Rec. League Fun

[Hit by the Pitch]

We have a few Teams in our club and I somehow know 70% of the players, all the coaches know my DD and it seems like most the parents do to. They all cheer her on, a lot of nice people.

Sometimes our parents wonder what Team I am routing for, I am not sure sometimes either when we play Teams from our club.

It is fun going to a game routing for everyone on the field.

 

[JDBerry]

That's our rec league. We "coach" and encourage players on the other teams.

 

[PA SB Dad]

HBP, you need to move to PA - we could use more parents in our league like you!

 

[Sweet Lou]

That's our rec league. We "coach" and encourage players on the other teams.

Same here. I actually went over to congratualate an 8U player on a great throw from CF to C that nearly got our runner at home.

With my older daughters division I've been around the league so long I know most of the girls from either having them on one of my teams or coaching against them as DD went up through the ranks so I find it very hard to root against most of them.

 

[CoachKevin]

Having coached for many years on TB, I will always tell an opposing player if she made a great play, or had a great game. I don't understand why you wouldn't. Now coaching older age groups, you have seen certain players since they were 10U, or have had the chance to coach some, or have played against them in HS, I always make the time to talk with them a little bit.

 

[coach james]

Its unfortunate that so many rec league coaches are just moms and dads doing their best, but don't have enough knowledge of the game to truly help the kids develop as players. I love to hear stories and see an opposing coach helping out with an unaware coach. Rec league is about teaching and fun for the kids, but its only fun if your not getting beat up every game.

 

[JDBerry]

A few weeks ago I was coaching 1B and called time and walked to the mound and showed the pitcher how to get her feet set up and step properly. She wasn't consistent with what she was doing at all, was not a true pitcher and was nervous as heck.

Her very next pitch was a strike and both stands erupted in cheers

 

[Eric F]

I'm a first-year softball parent (8U), but it seems to me that if winning is the #1 priority for a coach in rec ball, he/she shouldn't be there. Rec ball should be about a lot of other things - (in no particular order) learning the game, skill development, sportsmanship, team camaraderie, self-confidence development, having fun, etc. - before winning. That said, winning IS part of the game, and kids should learn how to give their best, work together to achieve success, and do it with class and respect. Losing is also part of the game, and learning how to lose gracefully is an important lesson. Cheering for a good play by the other team is a part of being a good sport. Particularly with rec ball, it's pretty likely you'll end up with that kid as a teammate at some point.

 

[TimothyJ]

I wish I could invite you all to come watch one of DD's rec league games.

She's 13, and plays in a u17 league. For most of the girls, who travel and HS or MS ball, this is their 3rd team. They come to these games just to have fun with their friends.

Don't get me wrong, they play hard, but nobody really cares who wins. The girls talk smack to each other, praise each other for good plays (regardless if they're on the other team or not)

Parents all generally sit in the bleachers on the same side to socialize or just wander the complex.

No parent involvement from the stands, and not really that much coach involvement actually ( we pretty much just set the lineups and turn em loose)

DD and I laugh throughout every game, best time we've had with SB in years.

It truly is what "rec" ball should be.

The 12u and under divisions are ultra competitive, it isn't until they turn 13 that they're allowed to have fun

 

[coach james]

No offence to anyone here and this is not directed to any specific post. If your not coaching/playing to win that's a problem! No one plays chess or checkers just for fun. There has to be a level of competition where both sides are trying to win. We practice to get better but we play to win. Any anyone who says otherwise is lying to themselves or making excuses for their mounting number of losses.