razzing the pitcher in U10

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obbay

Banned
Aug 21, 2008
2,199
0
Boston, MA
One of the teams I'm coaching is in a U10 rec league (LL).

There is one team in that league that isn't particularly talented, but they have this cheer/chant they do that is annoying to us adults, but is directed at the pitcher. It annoyed me the first time I heard them do it but it made the pitcher giggle so I figured maybe it was a joke between friends.

Then when our team played them they did it again. Again it made the pitcher giggle only this time I realized it broke her concentration. Just like in the other game, this began a long series of BB's. Our pitcher was the head coach's DD and he insisted that she "stay in and pitch through it". He was also P.O'd at her for not staying focused. She had a terrible outing, wanted to come out but Dad wouldn't let her. (She's 9, fer cryin out loud!) Teaching her a lesson at the team's expense (which is another issue).

My thought is that it's an unsportsmanlike way to play the game. Last year at the U12 level I remember the Umpire stopped a team from razzing the opposing pitcher as it was ok to cheer for your team, but not ok to cheer against individuals on the other team.

Any thoughts on this? Should I tell them to stop when they do this? Is there any regulation on this in LL? The reason I ask is that we may play them again in the playoffs, but also My DD will be umpiring one of their games this week and I don't know if she should say something at the beginning when she talks to the coaches before the game.

I would ask the age director but it was his team that was warned about this last year, so I don't think he'll see anything wrong with it.

I'd like to tell the pitcher it's ok to throw overhand at the batters when they do this and just say "sorry., they got inside my head" but two wrongs don't make a right.
 
Mar 2, 2009
311
16
Suffolk, VA
1) rules Prohibit chants that are directed against a pitcher
2)I used to tell my girls (and out loud for the benifit of the other team and coach), that's just poor coaching as it is unsportsmanlike.
3) I NEVER let my girls chant ANYTHING that isn't positive to our team, NEVER negative against another team or player or Blue.
**** Simple rule, we play, Blue makes the calls and we NEVER have anything negative to say to anyone. I DO encourage cheering for another team player when they make an outstanding play. Its part of the game, I appreciate great effort and I want my players to have the same attitude, whether one of ours or one of theirs makes a great play we congradulate them.
 
May 21, 2008
27
0
Our club dosen't chant against other teams or players at any age. We feel it is tacky, unsportsman like and really shows lack of class. Infact, I don't even think it gets mentioned much except mabey at the 10U level with new players who are fresh from rec. ball.
 
May 18, 2009
1,314
38
We have two teams we see semi regularly at tournaments that do a chant "Pitcher under Pressure". They build up the volume of the chant until the pitcher is about to release and then it's a top of the lung scream. It threw my DD off on 2 pitches yesterday. The first scream threw her concentration, the second scream she put the ball high. After that she knew it was coming and it didn't bother her. That first scream made her kind of jump.


The best way to stop the chanting is to run rule the other team. It's demoralizing and the girls usually shut up because the fun is taken from them.
 
Jun 6, 2009
240
0
Well regardless of the propriety of it, it happens all the time at all ages. Not really much you can do about it except to teach your girls how to not let it effect their play.
 

Bud

Nov 5, 2008
5
0
When my dd was that age, I HOPED the other pitcher could get the ball near the plate, and if the pitcher was throwing hard, even better.

Idiots worried about winning do this stuff, at 10u, I wanted my daughter to get better by facing good pitching, and in fact I still do.
 
May 7, 2008
468
0
Morris County, NJ
Razzing Pitchers

1. DD is a 2nd year pitcher. Last year, the cheering and jeering bothered her early in the season. As the year went along, she told me she pretends the jeers are cheers for her, rooting her on and uses it as motivation.

2. At this level, sometimes coaches will have the batter wave the bat at the pitcher like a fake bunt, to see if that rattles a pitcher. DD's pitching coach told her the bat is a good target to aim for when they wave the bat...seems to work.

3. We (coaches) don't permit cheers after the pitcher begins her wind up. While I'm not thrilled about the softball cheers, they are part of the game and the girls do enjoy them. Nothing ever negative with the cheers and never to rattle the other team - that's just poor sportsmanship and it not tolerated.
 
Jan 6, 2009
165
0
Texas
1. DD is a 2nd year pitcher. Last year, the cheering and jeering bothered her early in the season. As the year went along, she told me she pretends the jeers are cheers for her, rooting her on and uses it as motivation.

2. At this level, sometimes coaches will have the batter wave the bat at the pitcher like a fake bunt, to see if that rattles a pitcher. DD's pitching coach told her the bat is a good target to aim for when they wave the bat...seems to work.

3. We (coaches) don't permit cheers after the pitcher begins her wind up. While I'm not thrilled about the softball cheers, they are part of the game and the girls do enjoy them. Nothing ever negative with the cheers and never to rattle the other team - that's just poor sportsmanship and it not tolerated.

Kids need to be prepared for the razzing - my opinion is lets teach the kids to hit, run, catch, and pitch and give them every opportunity to use what they have learned. But they will face the razzing stuff, and it will get bad, in high school, it gets close to out of hand. My kid does the same thing yours does, she uses it to motivate her. She knows if the opponent is doing this stuff, they are worried. That being said, my girls are LOUD, very LOUD, not razzing but cheering for their own. They actually razzed their own pitcher after she gave up a home run yesterday - 'wow, kxxxxxxxxxx, nice pitch kid' - pitcher gave them the look like 'wait till we get back in the dugout ' , all of them laughing all time.
 
May 7, 2008
468
0
Morris County, NJ
Donnie: You're 100% correct, but we're also looking to teach the girls sportmanship. Better to start off corretly and slide to the mean that to start and the mean and slide south from there.

Your DD's team mates must really like her if the razzed her after the HR pitch yesterday....girls would never to that to a team mate they don't like.
 

redhotcoach

Out on good behavior
May 8, 2009
4,706
38
Don't chant? I think it is awesome. Didn't anyone watch the softball world series? Those girls are loud! And having a great time! Part of softball is coming up with better chants than the other team. "WE think it's tacky"..."WE think it's unsportsmenship" Does WE include all the girls or just the parents?
I encourage my girls to chant, otherwise they sit on the bench talking about boys, Hannah Montana, or psyching themselves out of the next at bat.
I just wish us dumb boys could have thought of something more clever than "we want a pitcher not a belly itcher" in little league
 

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