softballphreak
Certified softball maniac

True, there are some mean-spirited posts. I may have been so in a post or so, even. I believe the best way, though, is to treat those that do that in a non-reactive way, so to speak. In a written medium that should be much easier to do than face to face; you have time to think. Of course, face to face, much of what is negative wouldn't be said in the first place.

I recall a recent exchange I had with Five Frame Swing. It was very obvious he was getting negative because, in my mind, he thought I was being the negative one. I didn't resort to hostility and in the end we understood each other; even though we still don't agree on what we were discussing totally.

IOW, I believe if I try to put a positive spin on what's being posted it will turn out OK in the end.

Thanks for the compliment about the helpful ideas. I've learned a lot on here and hope to learn more. We can disagree anytime, that doesn't make me or you a bad person; probably just the opposite.

Hi - I have learned a lot and picked up many helpful ideas and perspectives from your posts, but disagree that everyone is 'just trying to be helpful' with everything they post here. I'm not always right, but some of the posts I've seen are very hard to interpret as being anything other than condescending - not that that's a crime - and intended to belittle. As a coach, I don't mind being made fun of. I'm young in the game and I'm learning. Where I take exception is when I feel that my players or the young players of other coaches are being bashed. Even if they aren't called out by name, it isn't cool.

Not everyone is guilty of it, but some of the biggest offenders are considered experts on the forum and the 'my way is the only way' stuff does get a bit old when some of them are apt to say 'do x, y, z (as *I* say) or you're not doing your job as a coach'. This is still an incredible forum, but it seems less friendly today than when I first began lurking.