softball fan etiquette?

[11smom]

I don't think it's rude. Then again I don't have a team to root for; I am a floater. People stay in the shade, once they get it. Obnoxious cheering that's another story.

Thats the point. It was obnoxious cheering, and got worse when they realized they were getting to us. Sitting with a few people from other teams is normal and acceptable. We often watch other games while waiting for our own - but wouldn't think of taking choice seating, and don't take sides and cheer for the "other side", even though quietly, we may have a preference as to who wins. Our team, we think, has a good reputation and care what others think of us. This team, due to a few bad apples, has ruined their reputation in our eyes.

 

[canyonjoe]

I respectfully disagree with people stay in the shade comment. The bleachers aren't a campsite. When you game is over you move your stuff and let the next team move in. It's different if you are parked out in the outfield, but in the bleachers it's just common courtesy. Of course if there is a medical reason to stay it's OK, but the "we don't feel like moving" is just not OK. I honestly have found the vast majority of TB parents to be very courteous and would be surprised to see them do what the group at the start of this thread did.

 

[SoftSocDad]

Parents tend to be bothered by obnoxious cheering far more than the players are.

 

[Taxi]

Ive not come across this before. I have seen players from teams sit on a side and cheer for the side they are on, but in a way that brings attention to themselves (making the cheering about themselves as opposed to the girls on the field).

 

[RubberBiscuit]

Can you confirm this was not in response to something your team did in that game or one before?

Only time I have seen masses "break the code" was when a team deserved it for being jerks in the first place to a bunch of other teams and the lame duck umpires & tourney directors would do nothing to control it. (a bazaar once-in-a-lifetime experience, so far, at LL regionals where even police had to be called. I DID hear in the end that this one town in Kentucky was going to be banned from future LL regional events - but this could be just words to settle the VERY upset masses.)

In my world these classless "folks" are turned into hog feed. I have zero tolerance for such disrespect for others.

 

[BaldNBeautiful]

One of the worst examples that I have seen happened this spring during school ball. We are on the road (at a school hosted tournament) and DD is playing CF.
The outfield fence has a screen on it to prevent fans from watching the game without paying. Unfortunately that does not stop a group of hometown boys that simply back their pickup truck up to the fence and stand in the bed where they can watch and "comment" on the game. Actually, their comments had less to do with the game and more to do with the physical attributes of the players in the field. This was going on during the game before ours as well.
After the players complained to the umpires, and then the coaches complaining to the school officials....nothing done about it. Then DD loses her temper and turns around and tells them what she thinks about them and their "rusted out s--t box" they were driving.
(I was not proud of her language, but man I sure am proud of her) So three of us dads decide to take a walk, but security steps in and says they will "ask" them to please leave. After our game they do leave the park.
To beat it all this is a great HS program, but these boys must be "special cases."

My apologies for hijacking the thread......it kind of fits, and I really felt like venting about it.

 

[11smom]

Can you confirm this was not in response to something your team did in that game or one before?

That's the wierd and upsetting thing. I can honestly say that our team has a good reputation for being well-behaved and well-liked. (or we did, prior to this game!) Our coaches/parents/families are not the aggressive, loud type, rarely argue calls with blues, etc.
We are a good 14u team (though not cocky, just trying to push ourselves), and were playing this "friendly" 16u tourney. We won some and lost some, and that's ok with us. I believe these people belonged to the "host" team who had just beaten us in the prior game (these few sat on our side for that one too...no problems, not even a word said)
As this was a double elimination format, the winner of this game would face this local team again for the championship.
Things started out quietly, but then they started to cheer for the other team. We didn't even respond at first, but a few of us spoke in fairly low voices things like "really?", or "wow, that's rude" and then it took off into them laughing at our errors and screaming cheers to the other team (who in fact is from our home town, a team we face often and usually beat - no big deal that they got us this time, we will face them again soon)
We did start arguing with them, which in hindsight, was a mistake, as it just motivated them to get louder. As I mentioned, one of our parents went to complain, and was told that people have the right to sit and cheer for whoever they like. She responded that of course they do, but it is a common courtesy to sit on the side of the team you are cheering for. In my eyes, these few fans just ruined their team's reputation and we will not return.

 

[11smom]

Parents tend to be bothered by obnoxious cheering far more than the players are.

Apparently true. I asked my dd on the way home if she could hear it all, and if it was distracting. She said it was kind of funny.

 

[chinamigarden]

Softball etiquette. I always hold my pinky out when I am trash talking other people's children

 

[halskinner]

Have your 1st baseman or 3rd baseman, whichever is on the same side as the 'Hecklers' ask for time. Have her terll your coach those people are bothering her or scaring her. Have the coach meet with the plate ump and report what she said.

The umpires have the authority to shut them up or boot them out of the park. What they are doing falls under "UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT".

Unsportsmanlike conduct rule can be applied to ANYONE in the park. The cops will back up the blues decision if it gets to that point. I have seen that happen more than once.