Poor Sportsmanship during ASA States

All I was saying that he said it loud enough for our players to hear and it turned into more of an inspiration for them to win. They got satisfaction out of proving him wrong. Maybe I don't get it, but I still don't think that is a bad thing on the part of our players. I was attacked for not teaching them the right thing. I have watched other teams (and they know who they are) for years scream ugly cheers at them from across the field for an entire ballgame while parents and coaches sat there and let it happen and our team has yet to utter one word back or sing and chant in the dugout, and anyone who has played us knows this to be true so please don't tell me that we are teaching them the wrong thing.

 

One more time....

.....a catcher cannot block the plate.
Yes its contrary to how we learned in our days. Seeing a catcher in front of the plate was cool and then came the collisions. Thats why the rule changed. A catcher must allow a path to the plate for a runner. It can't be any more clear than that.

Lets try this exammple....say a runner at 1st gets a lead, the catcher throws down to try a pick off, the 1stbaseman drops her left knee and calf in front of the bag, whats the call?

 

Not trying to send this another direction but coaches are teaching travel ball players these techniques on all bases. In high school with metal cleats these players will get hurt. I am seeing this more and more on the travel level. I doubt the travel coach will be around when these players are cut up. Not talking about all travel coaches. Only the ones where the shoe fits. I agree totally it isn't the catchers job to block the plate and it is that way in the rulebook for a reason.

Unfortunately most umpires wont make that call at first either. Seen it twice in one tournament this year in both cases the runner couldn't get back to the bag and was called out. I am waiting for the defenders to start body blocking as the balls are coming!

 

Running rampant?

On this subject, I witnessed a situation a couple of weekends ago in Summerville. A girl from a Florida team that had just eliminated a Tennessee team was walking in from the parking lot with what i would assume was her 2 or 3 yr. old brother in her arms. She was met by 2 girls from the Tenn. team on their way out to the parking lot. Missed the beginning of the conversation, so i don't know who started it, but by the time i got close it had turned into a cussing match between the 3. Including the 2 Tenn. girls threatening to beat the other (much smaller than both of them) girl up. It kind of settled down when i got close enough to hear it, and i had a long conversation with my self about how I should handle it. Should i have ran up and stopped it immediately and chewed everybody out (as i would have if it had been my kids)? Should i have stopped all 3 and had a conversation on how to conduct themselves as young ladies (as i would have if it had been some of our team)? Should i completely ignore it and hope that it was an anomoly? Should i have approached the other 2 teams coaches and brought it to their attention? (this is the one i decided on but their was already a group conversation going on with both groups about the subject when i returned)? As a male coach who sits in the dugout, i overhear alot of conversations that occur that i don't particularily want to hear. And girls being girls they will talk about hair and makeup and looks and attitudes of other players. However, it is our rule that you only cheer for your team and that above all else you have sportsmanship and conduct yourselves as young LADIES.

 

Bringing it to the attention of the players' coaches is the very best idea. If you had approached the players it easily could have boiled into something bigger. For the most part, I believe parents should be fans--not participants. Most concerns should be brought to the attention of the coaches or other officials.

That is not to say parents don't play a major role. Obviously, they do. But team business should be the coaches' responsibility.

 

I gotta say....

I've heard and seen ALOT of things that just absolutely shocked me in the time that my DD has been growing up through the years....on the ball field and off....and I have to say....Girl's can be VICIOUS! Foul mouthed, cruel, violent, and destructive.....

Boys will talk trash and things like that, but girl's are downright mean....as my DD makes the "cat" noise, as they bear their claws!
Respect starts at home. LOTS of parents think their kids can absolutely do no wrong. And to alot of these parents, you would be AMAZED...

I KNOW my DD is no angel, and has probably said and done some things that would make my blood boil. But she KNOWS that if her mom or I EVER see or hear of her doing these things, a famous quote from her mom.... (before you say anything or call child protective services, I KNOW it sounds bad, but I don't think it's actually intended LITERALLY) but she would say that our DD would be picking her teeth up off the ground!! (My wife stands about 5 foot nothing and weighs in at probably 110 or so....my daughter is 5 foot 8 and weighs around 155 or 160) All my wife has to do now is give our DD the "look" and she knows......Spare the Rod Spoil the Child....some people don't believe in it, and some people do. But in our personal experience, it has faired well!

Respect and discipline start at HOME! This is NOT for Coaches or Teachers to teach kids life values...sure! They have a hand in it, but I think that some people are getting this confused. You look at all the violence in schools, and there's always a parent on the news that is complaining that the "teacher" didn't do their job of disciplining.

When I was in school, if you didn't listen, or if you acted irrationally or out of line, or God forbid that you was in a fight, you was getting a good swarping with the prinicples PADDLE! Not in the privacy of his office either! Right there in front of your ENTIRE class!!!!! And you KNEW you were getting it AGAIN when you got home because they called your parents! Yes, I know from personal experience....
Now the school can do abolutely NOTHING to these problem kids, except to send them to "in school suspension"..... which is nothing more than a vacation!

There were no GANGS in school, and very rarely was there fights. And there was NOT a resource officer from the sherriff's dept at the school, nor was there metal detectors that you had to pass through just to get in! My DD cannot carry a bookbag, nor is she allowed to wear a coat or jacket (EVEN in the dead of winter) or even carry a handbag, for the simple fact of kids toting guns and knives to school.

Girl's acted like ladies, well, for the most part, but there is an exception to every rule, and boys were just....boys.....and, I ahve another question.....what's with girl's now a days calling each other wh*res and b*tch*s?

My DD KNOWS that she BEST act and talk like a young lady, or she will face the music at home.

So, let me recall some things here.....


In the years I have been around tournament ball, I have seen a coach bodyslam a parent in the parking lot.....2 parents slugging it out at a tournament in Rock Hill, and YES, it was a MAN AND A WOMAN, I have seen girl's fight it out in the dugout, and they were on the same team.....2 coaches were cursing each other in the parking lot at a field, and they BOTH had vehicles FULL of their players, which were 14U girls at the time.....seen 2 teams play and when they went to shake hands at the end, several of the girls from one team spit, and I mean SPIT into their hands before they shook the other teams hands.....YES! NASTY! And these are GIRLS!


When does it end? Can't we all just....play ball?

I am done venting. Some of it was totally off topic. How I miss the good ol days.....

 

The "look".....

....from Momma speaks LOUD!!!!! My mom had this "one eyebrow raised gig" that did not mean we were going to disneyworld. .....and Nathan nailed it with "respect and discipline start at home". Nice post my friend!!!....oh, you forgot to mention, the 'ol "momma back hand to your head from the front seat"!......yep, never failed, great accuracy and whew!, that wedding ring could straighten out any issue! ...Moms Are Great!!!!!!!!!......Jeffrey, the middle kid Marlin.

 

Remember today is tomorrow's good ol days.

 

MUST SLIDE RULE AT HOME??

YEARS AGO THERE USED TO BE A "MUST SLIDE" RULE IN YOUTH SPORTS. BUT AS A RESULT OF A LAWSUIT, WHERE A PLAYER SLID INTO HOME PLATE, BROKE HIS LEG IN 3 PLACES, AND THIS WAS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE PLAYER HAD NEVER BEEN TAUGHT THE PROPER METHOD TO SLIDE. THE PARENTS FILED THE LAWSUIT AND WON, STATING THAT THE RULE SHOULD NOT BE THERE UNLESS PROPER INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO SLIDE WERE APPLIED. THERE IS HOWEVER A "MUST AVOID CONTACT" RULE IN PLACE, BUT WHEN YOU HAVE TEAMS THAT ARE TAUGHT THE OLD BASEBALL WAY TO PLAY THE SPORT, THIS WILL ALWAYS HAPPEN, NO MATTER WHAT RULE IS IN PLACE. PUT THE BLAME WHERE IT BELONGS, ON THE PARENTS AND THE COACHES OF THE KIDS THAT PLAY THIS WAY, AND ON THE PLAYING ORGANIZATIONS FOR NOT PUTTING STIFFER PENALTIES IN PLACE TO DETER THIS ACTION.

 

Avoid Collisions

Most catchers don't want a collision either. A good catcher will be set up out in front of the plate and try a sweep tag at the plate upon receiving the ball. Younger catchers need to work on this technique and stay out of the base line. Additionally a good slide by, reaching back with the hand works well for the runner.
Dad