Bleacher Talks

[RandomDad]

My wife was at my DD's team practice last night and overheard another mom say something that has me really upset. Last week, we had a girl suffer a broken thumb during pre-game warm ups. It was a fluke thing, but it happens in sports. The girl that got hurt is a good player and one of our better hitters. It just so happens, that this girl's dad is a coach and he is the one who hit the ball to her when she was injured.

So the mom says to him last night...."Why couldn't you have broken the thumb on one of the weaker players?"

I know the coach really well and I know that a comment like this isn't going to sit well with him. I just can't believe that a parent would say something like this. I'll see this mom tomorrow at our tournament and I'm going to do my best not to say anything to her about it.

Oh, btw. This team is a first year 10U team. All girls are '02 or '03 birthdays.

Do I say anything to the coach or the head coach about this parent or just let it go and let the karma bite her in the a$$ in due time?

 

[GOINGDEEP]

Do I say anything to the coach or the head coach about this parent or just let it go and let the karma bite her in the a$$ in due time?

If you run tell the coach all the BS the parents say...........you will never have time to watch a game.

Unless they are talking about my kid, I try to always let things roll off and leave it alone.

One day I'm going to write a book on all the stupid things I've seen and heard at the ball fields, but I'll need a semi to deliver the needed paper.

 

[RandomDad]

Good point Deep. I know there are some hardcore parents out there and I have apparently come across my first one.

 

[quincy]

Been on the field coaching so I do not hear the bleacher talk, DW sometimes tells me what is going on. 1 time specifically a parent was lucky I was not in the bleachers and heard their comments on the game, then again if I was in the bleachers they would have not have made the comments.

The reasonable parents need to control it, unfortunately part of having your DD play.

 

[Axe]

Maybe they were just joking around? I can see people saying stuff like that tongue in cheek.

 

[CoogansBluff]

Do I say anything to the coach or the head coach about this parent or just let it go and let the karma bite her in the a$$ in due time?

IMO, your getting upset about this to the point that you would go to the coach and hold negative feelings toward another parent is more of a red flag to me than what the mom said, which clearly was a joke.

I'm not around your team, so perhaps there is more to this that I don't know, but based on what you said, the mom's comment was just an awkward joke meant as a compliment to this coach's daughter. Regrettable things come out of parents' mouths all the time. No big deal.

 

[Sweet Lou]

So the mom says to him last night...."Why couldn't you have broken the thumb on one of the weaker players?"

As others have said it was probably said in jest but if not the proper responces could have been with a straight face. "Why whould you want the coach to break your daughters hand?"

 

[marriard]

My wife was at my DD's team practice last night and overheard another mom say something that has me really upset. Last week, we had a girl suffer a broken thumb during pre-game warm ups. It was a fluke thing, but it happens in sports. The girl that got hurt is a good player and one of our better hitters. It just so happens, that this girl's dad is a coach and he is the one who hit the ball to her when she was injured.

So the mom says to him last night...."Why couldn't you have broken the thumb on one of the weaker players?"

I know the coach really well and I know that a comment like this isn't going to sit well with him. I just can't believe that a parent would say something like this. I'll see this mom tomorrow at our tournament and I'm going to do my best not to say anything to her about it.

Unfortunately that is fairly tame compared to some of the things you will hear over time.

Let it go. Save your wrath for an incident that is worth it or if it becomes a pattern of behaviour from the parent over time.

 

[Coach-n-Dad]

I agree that you need to let it go, save it for something better worth your time. If your DD is in the sport for any length of time you will see/hear/probably say a lot of stupid things. Parents of younger aged athletes don't understand etiquette yet and most of them think that their little john/jane is the next best thing to sliced bread. As the years go by, parents learn better when to keep their mouth shut and when to speak out (mostly)

 

[Momo'sDad]

This truly sickens me. It really hits a bit close to home with me as we lost our 2nd-best player to injury before the season started and then I saw another young player - our opponent's leadoff batter - break her arm in a game against us this past Monday on a seemingly routine slide into 2nd.

But RandomDad, while you fully well should be disgusted by this parent's statement, it was addressed to the coach and not to you, so it's up to the coach to determine the appropriate response. In my own personal case, someone or some persons may have thought it, but knowing me, it's not something anyone would dare say to me directly, because I take the job of protecting my players very seriously (even though I may vent here from time-to-time).

I'm sorry to hear about your player, though. Hopefully since it's just a thumb, she'll be back playing the game again by summer.