When you're dealing with young kids, it's more important to learn how to play the game, and good sportsmanship. It's not about running up the score on inferior competition.
Charles H. did not posit a theory, he stated a fact. When I was playing Little League and Babe Ruth some 40 years ago (shudder), there were no rec leagues, or travel leagues. The closest thing I got to a rec league was when I was in 6th grade, and it was called Peanut League.
It was a league that required that everybody plays at least half the game. This was about the only time that I played on an excellent team, we went undefeated and won our league's championship. When we were leading by a sizable margin, we quit stealing bases, and any trash talking earned a place on the bench next to the coach.
What has been lost in this discussion by many of you (not you, Mike) is the role of good sportsmanship in youth sports. Far too many parents, living through their kids, harbor a notion that their child will hit the big payday by making it professionally.
From my experience, most of you out there have absolutely no clue as to the great chasm between being a great amateur and a mediocre professional. I think I do have that clue, as I spent my college years closely observing many fine athletes, while getting to know them as individuals and the sacrifice and effort they made to progress beyond the collegiate level.
For myself, I was a pretty good bowler, averaging 200+ for 25 years, winning several city and state championships. Even though I was in the top 2% of the bowlers where I lived (El Paso), the best 5 in the city would routinely get smacked whenever the PBA would come to town. I had several offers of sponsorship to try the PBA tour, and I politely refused, because I knew the change in lifestyle that would entail. It's not that I didn't have confidence in my ability, but I knew that it would require 10-12 hours of practice each day, and major investments in equipment and coaching.
The point I'm trying to make is that these parents would be far better off easing up on their kids, and spend more time on teaching them how to play and enjoy the game, instead of the incessant focus on winning. If their kids are that talented, the cream will still rise to the top.
Hell man, I was an amatuer figher. No one understand the chasm between a talented amatuer and mediocre professional as well we do.