- Feb 3, 2011
- 1,880
- 48
I hate excuses and excuse-makers, but I was not at all equipped for what happened out on the fields today.
I've got several inexperienced players this season, but I've always held the belief that I have the ability to coach anyone who wants to be out there. The spring has been a struggle, however, because 2 of the players on our roster seem to have little, if any, interest in what we're doing.
One of them has gotten hurt in almost every practice and game. Well, she was only legitimately hurt once - she got drilled in the tummy with a hard pitch - but every time the team is together, she will go off by herself for some number of minutes to mope. She is quietly very dramatic, but I've indulged her and let her progression happen at its own pace.
I'm not sure what prompted today's obligatory pregame meltdown, but our backup Team Mom handled it and got her back to action after 5 minutes or so. Once it was time for her to hit in the game, though, she refused to leave the on-deck circle and began to cry. I requested time out and rushed over to her. I was initially in gentle mode, hoping to coax her into taking her turn at bat, but she refused to move.
That's when I lost it. I then told her that she didn't have to hit, but that she had to step into the batter's box because, if she didn't, we would have to forfeit the game and I was not going to allow her to do that to the team. I told her that she's 9 years old and it's time for her to be a big girl. Everyone on a team has a job to do and hers is to go hit. She did finally step into the box, but refused to face the pitcher as I retreated to the coach's box. The umpire then looked at me and asked whether I just wanted to take the out and we did.
Having only 7 players dressed for today's game, unless someone was truly injured, we needed everyone available in the game. The player did stay in, but had taken me from coaching mode to babysitting mode and I was pretty miffed. We lost a great game (6-4) without 2 of our best players, so we had a lot to be proud of today. But sadly, it was all overshadowed by this incident, which cost us a few minutes of game time that may have allowed us to get to the 7th inning. The whole affair was so unprecedented that I had to break 1 of my cardinal laws - the 24-hour rule - in order to inform the parents that I had spoken sternly to their DD during the game. They both fully understood and supported my handling of the situation, but this was honestly the 1st time I'd ever had to speak to a child in that manner. In my opinion, in that moment, she was not giving her team an honest effort and it wasn't acceptable.
I'm not happy that it happened, but I'm very glad that the player's parents backed me up on this. My meeting with the parents did not include the player, but I did give her a high-5 after each defensive inning for not quitting on us out there and the mom informed me that she was smiling after the game, a victory I'll live with, even in defeat.
I've got several inexperienced players this season, but I've always held the belief that I have the ability to coach anyone who wants to be out there. The spring has been a struggle, however, because 2 of the players on our roster seem to have little, if any, interest in what we're doing.
One of them has gotten hurt in almost every practice and game. Well, she was only legitimately hurt once - she got drilled in the tummy with a hard pitch - but every time the team is together, she will go off by herself for some number of minutes to mope. She is quietly very dramatic, but I've indulged her and let her progression happen at its own pace.
I'm not sure what prompted today's obligatory pregame meltdown, but our backup Team Mom handled it and got her back to action after 5 minutes or so. Once it was time for her to hit in the game, though, she refused to leave the on-deck circle and began to cry. I requested time out and rushed over to her. I was initially in gentle mode, hoping to coax her into taking her turn at bat, but she refused to move.
That's when I lost it. I then told her that she didn't have to hit, but that she had to step into the batter's box because, if she didn't, we would have to forfeit the game and I was not going to allow her to do that to the team. I told her that she's 9 years old and it's time for her to be a big girl. Everyone on a team has a job to do and hers is to go hit. She did finally step into the box, but refused to face the pitcher as I retreated to the coach's box. The umpire then looked at me and asked whether I just wanted to take the out and we did.
Having only 7 players dressed for today's game, unless someone was truly injured, we needed everyone available in the game. The player did stay in, but had taken me from coaching mode to babysitting mode and I was pretty miffed. We lost a great game (6-4) without 2 of our best players, so we had a lot to be proud of today. But sadly, it was all overshadowed by this incident, which cost us a few minutes of game time that may have allowed us to get to the 7th inning. The whole affair was so unprecedented that I had to break 1 of my cardinal laws - the 24-hour rule - in order to inform the parents that I had spoken sternly to their DD during the game. They both fully understood and supported my handling of the situation, but this was honestly the 1st time I'd ever had to speak to a child in that manner. In my opinion, in that moment, she was not giving her team an honest effort and it wasn't acceptable.
I'm not happy that it happened, but I'm very glad that the player's parents backed me up on this. My meeting with the parents did not include the player, but I did give her a high-5 after each defensive inning for not quitting on us out there and the mom informed me that she was smiling after the game, a victory I'll live with, even in defeat.
