Are there any sane people left in softball?

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sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
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Dallas, Texas
I hear so many crazy stories...but, are there sane people in softball?

1) Isn't softball supposed to be "fun"? "Fun" in the sense of enjoyment. Kids don't need to giggle every minute, but for heaven's sake, it is a friggin' game.

2) If you take (or pick) a kid for your team, aren't you supposed to play the kid? Sure, maybe they don't play in the championship game at the ever important Grady Gourd Slugfest Tournament, but how about at least in the pool games?

3) Do coaches understand they are dealing with a bunch of immature teenagers?

4) Do parents realize that there are 11 other kids on the team, and that *everyone* needs a chance to play?
 
Nov 29, 2009
2,975
83
The Crazy happens on every team. A disgruntled Bandit daddy orchestrated a mutiny at the PGF 12U nationals last week. Pulled his daughter and convinced 3 other players leave with him. So... NO team is immune from the crazy parent.
 
Feb 7, 2013
3,188
48
I thought the rec ball craziness would stop by 14U travel ball, but I was ooohhh soooo wrong....here's a small example the past two travel ball seasons:

2nd Year 12U TB team - It took 8 months for the players to receive their bat bags and because the org ordered the wrong cleats (metal for 12U????) and they couldn't return them, the players had to wait until the following season to actually use them! As the summer approached, head coach mailed it in and didn't even sign the team up for ANY end of the season tournament/nationals. To top it off, he claimed to be sick the last two weeks of the season and never acknowledged or thanked the players for a good season, no text, email, call, nothing...needless to say he only had one player show up to his tryouts the following season;

1st Year 14U TB team - 4 months into the season, our lead-off slapper who started every game in centerfield quits team out of the blue (and joins old team a month later) which starts a ripple effect throughout the team over the next 6 weeks with the starting SS leaving, starting catcher, etc. Head coach seeing the writing on the wall makes up a lie that he is too busy teaching HS history and doing academic research, blah blah blah, to coach a travel ball team and resigns leaving players scrambling for another team??

Current 14U TB team - coached by very inexperienced 22 YO former college player who had ZERO knowledge of how to effectively manage a softball game. Example, all season had a batter, bat #2 in the line-up with a .058 batting average because "she has a big bat and is fast"! Forget that she was notorious for strikeouts and almost never got on base or even moved the base runner over?? The HC also NEVER brought in a second pitcher during the game even after the starter gives up 10 runs in 3 innings with 4 walks and 3 HBP. It was almost like she was punishing the team by purposely trying to lose as many games as possible. Bizarre.....did I mention that this was a well paid coach!

As tryout season is approaching, I pray that I properly do my homework on travel ball teams so we are not faced with a similar situation for 2016/2017 season.
 
Last edited:
Sep 18, 2011
1,411
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I was up until 3 am the other night, on a work night mind you, watching instructional hitting videos on youtube. I am the wrong person to ask.
 
Aug 26, 2015
590
16
Is this a troll topic? Sane and softball?

In my limited experience and observation, there is only 1 way to be sane: Only watch softball games in TOTAL SILENCE with dd and ONLY when she decides. No throwing. No playing on teams. No picking up with anyone. Nothing PHYSICAL in nature at all. Just sit your butt on the sofa and turn on the tube.
 
Jun 11, 2013
2,619
113
We have truthfully been on some pretty good ones over the years. Every coach cared about the kids and no one sat more than 1 pool game and almost every kids played
at some points on Sunday.

We did miss this tournament though and I guess our current team (in our last tournament) had some problems on Sunday. Down to 9 players they brought in the younger sister
of a player and wound up sitting the older sister on Sunday and played the younger one. I don't know the reason, but I can't imagine it would go over well in that household.
 

Cannonball

Ex "Expert"
Feb 25, 2009
4,854
113
It isn't just softball. I could tell you horror stories and I've been the HC of four HS sports. Stories none of you would believe!
 
Feb 28, 2015
307
28
Heatbox
The Crazy happens on every team. A disgruntled Bandit daddy orchestrated a mutiny at the PGF 12U nationals last week. Pulled his daughter and convinced 3 other players leave with him. So... NO team is immune from the crazy parent.

This happened right in front of most our parents......just wow!
 
Jul 18, 2016
4
1
It isn't just softball. I could tell you horror stories and I've been the HC of four HS sports. Stories none of you would believe!

No need to get into specifics, but how does softball rank in craziness compared to those other HS sports? Is there a sport crazier?
 

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