Social Media

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

Feb 7, 2014
547
43
Are there any repercussions for high school players and coaches chastising umpires on social media ?

I read a scenario tonight that had it been a college player/coach or a professional player/coach they would be suspended, fined, or fired.
 
Jul 29, 2013
6,782
113
North Carolina
I don't condone any negative talk about umpires on FB or anywhere else, it does no one any good, BUT.......the HS umps in our conference, beyond bad! I wish our conference would save the game fee, pick a random dad out of the bleachers and give him a face mask, couldn't be any worse! Tuesday's game, the strike zone was as big as a VW Bug, if the catcher could catch it, it was a strike! We were the visiting team and it was very one sided!

And now with the zero tolerance policy, it's a great time to be an ump, especially if you suck, I see a $250 fine in my very near future! Wow, for someone who don't condone this kind of behavior, man I feel better!
 
Jul 16, 2013
4,659
113
Pennsylvania
I am not familiar with any national rules concerning the subject, but individual programs may have some rules. Personally, I question the need to act like that on social media, period. There are good and bad examples of umps, coaches, parents, and players out there. The people mentioned in the OP are proving that they are part of the bad. If I was the athletic director at this school, you can bet that I would have a private meeting with this particular coach and I would make sure that he/she understands my view on the topic.

Even without any specific rules, I have to wonder what they hope to prove by doing this. As I stated above, there are good umps and bad umps out there. If karma is a thing, one of those bad umps would see those posts and would then be scheduled for this team's next game.
 
Feb 26, 2018
328
28
I get that everyone may need to vent, but doing it on social media is like standing on a street corner yelling it out to the world. Vent your frustrations on something like that in the locker room or on the bus and then let it be. I'm not an ump or an official of any kind, but a lot of these umps are doing it for the few extra bucks, their love of the game, etc. Everyone has a bad day at work every now and then. I would lose my mind if I had 50+ people watching me during my day at work and yelling and carrying on if I did something they didn't like. I'm not saying I'm innocent, I've given an ump or a ref a hard time more than I'd care to admit, but at the end of the day there wouldn't be any games without them.

If I were the coach or AD, I would have a team meeting and nip it in the bud before it makes things worse.
 
Jul 16, 2013
4,659
113
Pennsylvania
I get that everyone may need to vent, but doing it on social media is like standing on a street corner yelling it out to the world. Vent your frustrations on something like that in the locker room or on the bus and then let it be. I'm not an ump or an official of any kind, but a lot of these umps are doing it for the few extra bucks, their love of the game, etc. Everyone has a bad day at work every now and then. I would lose my mind if I had 50+ people watching me during my day at work and yelling and carrying on if I did something they didn't like. I'm not saying I'm innocent, I've given an ump or a ref a hard time more than I'd care to admit, but at the end of the day there wouldn't be any games without them.

If I were the coach or AD, I would have a team meeting and nip it in the bud before it makes things worse.

This is the first season that I have sit in the stands with the bulk of the parents (DD is s freshman in college). During rec and travel ball I was always in the dugout. During high school I was typically close to the dugout (either as an assistant coach or scorekeeper). Now that I am in the stands, I can see how many parents are really jerks when it comes to the umpires. For the most part, I think the umpires have done a pretty good job. Yes, there have been a few calls that I have disagreed with, but based on the number of calls they make in a game, I would still say they are doing very well. Yes, the strike zones seem to vary widely from ump to ump, but most have been very consistent with their calls, based on the zone that they are calling. I would love to show up to some of the parent's place of work, sit down next to them, and then shout obscenities every time they make a typo on their keyboard... :)
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
This is the first season that I have sit in the stands with the bulk of the parents (DD is s freshman in college). During rec and travel ball I was always in the dugout. During high school I was typically close to the dugout (either as an assistant coach or scorekeeper). Now that I am in the stands, I can see how many parents are really jerks when it comes to the umpires. For the most part, I think the umpires have done a pretty good job. Yes, there have been a few calls that I have disagreed with, but based on the number of calls they make in a game, I would still say they are doing very well. Yes, the strike zones seem to vary widely from ump to ump, but most have been very consistent with their calls, based on the zone that they are calling. I would love to show up to some of the parent's place of work, sit down next to them, and then shout obscenities every time they make a typo on their keyboard... :)

What cracks me up is how the parents think the umpires are only making mistakes which goes against their team as if they have some vested interest in seeing the other team win...
I never say a word to the umps..it is keeping my mouth shut when my DD makes a mistake that I have to constantly fight to control :D
 
Feb 26, 2018
328
28
i would love to show up to some of the parent's place of work, sit down next to them, and then shout obscenities every time they make a typo on their keyboard... :)

you sent that e-mail without the attachment, you suck!!! :d
 
Jun 14, 2018
172
28
I would think it would be bad for the parents or the player to do it on social media. I say that thinking most of the girls and parents are hoping to play in college. I have heard from a few older high school athletes that schools are really looking at their social media pages. Mizzou's softball head coach has a video out there talking about, what they look at, and what the parents post is also looked into.
 
Feb 7, 2014
547
43
I say that thinking most of the girls and parents are hoping to play in college.

That's the 'kicker' in this scenario... both of the young ladies involved in the social media posting have intentions of playing beyond high school. It will be interesting to follow if everyone is accepting of the behavior.
 

Cannonball

Ex "Expert"
Feb 25, 2009
4,854
113
This is the first season that I have sit in the stands with the bulk of the parents (DD is s freshman in college). During rec and travel ball I was always in the dugout. During high school I was typically close to the dugout (either as an assistant coach or scorekeeper). Now that I am in the stands, I can see how many parents are really jerks when it comes to the umpires. For the most part, I think the umpires have done a pretty good job. Yes, there have been a few calls that I have disagreed with, but based on the number of calls they make in a game, I would still say they are doing very well. Yes, the strike zones seem to vary widely from ump to ump, but most have been very consistent with their calls, based on the zone that they are calling. I would love to show up to some of the parent's place of work, sit down next to them, and then shout obscenities every time they make a typo on their keyboard... :)

Just wait until you take that road trip where the climate of the school is that the parents berate every player on the other team as they are either on deck or at the plate. Good times. I got escorted out of one of those type schools. LOL
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,481
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top