You never know?

What a great thread

It was great to look on here and see this today, after witnessing some of these same negative behaviors at a game recently. So bad with both teams, the game was suspended.

You have the routine "9" who know theyve got their positions set, gonna play in every game despite their averages and production, and they throw their helmets and bats when they get a bad 3rd K call, they draw lines in the batters boxes and tell the umps where the last pitch was, they mouth off to the umps when they get a bad call, and they still get to play - that is, until the game gets suspended. More disappointing is that its allowed at all by the respective coaching staffs.

Then, you've got the other 6-10 fielders who are sitting the bench, some who have that "character" thats been talked about, and theyre not getting their due opportunities. They sit there and see that its the ones with the crappy behavior and attitude that get to play, figure that out.....

I guess its just the small majority of us out there anymore who care about our kids characters - a slim few who still believe theres a right way and a wrong way. And - how tough is it to keep your kids and players positive about playing the game they love to play when theyre up against this kind of "accepted" behavior more and more often?

 

Thanks for starting this tread.

"PLAY THIS GAME FOR THE FUN OF PLAYING AND NOT REWARDS AND THEN MAYBE REWARDS WILL COME TO YOU"

 

Not because someone is watching

or may be watching. But because its the only way you know it should be done. I was working with three young men from Nash County today. I gave them a scenario. Your playing in a game and you pop up to the infield. You jog it out and then walk back to the dugout. "Man did you see that swing on that pitch?" "And did you see the way he got down the line?" Same scenario but this time you bust out of the box and you run it out as hard as you can busting through the bag. You then jog it back to the dugout. "Hey I love to see a kid get out of the box and not pout." "Yeah he just missed that one , just a little out front. I love the way he ran it out."

Now the first kid hit a pop up and got out. The second kid did the exact same thing. But the reaction to the same ab is totally different based on the reaction of the player himself. Would the second player run this out if it were a pick up game in a tobacco field and no one was around to see what he did? If he has pride in how he plays the game and he respects the game of course he would. And if the first player is going to jog it out and pout in a game with people in the stands and his team mates watching , his coaches watching and the opposing team watching what would he do or will he do when no one is watching?

What some people fail to realize is the way you play the game speaks way more about you than you ever realize. To me if you can not respect the game enough and yourself , team and coaches anymore than to play this game with all you have all the time you do not deserve to be on the field.

If you jog one out on me your going to sit the rest of the game. If you do it again you can pack your bags and go jog for someone else. How a player reacts to what he does on the field will have a tremendous effect in how others view him.

 

I know this is probably not the right thread, but flotg brought something up that made me smile.

It's been ten years since I've been involved in youth baseball. I want to assure everyone that has not participated at that level for awhile.......Daddyball is alive and well!!!!!! But I have noticed one thing different. 'lil johnnie has become more of a spoiled brat then I remember.

I can't recall seeing more kids coddled, protected and unfocused in all my years. I hate to say this, but I'm starting to understand why some parents favor travel ball at this level.

 

This probably describes best what i'm talking about.

 

this is it....

totally agree 100% right on the button!!!!!!!!!

 

And the sad thing is

the game I was referring to wasnt little league, junior league, middle school, high school, or either of the legions - it was a game at the "next level" - so disappointing.......

 

I'm surpised the even went around it.

 

After many years of playing, this is my first year on the other side of the "fence" as a coach. It is amazing how much different the game looks when you are in turf trainers instead of the spikes. I have seen several kids this summer that need to read this thread.