Interfering parents

[Indiana]

You were much more polite than I would have been.
Maybe her real issue was a GIRL pitching and working and using BASEBALL facilities which everyone knows are for boys only. (tongue firmly in cheek)

LOL! I agree, that BB lady is creepy. And doesn't know anything about softball pitching. A few summers ago I was jogging with my dog - a corgi. Corgi's have very short legs but they are athletic and do just fine - they were originally cattle dogs. We had been stopping at little water sources all along the route and my dog was doing great (and note - this was a 3 mile slow jog!). A lady actually stopped me and said that I was overworking my dog. I told her that we were just about done, that we just had to get to the end of the block (which was true). At the end of the block we stopped - I turned around and saw that the lady was actually STILL watching me. She probably had the ASPCA on speedial and was just waiting for her chance to call me in. Heavens.

I do hate the cheers, but I hate UCLA's, too. And Michigan - you could argue that playing their fight song after every hit is a bit much. At my alma mater, the band used to yell "sieve sieve sieve"! at the opposing hockey goalie after every goal - along with "hey goalie, your mom called and she says you ....bleep....". So it could be a lot worse. I agree that the mom in questions should have handled things better.

 

[softballphreak]

I discourage cheers negatively directed at the other team. I simply say, "hey, hey, sportsmanship, ladies."

 

[Thing1Thing2]

I don't mind most all the cheers and most I like, but I do say something to ALL the girls about the "Pepper or Aha chew" chant when the opposing pitcher is pitching. Other than that, I've learned to move far away from the dugout.

 

[absdad]

I think it is great that there are parents out there that know how to raise our daughters better than we do.

Life would be simpler if there was a Life Rule Book with a chapter covering acceptable chants in girls softball and a chapter on time limits for bucket dads catching their daughters. I know I'd read it.

We are truly blessed to have these volunteer parenting helpers, take the reigns when we fail. I'm not sure what life would be like without these people with a higher level of morality, and knowledge of what's appropriate for any given situation.

 

[coach james]

I love to hear the kids cheering each other on and singing an occasional song... but its the kids in the outfield who scream nonstop "hey batter, batter, batter, SWING!!!" That cuts through me like a knife.

 

[PA SB Dad]

"hey batter, batter, batter, SWING!!!"

Wow, I haven't heard that since I played LL!!

 

[Cannonball]

Regarding telling a parent to get over another parent yelling at a child, I'd recommend that you (any other adult) don't yell at mine. You won't like the result. As an adult, if you feel the need to embarrass my child, then I can embarrass you. Plain and simple! Now, if the coach gets after my dd, then that is different. BTW, couldn't the parent have simply asked the dd in this case to have a quiet discussion about whether it is appropriate for that chant and then politely asked her not to do it?

Regarding chants in the dugout, I can't stand them. It was suggested that this is a part of the game and apparently it is. However, I'd rather those players take note of the patterns that the pitcher is throwing, the signals the bench sends in to the catcher, the tip offs as to pitch from the pitcher ... There are a lot of positive things that the bench can be doing instead that will, in fact, influence the outcome of the game. I am not one who believes that chanting in the dugout wins games. IMO, and I know I'm a crabby old guy, chanting in the dugout is akin to false hustle. Meaning, the player who sees the coach looking and so picks the pace up some but then slows down when the coach isn't there. JMHO!

 

[Dana Marque]

When my daughter was younger, we would go through a bunch of cheers and talk about which were appropriate and which may hurt someone's feelings. This is back when she was 8 or 9... At 12, they don't cheer as much and I sort of miss it... But I have noticed when they start cheering/chanting, the team plays a little bit better as a "team". I also don't comment on any cheers. This is where I just hope all my mothering will kick in and she will make the right decision.

I have noticed that the coaches will stop them from cheering if the other teams pitcher is getting frazzled by it. I don't get it because at 12U they need to be working on being in the zone... But I appreciate that they are so sportmans like... I think it's actually kind of nice of them.

 

[chinamigarden]

Regarding telling a parent to get over another parent yelling at a child, I'd recommend that you (any other adult) don't yell at mine. You won't like the result. As an adult, if you feel the need to embarrass my child, then I can embarrass you. Plain and simple! Now, if the coach gets after my dd, then that is different. BTW, couldn't the parent have simply asked the dd in this case to have a quiet discussion about whether it is appropriate for that chant and then politely asked her not to do it?

Regarding chants in the dugout, I can't stand them. It was suggested that this is a part of the game and apparently it is. However, I'd rather those players take note of the patterns that the pitcher is throwing, the signals the bench sends in to the catcher, the tip offs as to pitch from the pitcher ... There are a lot of positive things that the bench can be doing instead that will, in fact, influence the outcome of the game. I am not one who believes that chanting in the dugout wins games. IMO, and I know I'm a crabby old guy, chanting in the dugout is akin to false hustle. Meaning, the player who sees the coach looking and so picks the pace up some but then slows down when the coach isn't there. JMHO!

Did I miss the part in the OP where the child was yelled at? I recall the word reprimanded and later scolded was used. But I don't recall yelling being brought up.

 

[CoachKevin]

Saw a 16U team last weekend do some of the things we did at 10U. You know the "Yeah, Yeah we got _____" where they call out the entire team before the game. And the "We are fired up" circle.... I have to admit, it made me laugh.

I think as far as the OP stated, it kind of depends on how long you have been with the team. Our parents had been together for many years, and it wasn't unusual if the kid was acting up that someone would say something to the kid. The girls all had 12 "Moms". Personally, I don't like the canned cheers. Yell, chatter, be excited of course, but doing the we're gonna beat you cheer while your loosing 10-0......