Is this what Pitt softball wants to be known for?

[CoogansBluff]

You might have missed it but during the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournament not a single bench player wore clown masks and performed pre-orchestrated antics to draw attention to themselves. I don't think it's too much to ask for college players to be 100% into the game for 2 hours is it? What are the odds that a pinch hitter or relief pitcher is mentally focused on getting a game winning hit or strikeout a batter when she has just been wearing a plastic horse head and mocking her head coach between innings? It's one of the things that separate the good teams from the great teams, being mentally prepared for the game. I have a hunch that in super regionals and the WCWS you will be seeing a lot less of these antics as the better teams will be focused on trying to win a national championships and spending less time on perfecting their miss Pac Man routines.

You might be right. But you might not. Why not be open-minded? Let it play out. We might learn something.

There's no evidence that this stuff helps or hurts. Over time, I think coaches and players on these teams who are in the dugout and on the field will get a feel for their impact, certainly better than us making judgments from our living rooms. If teams tone it down in the WCWS, that doesn't mean that some of silliness didn't serve to reduce stress leading up to the bigger games.

Had a friend of mine complain recently that his favorite team, and mine, Georgia, seemed too happy. 'It's OK to smile and laugh and high-five after you get a big out, but not when you make an error in the field.' Well, why not? Maybe it helps them regroup. Maybe it's they're way of saying 'that's OK, we're in this together, next play.' Maybe it relieves stress, keeps them loose.

Last point - The pace of softball is very slow. Lots of down time for players. It might be that this stuff fits softball and not other sports, so I don't know that we can compare it to basketball or football or soccer. I do know that it's unrealistic and unproductive to be 100 percent intense for 90 minutes of pregame and then 7 innings. They're experimenting. Let's see what happens.

 

[3bmama]

Some kids were trying to have fun while playing a game? The horror! I'm thinking that softball coaches have to do things a little differently. Most of the girls aren't getting a full ride. A lot of the bench doesn't see the field much. There isn't big money or even an Olympic trip in the future. What keeps the girls playing? Love and the game, and FUN!

 

[tmolina]

If my DD is ever involved in that kind of thing during a game I hope I am there to see it, and if not I will let her know afterwords that I am proud of her and so happy to see her having fun! Also relieved that the coaching staff doesn't have a problem with it! It will remind me of 12U when we had crazy hat day, the whole team and coaching staff!!!

 

[BobInMadison]

Hm. Back during the NCAA basketball tourney I posted something about how great it was to see a group of young men having so much fun together. That applies to young women, too.

It's just a game and games are supposed to be fun.

I see my kids having fun during big sporting events, but somehow getting it together to win. DS's HS rowing coach would give the boys funny hair cuts. DS won some races with some really silly hair styles.

 

[Greenmonsters]

You might have missed it but during the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournament not a single bench player wore clown masks and performed pre-orchestrated antics to draw attention to themselves. I don't think it's too much to ask for college players to be 100% into the game for 2 hours is it? What are the odds that a pinch hitter or relief pitcher is mentally focused on getting a game winning hit or strikeout a batter when she has just been wearing a plastic horse head and mocking her head coach between innings? It's one of the things that separate the good teams from the great teams, being mentally prepared for the game. I have a hunch that in super regionals and the WCWS you will be seeing a lot less of these antics as the better teams will be focused on trying to win a national championships and spending less time on perfecting their miss Pac Man routines.

Are you not watching the college men's basketball games when, in the middle of the damn game when play is still live, the players find and play to/mug for the camera? That's one of the reasons (and because I'm a UCONN fan) my college basketball viewing is mainly limited to the women's game.

 

[TimothyJ]

Those girls did all the hard work to get there, it's their game.
Don't see how a bunch of grumpy old men should have any say in how much fun they're allowed to have.

 

[Rocketech1]

Are you not watching the college men's basketball games when, in the middle of the damn game when play is still live, the players find and play to/mug for the camera? That's one of the reasons (and because I'm a UCONN fan) my college basketball viewing is mainly limited to the women's game.

I must have missed it when Coach K was giving an interview during the Duke Blue Devils game and his players were mocking him with gorilla masks and horse heads. You have that video, would love to see it?

 

[MsDinosaur]

I thought it was great--showed some real ingenuity to come up with the skit and costumes.

 

[CoogansBluff]

Some of these D1 coaches could take a lesson from Mike Candrea ....

Score update ...

LSU 8, Arizona 0

You have to admit, you walked right into that one.

 

[Rocketech1]

Score update ...

LSU 8, Arizona 0

You have to admit, you walked right into that one.

Yes, a lesson from Candrea on class and how to conduct yourself on the softball field. There once was a time when players were not disrespectful to their coaches. I'm hoping that day is not gone with this new crop of young coaches.