10y/o hitting with a broken hand?

[RocktheBills]

Saw something this weekend in a tournament and was wondering what coaches, parents, and kids thought about this. Pitcher got hit in the hand by a line-drive and had to leave the game, the team had no subs, so instead of taking the out when the 10 year old girl's at bat came around the team had her go in the box hold the bat with one arm and try to protect the hand. The pitcher from the other team was pretty upset about having to throw to someone like this and worried about what would happen if she hit it or hurt her. There was a 10 - 15 minute discussion about this between the umps and the tournament commitee, and the pitcher from the other team was definitly rattled about this

The dilema in this situation I see is does the risk of having a player with a broken hand or badly injured hand justify the risk, of scoring a run or getting a walk? Or should the kid been taking directly to the hospital for treatment protecting the child and nullifying the risk of further injury

 

[Coach-n-Dad]

Are you kidding? I honestly hope so

 

[RocktheBills]

Nope, the funny thing about this situation is that it seemed that the coaches and the parents of the team where all OK with this badly injured kid hitting. I know in the organization my DD plays for this would of not been tolerated as the safety and growth of the children as athletes and as young ladies is above a win or trophey or a walk. The Morals and ethics around this situtaion is what is so troubling to me

 

[sluggers]

Why are all the psychopaths coaching in 10U?

The dilema in this situation I see is does the risk of having a player with a broken hand or badly injured hand justify the risk, of scoring a run or getting a walk?

No.

Or should the kid been taking directly to the hospital for treatment protecting the child and nullifying the risk of further injury

Yes.

 

[RocktheBills]

Thanks for the responses this early morning, yeah lot's of crazies in 10u, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't the crazy one

 

[sluggers]

ROFLMAO!

Once you hang out on the softball field too long, you start wondering whether you are insane. But, sounds like some daddy watched one too many "NFL Replays" about Vince Lombardi telling his players to "Play through pain".

 

[RocktheBills]

Good one.....Yeah my thoughts exactly, you would of thought this was some sort of college showcase or college world series game instead of 9 and 10 year olds learning how to play the game...

This was an oppurtunity lost to teach some real life lessons and grow the DD's on this team

 

[RocktheBills]

Here are some other comments from coaches and people I know to add to the crazy of this situation

1) I coach Little League, as well as my son's travel and all-star teams. I believe the Little League rule book would handle this under what it calls making "a travesty of the game", which in my opinion is what it is sending an obviously injured player up to bat.

The coach of the injured girls' team just has to be taken out in that position.

They are 10-year old girls. College scholarships aren't on the line and everyone, win or lose, still has to go to work on Monday.

2) back in the day (I did umpire recreational softball) I believe there was a rule in place that read simply: 'A team must finish the game with the same number of players it started the game with'... So, in effect, if the girl was taken out of the game for an injury they would adhere to 'the rule' and a forfeit is declared. Seems tough indeed, but it preserves the integrity of the game as well as taking the injured player out of harms way. It is a tough situation when a coach can only field enough players to make the minimum starting line-up, but that's the breaks I guess.

3) She should have been taken to the hospital (nothing is as important as a kids health), have her at bat be an out (so what, it's a game) and challenge the team to win with one less player. If the coach of the other team has any sence of pride and understanding of the reasons for the game. They'll pull a player off the field and out of the box to play fairly 9-9. After all, it's 9-12 year old girls softball, right? It's not game 7 of the World Series ..... just my .02 cent worth as a coach ....

4) That's plain nuts. She should have been seeing a doctor immediately if it was that bad. Wow..

5) EASY question to answer. May not have been a rule in effect to cover what happened, but the hurt player should have been taken to the hospital and her team should have recorded an automatic out when it was her turn to bat

6) Agree...they're kids for goodness sakes!!!! Take care of the broken hand, THEN worry about how the team will record an out, forfeit, etc...

7) To take a child with obvious injuries and keep her in the game (in lieu of seeking immediate PROFESSIONAL medical attention) is bordering on child abuse..from where I stand. I think that the coach should be disciplined and the team should forfeit the game. That's my take.

 

[calgofo]

As Sluggers has often pointed out, all coaches (including myself) are a little off. But sounds like this guy is a real standout in the kook category along with the rest of the "adults" present at the tournament.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Having broken my elbow, fingers and toes at regular intervals, I can tell you the pain she was in. Even if there isn't anything the hospital can do, they at least ice it, brace it and give you pain pills.

If I had tried that with my 10YO, I can guarantee that my husband would have had something (not very nice) to say about it.

Back when I was stupid, (I have since matured) I would have been tempted to hit her and put her on.

I once saw a 12YO boy forced to pitch, by his father, with cotton hanging out of both nostrils because of a nose bleed.