Maybe no more Tournaments us

[redhotcoach]

It is a sports thing. I have changed the way i coach early this year. I was getting upset, yelling across the field at girls , mostly dd. Mad about the things other coaches did, like stealing signs, pushing the rules, once stealing our dugout because it had more shade, same team had chants that included the kicking of you a$$. I was miserable at the beginning of the season. Couldnt sleep after games and actually dreaded going to games.

My wife said I was being what she calls a joystick coach.

I have now taken on the attitude and style that I can't control what the players do, only teach them and help them to play it out. I barely shout anything out during game play. I look at other teams knowing that they just want the same thing we do, only some go at it in some unclassy ways ( which are not going to change when met with my anger, but might change when met with my courtesy).
I think the best thing to do to enjoy this game is to realize that you can't change the negative things that come along with competitive sports, but you can change the way you react to them.

 

[Mr T]

Finishing up our first year of 8U travel ball tournies in Northern CA. Here I've seen pretty good coaching and pushed my assistants to learn from them. The teams are very well coached in terms of fundamentals and coaches let kids play.

I absolutely cannot stand trying to shout kids through games and have to fight one particular assistant almost every game to quiet down. We're just getting our feet wet in competitive ball and so winning only a quarter of our games, and this makes certain dads feel compelled to "do something". What these dads need to do is get into some sort of beer league of their own.

Only 1 gripe here is the very best teams in NorCa have surprisingly been eerily similar in a couple of respects. One is they have the worst cheers hands down and two is they get in your face after the game. So, they'll do cheers like your team doesn't know how to play ball, is stupid and is going to get crushed. 5 minutes later when the game is over they suddenly are "proud of you" in the form of getting in your face and making a tunnel your girls are supposed to go through.

I consider this sort of "cheer" or whatever you want to call it to be extremely bush league and I've put and end to it in terms of I don't want my girls to have to go through the stupid tunnel and I tell opposing coaches that we've shaken their hands and to please get out of the way of our dugout.

 

[quincy]

What these dads need to do is get into some sort of beer league of their own.

Never thought of that. I need to find out what hobbies some adults have and follow them around and yell at them all day. “You should have hit the green with that shot! What were you thinking?”.

 

[Mr T]

Quincy, my assistants were very hard to calm but I finally did it. I seriously came this close to paying for a round of golf for them, inviting them and then as they stepped up on the first tee and were getting ready to swing, "Get in there, come on, let's go. You can do it." I was going to not stop yelling for a few holes!

 

[Mr.Ed]

I know this is an old post but it is that time of year again. Manager, and wife, asked me if DD was going to play in the year end tourney.

I said yes but I will be the 1st to admit I am going into it with a poor attitude and low expectations.

Last year was the least enjoyable experience DD had in softball, hopefully this year will be better.

My girl is in her first year of tournament play (12U)... she's done about 5 of them now. Big adjustment for her and us (parents)... it's a totally different "ball game". Stick with it... it gets better. My girl has gone home after several of our tournaments very upset because of her play and/or because of her coach... lots of drama! Last tourney while her team didn't fair all that well and she got pretty beat up playing when it was over she said it was her favorite one so far??? Girls are funny like that!

 

[NVfishing]

Finishing up our first year of 8U travel ball tournies in Northern CA. Here I've seen pretty good coaching and pushed my assistants to learn from them. The teams are very well coached in terms of fundamentals and coaches let kids play.

I absolutely cannot stand trying to shout kids through games and have to fight one particular assistant almost every game to quiet down. We're just getting our feet wet in competitive ball and so winning only a quarter of our games, and this makes certain dads feel compelled to "do something". What these dads need to do is get into some sort of beer league of their own.

Only 1 gripe here is the very best teams in NorCa have surprisingly been eerily similar in a couple of respects. One is they have the worst cheers hands down and two is they get in your face after the game. So, they'll do cheers like your team doesn't know how to play ball, is stupid and is going to get crushed. 5 minutes later when the game is over they suddenly are "proud of you" in the form of getting in your face and making a tunnel your girls are supposed to go through.

I consider this sort of "cheer" or whatever you want to call it to be extremely bush league and I've put and end to it in terms of I don't want my girls to have to go through the stupid tunnel and I tell opposing coaches that we've shaken their hands and to please get out of the way of our dugout.

I've seen the tunnel. We have our girls start toward it and turn without saying anything. I don't believe some of the un sportsman like conduct that these kids learn. I was taking a few girls to ice cream yesterday after the game and one of the younger ones, age 5, told me she kept getting flipped off by the other team. Talking smack already in U8. Can't believe it.

 

[98 & 02]

We had the opposing teams shortstop write in the dirt "(our team name) is crap" this weekend. Pointed it out to the opposing coach who of course was not happy. Funny he said no one on his team would admit to it....um maybe it was your shortstop ? Same kid wouldn`t shake hands or hi five after the game.
Most of our coaches still play adult league softball and some adult league baseball and are wondering if we can get a bench clearing brawl going based on what we write on the infield when we leave !

 

[3sDad]

Seems the younger age groups parents are the worst...its gets better slowly as you go up in age groups, but especially when you play in higher end tourneys...Usually older team coaches wont put up with bad parents..and yes they do see them...regardless of a kids ability in a lot of cases...some kids just aren't worth the problems their or their parents attitude causes...again yes, it is noticed...by higher end coaches and more so by college recruiters...
I know a few kids who are jam up ball players, but their baggage just isn't worth the trouble, kids who throw temper tantrums, parents who embarrass everyone to include themselves and just don't see it...Kids and parents who think their kids deserve x y or z simply because they are gracing the planet with their existence, kids who don't work outside of practice, and don't improve every year...and expect to bat 4th and play SS...IMHO thats why you have significantly fewer 12U teams than 10U...whittles down further in every age group...My advice?...If your DD is serious about the game...I MEAN serious...work outside practices, use a physical trainer if available...get lessons...get BETTER...yes its expensive but like I said...You are either Committed or Involved?...If just involved, find something else to do...
Got a buddy who coaches, basically out of necessity...he has some problem kids who've been with him 2 years...They were good 10U players but they haven't gotten better...no outside work and basically un-coachable...resting on the past...but pitchers get better, girls get stronger...those 3 are falling behind...parents have bad attitude...he asked me...I said ....cut'em...they don't want to be there, 100%, focused on making their DDs better vs having a spot by 'grandfathering"....cut'em....

 

[quincy]

Boy old post.

I learned more about daddy ball and politics in the 2nd tourney. It was the way the 2nd ½ of the season went so no one on the Team was surprised and everyone was happy the season was over. The people running the tournament were curious what happened to our Team. Even the players that were getting favoritism were not comfortable. It was a mess but it was our mess.

I didn’t need to yell at anyone which is always a good thing.

 

[Momo'sDad]

Seems the younger age groups parents are the worst...its gets better slowly as you go up in age groups, but especially when you play in higher end tourneys...Usually older team coaches wont put up with bad parents..and yes they do see them...regardless of a kids ability in a lot of cases...some kids just aren't worth the problems their or their parents attitude causes...again yes, it is noticed...by higher end coaches and more so by college recruiters...
I know a few kids who are jam up ball players, but their baggage just isn't worth the trouble, kids who throw temper tantrums, parents who embarrass everyone to include themselves and just don't see it...Kids and parents who think their kids deserve x y or z simply because they are gracing the planet with their existence, kids who don't work outside of practice, and don't improve every year...and expect to bat 4th and play SS...IMHO thats why you have significantly fewer 12U teams than 10U...whittles down further in every age group...My advice?...If your DD is serious about the game...I MEAN serious...work outside practices, use a physical trainer if available...get lessons...get BETTER...yes its expensive but like I said...You are either Committed or Involved?...If just involved, find something else to do...
Got a buddy who coaches, basically out of necessity...he has some problem kids who've been with him 2 years...They were good 10U players but they haven't gotten better...no outside work and basically un-coachable...resting on the past...but pitchers get better, girls get stronger...those 3 are falling behind...parents have bad attitude...he asked me...I said ....cut'em...they don't want to be there, 100%, focused on making their DDs better vs having a spot by 'grandfathering"....cut'em....

I'm not sure where you're located, but out here in NorCal, there are more than twice as many 12u teams as 10u. This weekend's big tournament has 20 teams in 10u, 46 in 12u, and I think 48 in 14u.