My son had his first soccer game yesterday. Kindergarten/1st Graders only, supposedly.... but the smallest kid on the other team was half a head taller than the biggest kid on our team, so the results were as expected.
1. About 10 feet away was an extended family there to see their child Marcus play, on our team. How do I know his name? Because the grandfather spent the entire game yelling at the poor kid to Marcus do this, Marcus do that, Marcus don't do this, Marcus don't do that, and MARCUS, STAY ON YOUR FEET. And I mean he was LOUD. And constant. I felt bad for the poor kid.
2. My own mother in law was there. She couldn't keep her loud big fat fucking mouth shut, either. "WILL, RUN AT THE BALL! WILL, BE MORE AGGRESSIVE!" on and on. And I finally had to tell her to shut her fucking mouth when she started yelling that he should start knocking the other kids down. Both my wife and I jumped on her for that. And then she had to have a big fight with us in the middle of the crowd about how that is just how the game is played, and she doesn't have to be quiet.
She is on probation.
Crazy old people
I dealt with a few loud family members when I coached, but nothing extreme.
The worst I faced was smokers who lit up near the kids or near the field. I'm not a anti-smoke Nazi, but I'd ask them to move far away from the field. None of them ever argued. In fact, all were quite polite and apologetic about it.
The worst parents are the ones who think a t-ball game is the World Series...in the future where their kid is in his/her 20s and not clumsy or, you know, a CHILD. When the other parents on YOUR team are telling you to shut your mouth, it's time to shut your mouth.
The worst I faced was smokers who lit up near the kids or near the field. I'm not a anti-smoke Nazi, but I'd ask them to move far away from the field. None of them ever argued. In fact, all were quite polite and apologetic about it.
The worst parents are the ones who think a t-ball game is the World Series...in the future where their kid is in his/her 20s and not clumsy or, you know, a CHILD. When the other parents on YOUR team are telling you to shut your mouth, it's time to shut your mouth.
“Every record been destroyed or falsified, books rewritten, pictures repainted, statues, street building renamed, every date altered. The process is continuing day by day. History stops. Nothing exists except endless present in which the Party is right.”
I'll clump douche bag coaches in with this as well. Saw one t-ball game where the coaches on one team told their players to run to every base until home. Don't stop. Doesn't matter where the ball was, just keep running. Because, at that age, the kids can't throw, can't catch, and certainly can tag a runner. So, even though the ball never left the infield, every batter hit a home run. It was awful watching the little kids try to field the ball, throw it from base to base after the runner, failing every time. The kids were getting very frustrated and demoralized. I'm all for having a winner and loser no matter what the age. But sportsmanship trumps all of that. What kind of fucking douche bag gets off on beating little children like that?
When I coached flag football, we never ran the score up, EVERY kid on my team got the ball and our superstars sat on the bench. At less than 13 years, sportsmanship and education are WAY more important than a coach's ego. I will admit though, there was one game I enjoyed winning. The father of one of our players from the previous year decided to coach. Which is fine. Except that he poached all of our good players. He requested certain players be on his team. I didn't even know this was possible. We beat them anyway. Douche bag.
When I coached flag football, we never ran the score up, EVERY kid on my team got the ball and our superstars sat on the bench. At less than 13 years, sportsmanship and education are WAY more important than a coach's ego. I will admit though, there was one game I enjoyed winning. The father of one of our players from the previous year decided to coach. Which is fine. Except that he poached all of our good players. He requested certain players be on his team. I didn't even know this was possible. We beat them anyway. Douche bag.
Saw one t-ball game where the coaches on one team told their players to run to every base until home. Don't stop. Doesn't matter where the ball was, just keep running.
I hated that too.
Our league made the rule that players have to stop after one base. The last player in that inning gets to hit a home run. It all sounds PC, but it's honestly simple mercy. Kids that age just have zero skills and there's no point discouraging them from working to get better.
The only time this rule ever got broken was when some idiot parent screamed at their kid to run.
“Every record been destroyed or falsified, books rewritten, pictures repainted, statues, street building renamed, every date altered. The process is continuing day by day. History stops. Nothing exists except endless present in which the Party is right.”
T-Ball league last year also had all kinds of rules that were unheard of back in my t-ball years. No outs, no score keeping, and the full roster bats every inning. One base per hit. And yes, last batter rounds the bases.
And yeah, the kids are pretty terrible at that age, so it pretty much makes sense. One ball in four is stopped by a player instead of friction with the ground. One ball in four gets within 4 feet of the target at which it was thrown. One ball in three is caught when it manages to hit the target.
5-year-old-t-ball is just for learning the fundamentals. My kid is 6 now, and now it is "coach pitch." We didn't even have that when I was coming up. From what I have seen, a hit ball that get past the pitcher is pretty good, and one that leaves the infield is.... very rare. The above fielding stats still apply.
And yeah, the kids are pretty terrible at that age, so it pretty much makes sense. One ball in four is stopped by a player instead of friction with the ground. One ball in four gets within 4 feet of the target at which it was thrown. One ball in three is caught when it manages to hit the target.
5-year-old-t-ball is just for learning the fundamentals. My kid is 6 now, and now it is "coach pitch." We didn't even have that when I was coming up. From what I have seen, a hit ball that get past the pitcher is pretty good, and one that leaves the infield is.... very rare. The above fielding stats still apply.
"Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid."
I think the rule should be that you can run as long as no fielder has the ball. As soon as it's picked up, you stop at the next base. That way, a good hit is rewarded, hustle is taught and over throws/missed catches aren't penalized. And if you manage to get the kid out because he didn't stop at first base, bonus. Limit the batting to 6-8 players, then switch the field. Keep score. That way there is still a winner. Kids learn fundamentals, sportsmanship as winner/loser, etc.
At 5 years old, by far the most interesting thing on the field to those children is watching the dust float away when they drag their feet really fast. Kids are constantly getting bored on the field and sitting down.Cakedaddy wrote:I think the rule should be that you can run as long as no fielder has the ball. As soon as it's picked up, you stop at the next base. That way, a good hit is rewarded, hustle is taught and over throws/missed catches aren't penalized. And if you manage to get the kid out because he didn't stop at first base, bonus. Limit the batting to 6-8 players, then switch the field. Keep score. That way there is still a winner. Kids learn fundamentals, sportsmanship as winner/loser, etc.
Before he started playing I thought all those new rules were just ridiculous and stupid and counterproductive, but now I see.... you're lucky just to get the kids through 3 innings without them shitting their pants.
"Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid."
5-year-old-t-ball is just for learning the fundamentals.
Exactly.
Kids are stupid. They'll stand 3 feet from first base and throw as hard as they can to the kid standing on first base...even if the kid is looking a different direction.
T-Ball is just an introduction to the game, its fundamentals, and the team concept. Scoring and all that aren't necessary, nor would mean anything to kids this age. Half the kids on the field don't want to be there anyway. As a coach, you're just trying to get them to learn the game, and even if they don't like it, have fun.
Besides, if they didn't run leagues like the way my kid's was or the way Gordo's kid's is, the games would never end. An actual thrown out was quite rare. I think my kid was 4 when she started playing. Maybe 3. I know she was 3 when I coached her in soccer. Kids that age simply don't have the mental or physical tools to compete.
I remember one of her at bats where she hit the ball about 3 feet in front of her and easily got to first without coming close to being out. This was with 3 kids fielding in the area between the bases and home plate. And before you think she's The Flash, no. She ran about as fast as the average 3 year old can run at full speed.
It makes it very easy to be calm and patient with the kids when nothing is on the line. It's great.
“Every record been destroyed or falsified, books rewritten, pictures repainted, statues, street building renamed, every date altered. The process is continuing day by day. History stops. Nothing exists except endless present in which the Party is right.”
"MARCUS, STICK THAT BONE BACK IN YOUR ARM AND GET BACK IN THE GAME!"
Major league baseball player comes sliding into home plate. Not just tagged out but 2 feet short of home plate. The coach comes out and tells the player to get up limping.
The player asks why?
The coach explains it is better to look hurt than stupid anyday!
Major league baseball player comes sliding into home plate. Not just tagged out but 2 feet short of home plate. The coach comes out and tells the player to get up limping.
The player asks why?
The coach explains it is better to look hurt than stupid anyday!
In marriage there is always one person right. And the other one is the husband.
So apparently there's a team in our league from Fremont, Ohio. They are a bigger town, so I am sure they have a team stacked with the biggest kids who tried out.
Well, word is that their coach encourages his players to hit and knock other players down. They have already cracked one kid's rib, and dislocated anothers shoulder. This is for kids 8 and under.
We have already forfeited that game, we arent going to do that. And i would like to know why that coach hasnt been arrested, yet.
Well, word is that their coach encourages his players to hit and knock other players down. They have already cracked one kid's rib, and dislocated anothers shoulder. This is for kids 8 and under.
We have already forfeited that game, we arent going to do that. And i would like to know why that coach hasnt been arrested, yet.
"Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid."