's hard keeping exceptional talent to yourself, as this CBS News piece explains very well.

Thanks, Ben.

It's on the evening news: a girl who strikes out boys

Back in March, I posted about a story in the works for the CBS Evening News about Marti Sementelli, probably the most talented female pitcher in high school baseball these days. The piece finally ran yesterday. It's a nice profile of Marti, a sophomore at Burbank High School in SoCal, and also offers a few glimpses of her dad, Gary. The larger issue - why girls who seek to continue playing beyond rec league face such a difficult road - is addressed briefly and inadequately to my mind. But hey, the whole story is just a few minutes long. That's TV news.



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