Excellent thoughts! One of the caveats that crossed my mind was if this increases the difficulty of hitting. Some of the kids at that age already have a tough time making contact, and the only way they do it at all is because some of the pitches are "floaters" due to weak grip. Would they stand a chance with a smaller ball?
What I like about this concept is the flexibility to custom-tailor the sport to the age/ability level. I know little leagers have a shorter and closer pitcher's mound, closer bases, etc... but perhaps there are other changes that would be beneficial as well.
Excellent point by Will that other sports do this all the time. When I was eight years old I played in a basketball league that used a mini-ball and 7-foot goals. But it was still basketball.
|