How do you handle this situation?

I saw this on HSbaseballweb and thought it is interesting.

What do you say to your son after a tough game when he was the losing pitcher or struck out at a key time?

and for you players, how do you want your parents to approach you after a tough loss?

My feeling is that each parent and player are of different makeup and use different appproaches, but I'm curious on how you handle that.

 

Case by case...

"Are you hungry son?" Answer is ALWAYS generally yes! If not take him out for a burger anyway, and discreetly bring up the situation MAYBE after geting a read on him or perhaps HE will bring it up! There will be another opp for redemption forget about it and get over it till the next time perhaps to address it!

 

I love that...and it works too!

 

As parent that wanted to see his kid succeed, I made the mistake of rehashing these situations way too many times. It took me a long time to finally figure it out. I had to go back and see a LL game and how the parents acted to realize it. I can promise you that there isn't a better answer to this question than the 1 that The "O" has offered.

 

for me, my DDs would always hear me ask......."where we eating tonite, its your choice"?

 

Had it happen to us last high school season. My son failed to get a critical bunt down - popped up to the catcher - and even though we went on to win anyway, he confided in me (almost in tears) that he had never felt lower in his baseball life. Biting my lip (while my insides wanted to give advice on proper bunting technique) I looked him in the eye and told him I hurt with him, that I am incredibly proud of him, but this ain't life, and tomorrow would be another day. Lets go get a bite to eat.
Sure enough, 2 nites later. he comes up to bat. We are visitors. Tied in the top of the 7th with 2 on. He goes yard. 3 run hr that is the winner.The place goes crazy (I go crazier). That nite he tells me that was the high of his baseball career. THEN I spoke: Son, remember that 2 nites ago you said was you all time low? And now 2 nights later, 2 nights later, is your all time high?!!! What's the lesson here? #1 - what an awesome game. But I want you to know I was just as proud of you when you popped up to the catcher as I was watching you circle those bases.

To be happy in baseball (and in life) we have to learn to live with joys in both the highs and the lows>

SO for me I am slowly learning to wait before I speak. This game is the great equalizer!!

 

Always...always put your arm around him/her, pull them close, (tightly), and you say, life is full of ups and downs, some days you are the dog and the next you are the fire plug....and life goes on...i'll buy...where we eating?

 

A few years ago, my son at the time was 11 years old. His team has a 5 run lead, top of the sixth. He serves up his first home run ball to the best hitter in the league which happens to be a grand slam. Now a one run game. He gets the final out and all is well. On the way home, I say to him, "so how do you feel about the game and the home run ball you gave up" He's response was the best. He looks at me as only a 11 year old could, and says;

"Dad.......... if I'm going to pitch, that won't be the last home run I ever give up!
Then he smiled.

Nothing else needed to be said. To this day, as he continues to pitch with his USSSA/AAU team, he's attitude is the same now as it was then. :xyzthumbs

 

PhillyDave, I love that response !!!!!!!!!!!

We all have different things we look at and as the guys get older and as parents, we move from the dugout/sidelines to high in the grandstands, we see different things.

I remember one game last year. The team we were playing against arrived at the last minute for the game, threw the ball around for 5 minutes (hint younger players; You loosen up to throw the ball, you don't throw the ball to loosen up) and went and parked in the dugout. Their coach arrived about 5-6 minutes before game time and Junior was pitching against them.

That game I thought he looked horrible. Everything was up at the letters or a little above and he normally lives down at the knees. But, on the way back to the dugout after every inning, he just had this little smile on his face.

After the game was over and I had him back in the car, I asked him if he felt a little "off" today. He just looked at me funny. I told him it looked as if he was having trouble keeping the ball down and he started laughing. He said, "Dad, did you look at the other team?". They all had hangovers and were trying to hit 5-run homers. I just thought I'd tempt them to try it at the top of the zone. I had not realized until this point that he'd thrown a 2-hit shutout. I was so busy looking at the trees (each individual pitch), I missed the entire forest (the overall game plan).

 

luv it, NCBBALLFAN

isn't it great that our kids sometimes help us(supposedly the wiser ones) to step back and see a bigger picture!