I’d like to be sympathetic to the family that feels they got a bait-and-switch treatment from the Orangetown Mighty Midgets, but as the dad of a former travel player, I’m finding it hard.

I’m also finding it hard to believe that travel soccer — and other sports, too, I’m sure — are having to resort to formal legal contracts to try to keep things in line.

Our kids, no matter how skilled and no matter how driven, are kids — first and foremost.

We want to offer them the best coaching, best competition, the best environment in which to grow their talents.

But they aren’t pros and at 12 years old, I’m thinking the emphasis should be on keeping them safe, learning the game and its nuances and having fun.

It wasn’t always fun for my son and that was partly my fault.

But when I signed him over to a travel baseball program — one of which played about 80 games the summer he was with them — his baseball development was in their hands.

I gave the coaches space and expected my son, who was a little older, to deal with them if he had any issues with them regarding position, playing time or anything else. There were times when either he or I saw things differently than the coaches, but I kept my distance. He had to face the issues and work them out.

In my eyes, it was part of the maturation process, both as an athlete and an individual.

There were times when Sean’s coaches changed and we both wanted the old one back. But we hoped the overall experience would work out well and usually it did.

I knew from the beginning that if it didn’t — if he got hurt, wasn’t getting playing time, got disaffected  or lost interest — we were going to be out the money, which sometimes was double what is at issue in the Mighty Midgets situation.

Perhaps the need for contracts is an indicator that we’re all taking this a little too seriously for the players’ good, especially at 12 years old.

I know, if I had it to do over, I’d do lots of things differently and if I”m lucky enough to have grandchildren, I’ll try to guide their development  in light of what I learned.