Let's Start a New Team!!!!!

hey, that was my spot too! just out of ear shot of all the coaches and umpires... most of the time! By the last couple of years of high school ball, and showcase, I had learned a little bit and could sit closer to the action... and closer to the concession stand. Now on a boiling hot summer day, if you needed to find shade, I was your man! Ask the other parents with the Dirtbags. I might end up a quarter mile away but one, I could see the action and two, I was cool and not getting my brains fried. It really is an art form!

 

I know I am getting off target here, but what about the Dad who is overly aggressive. The one who is yelling all the time when his daughter makes a mistake, basepaths, error, etc. He thinks he is getting his point across to her, but does he need to move down the corner of rightfield (his daughter plays LF). I see alot of dads like this, myself included. I know its just a game, but am I wrong?

 

there was a little league complex built in Fla. a while back that had all the "fan" seating behind the outfield fences! Now that's being proactive!

 

On some teams I've coached on we address the issue of what's expected and not expected of fans/parents. We have told fans upfront before the season gets underway that if they yell inappropriately at their kids their kids will be benched. That has been very effective.

No coach should tolerate the abuse of their players. The player is the coach's responsibility on the field/practice--not the parent's.

Most of the time the parents mean well so with a little help from the coaches and/or the other parents they can be enlightened.

At a tournament in Myrtle Beach one year one of the 14U parents very loudly demanded better performance of our centerfielder while she was in centerfield. After our team talk after the game and unbeknown to the coaches our whole team of girls went to the centerfielder's Dad and told him in no uncertain terms and without smiles that he better not do that again. That was very effective!

I remember clearly my rude awakening when my DD who was otherwise a model of good behavior told me to "shut up". I almost went on the field and we had a very serious discussion after that game. But I realized how wrong I was when my yelling brought that kind of response from a kid who "never" would have done that.

Sometimes the best way to help is let them do the helping. Parents/coaches can learn a lot from the ones they teach.

 

Phreak
You are fast becoming my favorite poster on here. Thanks for all the great in site.
Ray

 

Years ago when after playing for me and moving up into Sr. league, I quit coaching him, the kid was a pretty darn good player but not quite good enough for college after HS, but the point I am making is, after his moving up, I moved out to the outfield by myself to watch the ball games. Anything I had to say, I said to myself, after a game win or lose, I never once mentioned anything about officiating, coaching decision,errors , my only comment was, "good game"
Heck half of the comment posted on the board are about one of the two following, one, the officials are terrible we deserve better, two the coach's are playing daddy ball.

 

You make some valid points, but outside any formal start up organization I'd say what drives some people to start teams is they get tired of the way girls are treated. I've heard many parents complain about how unsupportive daddy ball or coaches can be, or other players who are not supportive, and it's really too bad because if they do not want a girl(s) then why have them? People down right lie to you and once you are there you find out what it's really all about. But there is also the psycho dad that HAS to be the coach. Regarding your comment about being on the proper team and skill level....one of the biggest problems with that is the lack of coaching. I've seen coaches who load teams with talent and go kill people, and I've seen coaches who coach kids with lesser talent and desire and kill people. So who is the better coach? The guy with a loaded team, or the guy developing kids to another level of play that becomes a loaded team? My daughter has been on three travel teams, and if it were not for private instruction she would not have developed at all. Her private instructor and I both believe when her experience catches up to her mechanics she'll be a very good ball player with a very strong bat. She is almost there and she did not get it from a travel ball coach. She got it from extremely hard work, dedication, a desire to really want to play the game, A dedicated parent, and an awesome instructor. All the things coaches say they want in a player and parent (read the message boards). And she's trying to play travel ball for the challenge.

 

Scal wrote: I've seen coaches who load teams with talent and go kill people.

That sentence says it all. Some of you think this is all part of the game. I know for a fact there is a coach who goes out during the season promising Pitchers of other teams, "Come to my team and you will be the #1 pitcher". This is said to 2-3 pitchers. Now he has 2-3 pitchers plus his own pitchers whom he has promised will be #1 pitchers. The same he does to other players and slowly casts off his own players to build an ELITE "A" level team. Well now you had teams that were competitive, they have since lost a top pitcher and sink down to a "B" level team. As the season progresses these pitchers and parents realize that this coach is pulling a sham and slowly leave the team, while he goes around in a sneaky manner recruitng players off of other teams. Now it comes out, " There are not alot of "A" level teams, Why are there so many teams".

 

Flashback

Wow Trooper, I just had a major flashback while reading that! Unfortunately, my DD got caught up in a situation like that several years back. It was a terrible experience for her and took a while to get her confidence back. She didn't understand why the coach was doing what he was doing. He told players that they were awesome, busted their butt in practice, and then sat them on the pine when he brought in the next 'superstar' which typically wasn't any better (sometimes worse - too much hype) than what he already had.

Just like you stated, the parents figured it out and slowly left the team. What a shame. We had some good ball players on that team...