Softball Drama

[SoCalDad]

In a different thread I commented that I was staying out of the drama with my DDs new team. This made me recollect on some of the previous dramas I have encountered with other parents over the past 8 years. The one that stands out the most happened about 4 years ago when DD was a first year 12U player.

My DD and another pitcher had spent the last year of 10U competing against each other for the best record in spring rec ball. The other pitcher had a great fastball and was able to blow pitches past most rec players. While her mother claimed she was a 66 (60 miles per hour and 6 pitches) she was, in reality a 46 (45 MPH and 1 pitch). DD, on the other hand, was more of a finesse pitcher. Her strength was hitting locations and using her change-up to keep batters off balance. The battle for first came down to the last game of the season.

First place in the league was very important as our league rules at the time required the all-star coach to select the first place manager as a coach. You guessed it both she and I were managing our respective teams. The final game of the season was a good one and at the end my team pulled out a 1 run victory. She was furious, her entire all-star dreams were in ruin (forget about what her DD wanted this was about her). She immediately left the field and tracked down the league president demanding that the current rules be ignored and the all-star coach be allowed to choose whomever he wanted. If her demands were not met she would be taking her DD and move to travel ball. Well.....the president didn't cave to her pressure and she was not selected as a coach on the all-star team (the rule has since been eliminated mostly because of this incident). She held true to her word and packed up her gear and took her DD off to travel ball.

What was your best drama?

 

[PAcoach]

I have several, but i'll tell this. When we first signed my daughter up to play, she was 8 and the rule in our town ball was she had to play instructional with kids her age. her mother and i signed her up and never questioned it. We went to 1st practice and afterwards coach asks to speak with me. He says, your daughter can't play here, one of these kids is gonna get hurt with her throwing the ball like that. (reality was nobody could catch) he said he would call the league Pres and have her move up with the 11 & 12 year olds. So 2 days later, she goes to her new team practice, new coach says, i understand you have a good arm, how about you go play 3rd base. He starts hitting infield, she bobbles the ball and fires it over to 1st, ball hits the 1st baseman dead center her chest. girl falls over and is screaming/crying etc. Her mother comes over and starts hollering at the coach (instead of checking on her kid) as to why they have this girl playing up, she should be playing with kids her own age? what? The mother goes over to the main field to the league pres, complaining and wanting this kid (mine) to play with kids her own age before someone gets hurt... League pres says, do you realize she is 8 and your daughter is 12, The mother went to league meeting and complained and filed greivence. Apparently the y laughed her out of that meeting. To this day, 7 years later, she will not even speak with me or my wife or daughter

 

[Dusty]

I was in the opposite side from the OP. My dd was the flamethrower (not really, just seemed that way to 10u rec kids and parents) who had kids jumping out of the batters box on called strikes. Although dd got more innings than the other pitchers on her team, her coach gave his dd innings as well as other kids who didn't have good control. Meanwhile, a mom coach for another team in our league rode her modest speed but good control pitcher to the league title and ended up as the all-star team coach.

Naturally, her dd got to pitch more than mine that all-star season and on several occasions we lost late inning leads with her in the circle. She ended up going to a lower level travel team and we stuck with rec for one more year before my kids joined a stronger travel program. The other kid had some injuries that kept her from playing last spring and summer so I've lost track of her but we'll presumably run into them again in two years when the go to the same high school. Should be interesting.

 

[lawdawg]

I've had parents, pout, poison the minds of their kids, cry, scream, throw things, etc. One particular mom made an appt. at my office under fake name came in and did all of the above. As I think about it I've never had a dad (yet) do any of this - usually the moms (no slight on moms - I had one and am married to one). I hate to punish a kid for parents actions and attitudes but I will admit that I've not selected a kid for some of my teams because I knew the DRAMA that followed with parents. Actually had to have a sit down with 1 dad and tell him if his wife threw any more cuss fits at games his daughter was off of team. She lasted rest of season and moved to another team - those coaches joke that they want to send her back to me. We recently split up a very good tb team and reunited absent 1 kid to avoid battle over team name, accts, etc. all in the name of avoiding the parents. After all these years I think I can spot em a mile off - but sometimes I still get fooled.

 

[jacketsfan]

If that's as bad as it gets, you are living in softball heaven and the softball gods love you.

 

[PEPPERS]

I’ve heard it said for years, in Middle School it will be better, in High School the drama is not as bad. The truth is it seems to get worse as you go along. In HS players blame this one or that one for the loss, error, pitchers missing spots, not getting timely hits and it goes on and on. Many times it is the parents more than the kids, or the kids are repeating what the parents are saying. I tell my daughter only be concerned with what you have control over, you can’t control what someone else does or how they play you only have control over how you play.

One mom who’s daughter pitches for the HS, the mom’s brother is assistant coach, claims her daughter pitches 64-66 MPH. She maybe in the high 50’s but the head coach bought into this and gives her the title as ace for the school. She lost all but three games she pitched and started the game for the HS to qualify for state, we were quickly behind 7 runs in the third, our other pitcher came in and shut the team down for 4 innings, but it was too late.

The sooner you learn that live is not all about you the happier you will be. Quote from University Alabama Softball Staff.

 

[Coach JV]

What is a youth sport without drama?

 

[starsnuffer]

I have it in the team bylaws that the parents are not allowed to watch daytime talk tv if their daughter is to be on the team. I think this is why the moms are worse, it's not because they're female, it's because they're more prone to watching trash TV and emulating it.

-W

 

[fivepotsogold]

Really? Wow!

 

[stephanie]

I have it in the team bylaws that the parents are not allowed to watch daytime talk tv if their daughter is to be on the team. I think this is why the moms are worse, it's not because they're female, it's because they're more prone to watching trash TV and emulating it.

-W

Between this and Lawdawg's "mom" quote, I do believe my "bitch switch" is REAL close to being flipped on....