I would like to know what your thoughts are on this:
Playing on a field that had a wooden roof over team bench where the front side (towards the field) has a wall that drops about 3 foot down form the top (probably to help shield the sun).
Opposing 14u team starts pounding on the wooden wall and screaming while pitcher starts her pitching motion...continues to pound between each pitch and would get louder each time the pitcher starts her pitch. This was so loud I was not able to hear what my assistant was saying next to me...let alone the girls on the field hear us. I look at ump and say "seriously?"
Next Inning, thumping on the wall starts again by opposing and the field ump tells the girls to stop and head coach just look at him and says nothing to his team and girls ignore ump all the while plate ump keeps on going on with the game, not calling time while his field ump is trying to get the other teams to quit pounding.
Next Inning girls stop pounding on wood...pick up balls and start pounding on fence and still screaming at the time of each pitch and in between. At this point I'm ready to pull my hair out.
Needless to say that it accomplished what they were trying to do, rattle my players as when they came off the field in the first inning they were annoyed and my third basemen stated she wanted to pick up a ball and throw it at the fence in front of their bench. We are a 13u Team...and yes, my girls need to be able to focus and not let it bother them. But come on, this is a supposed top organization in our state and I have never witnessed this type of tactic before and honestly this is an embarrassment to their organization! Talk to umps after the game and they state that this team has been an issue all day...I tell them its up to their discretion to stop it and they should have taken charge.
So I put this in the classless category. If you need to stoop to this level in order to get an upper hand...then there are obviously problems with your team if you need to resort to this. And this is a talented 14u team which really perplexes me.
Playing on a field that had a wooden roof over team bench where the front side (towards the field) has a wall that drops about 3 foot down form the top (probably to help shield the sun).
Opposing 14u team starts pounding on the wooden wall and screaming while pitcher starts her pitching motion...continues to pound between each pitch and would get louder each time the pitcher starts her pitch. This was so loud I was not able to hear what my assistant was saying next to me...let alone the girls on the field hear us. I look at ump and say "seriously?"
Next Inning, thumping on the wall starts again by opposing and the field ump tells the girls to stop and head coach just look at him and says nothing to his team and girls ignore ump all the while plate ump keeps on going on with the game, not calling time while his field ump is trying to get the other teams to quit pounding.
Next Inning girls stop pounding on wood...pick up balls and start pounding on fence and still screaming at the time of each pitch and in between. At this point I'm ready to pull my hair out.
Needless to say that it accomplished what they were trying to do, rattle my players as when they came off the field in the first inning they were annoyed and my third basemen stated she wanted to pick up a ball and throw it at the fence in front of their bench. We are a 13u Team...and yes, my girls need to be able to focus and not let it bother them. But come on, this is a supposed top organization in our state and I have never witnessed this type of tactic before and honestly this is an embarrassment to their organization! Talk to umps after the game and they state that this team has been an issue all day...I tell them its up to their discretion to stop it and they should have taken charge.
So I put this in the classless category. If you need to stoop to this level in order to get an upper hand...then there are obviously problems with your team if you need to resort to this. And this is a talented 14u team which really perplexes me.
