Classless or part of the Game?

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Jan 31, 2011
453
43
I don't understand this at all. That seems to be something you would teach your players - part of learning to be a smart batter. I have never once that that this was cheating in some way. If you were yelling out "change" every time you thought it was coming that might be different.

I told my batters she is not selling her off-speed pitch, but I did not call out a signal when I saw it comming. I have played other teams where the coach stands way down the line so he can try to get a glimpse of the pitchers glove. Then he yells out their last name (or some other sign) to the batter when he sees her off-speed grip. That is what I meant. The kids need to recognize this part of the game and then communicate it with the rest of the team. My job is to teach them to look for those tendancies.
 
Jul 16, 2013
4,659
113
Pennsylvania
DD and several of her teammates will tip off pitch type or location when they see it. Several of them are also quite adept at stealing the other team's signs, when not disguised well. In all cases it isn't something that I have actively taught them to do, but they have picked these things up over the years. I remember when DD was 12 or 13. We were watching a college game on TV. She noticed an offensive player standing on 2nd base and pointing her arm to the left or right before each pitch. She asked me what she was doing, so I explained it to her. She immediately started doing it in games. Unfortunately none of her teammates at that time had any clue what she was doing, but it was still cool. Lol!
 
Nov 26, 2010
4,784
113
Michigan
I agree with most of the posters, but I think there is a disconnect, maybe from my OP. I agree with the Cheers not for your team. My thing is that I want my girls to be engaged with the game and what is happening. We sing while we bat, now they do say the cheer about killing the birdie, but i may change my stance on that cheer. Seems like several coaches this "pisses off" . Which if it takes away your thoughts , from coaching, maybe you as a coach, need to work on how to focus more on the game, and not let "distractions" play into it. JMO
No boys team anywhere would have to sing and cheer to prove they are engaged in the game. Are they watching, are they supporting their team mates? Are they prepared to play? The rest is unrequired
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
8U an adult brought some noise makers, things you spin and other you blow into.

I was proud DD wanted nothing to do with it, she was one of the few exceptions.

I was was AC at time and told HC it had to stop, lost discussion.

Next year we had a new local rule about artificial noise makers, I call it the HC's name rule.

It annoys me we needed to even put it in writing.
 
Feb 27, 2017
95
0
No boys team anywhere would have to sing and cheer to prove they are engaged in the game. Are they watching, are they supporting their team mates? Are they prepared to play? The rest is unrequired

There's a big difference in girls and boys. If you don't know the difference, I can try to explain it to you.:cool:
 
Nov 26, 2010
4,784
113
Michigan
There's a big difference in girls and boys. If you don't know the difference, I can try to explain it to you.:cool:

Explain it to me in a way that explains why you would expect female athletes to dance around and act like a cheerleader squad for their team when you wouldn't expect that from a boy's team. Oh and while you are at it, tell me again why its OK to tell a girl she needs to smile more when she plays but no one would never say that to a boy.
 
Oct 4, 2016
176
18
Pet peeve is that "achoo" thing the girls do. I can handle most any other stupid cheer, but that one drives me crazy. Luckily it rarely rattles our pitchers - might be more annoying to the parents ;)

Sometimes I even find myself singing along to the other cheers - even if the other team is batting...

It is so juvenile. I can't stand listening to it but my daughter doesn't care about it as the last time she pitched against the one team that does it she struck out 10 of the 12 outs she recorded, and fielded a bunt and a weak grounder to the circle to shut them down.
 
Jul 14, 2017
181
28
To answer your question ---both. What you described IMO is classless, but in softball there is always some classlessness to encounter. There is a difference between cheering and jeering. No matter how fired up the girls are, they should never cross the line over to obnoxiousness. A strong team can be just as intimidating by standing at the fence in the dugout, cheering on their team mates, confident in their abilities.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Jun 12, 2015
3,848
83
It is so juvenile. I can't stand listening to it but my daughter doesn't care about it as the last time she pitched against the one team that does it she struck out 10 of the 12 outs she recorded, and fielded a bunt and a weak grounder to the circle to shut them down.

My DD says she doesn't even hear them most of the time. So I know it's not bothering her very much but it still annoys me to death.
 
May 6, 2015
2,397
113
once in rec (12u), pitcher on DD1's team was really struggling, and there was an opposing parent who started to yell variations of "walk em in", or such, over an over. I finally had enough, and walked over and told him it was wrong, and I will admit I was a little belligernet about it, guy (grandfather I think) tried to act like he had no idea what I was talking about "what am I saying" BS act. Ump heard some of the altercation, and reigned them in a little as well, and I think it finally got through the dense bone of his skull that the pitcher he was razzing was a little girl just like the girl he was there to root for. Intentionally doing ANYTHING to try to harass, distract, unnerve or intimidate is not OK in my book. win between the lines.
 

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