Sportsmanship....is it gone?

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May 11, 2009
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I have been coaching and been around this sport for a long time and I am in the belief that no matter what "Sportsmanship" is a must at all times for my teams. I also believe it starts at the top with the coaches and the parents.
Well my DD played in a tourney this weekend and I saw one of the most talented but ugly teams sportsmanship wise I have ever seen bar none!! I will not name names but it is a 12U team that really thought they were not only better then everyone else the coaches were willing to anything to win.
DD had a girl in a pickle and instead of sliding back she lowered her shoulder into my DD's face knocking her almost out upon which their coach told her "nice job!"?? In the rematch DD was sliding into second and got gloved in the face, no big deal, but then shoved back down as she is getting up. REALLY?? Then in the international tie breaker DD hits a shot to second that is bobbled so she is running to first the second basemen tried to make the play on her own instead of throwing it to the first basemen and they collided. My DD was in the running lane and touched the orange bag. Their coach came unglued saying my DD interfered with the play as a run scored because their player could not get back up in time to make the throw home, let alone my DD is still laying face down after the collision. So the other coach is so mad while still on the field in front of his dugout and the ump he tells his girls they will run through the white bag when at bat and will run through our first basemen on every play for the rest of the game........ AGAIN REALLY?? Umps do nothing:mad:
Then after the game our first base coach is going through the line congratulating their team for their win and their coach does not ever acknowledge he was there. So he grabbed their coach by the sleeve and said "I said good game and good luck in the championship, did you hear me?". The Response "I heard you" and off this coach went.
Then two of our girls were in the bathroom of a near by restaurant and were confronted by 6 of this teams girls who simply followed them into the bathroom to discuss how awesome their medals are and how their double play against some "REAL CRAPPY TEAM, WHO WAS IT?" "Oh yeah that purple team"......yeah you guessed it, our girls are the purple team. What is wrong with these kids???? These are 12 year old girls.....what are these people teaching them??
Now if an adult wants to be this way fine but 12 year old kids are seeing this and obviously it is rubbing off on them. These coaches are suppose to be roll models and stewards of the sport. Well I am not impressed........
Did we get beat, yes we did. Are they good? Yes they are! Very good. But god are they ugly in victory!! This is by far the ugliest team I have ever seen.
We told our girls they will take wins and defeats in the same manner with pride and dignity. We also told them to smile with the knowledge that the champions of the tournament had to go to an international tie breaker with a team that has not had one practice or ever seen each other since October. That brought a few smiles to what were some pretty disappointed young ladies.
 
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Mar 13, 2010
1,758
48
That really is disgusting.

My number one question though. What the hell were the umpires doing? I'd be putting in a complaint to the UIC and to whoever runs the competition. Talk to other teams you know who played them and see if they had a simillar experience and if they did encourge them to do the same. The second a young girl shoved a player down when they were trying to get up, they'd have been ejected.
 
May 11, 2009
279
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There were other teams that had issues with both the umps and this particular team. It was ugly. Will we go back........heck yes!! Our girls want to beat that team very badly. But they want to do it for the right reasons, just to show them that on any given day on any given field anyone can be beat. That is why we play the game on the field.

I believe the program in question has no concept of that. I can also assure you that our girls do not and will not chant and scream at other players or pitchers as this team did throughout the weekend which I believe is a violation of ASA rules as well. These were direct negative chants at the pitcher and players....I have never seen anything like it. I have not seen negative direct chants towards fielders and even outfielders but this team had them and used them all weekend long.

Again I cannot stress enough, this team is very very talented!! My hat is off to them for that. But good lord win with class and style not arrogance. IMHO class and style will gain you respect which is earned not given.
 
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Mar 13, 2010
1,758
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If other teams had issues, I would definitely encourage you to get them to go to the tournament and the UIC and put in complaints. In writing.

I feel desperately sorry for these girls. What disgusting 'coaches'.
 

MTR

Jun 22, 2008
3,438
48
That really is disgusting.

My number one question though. What the hell were the umpires doing? I'd be putting in a complaint to the UIC and to whoever runs the competition. Talk to other teams you know who played them and see if they had a simillar experience and if they did encourge them to do the same. The second a young girl shoved a player down when they were trying to get up, they'd have been ejected.

Just what would you want the umpires to do?

There are idiots everywhere, unfortunately that isn't against the rules. Other than when the player was pushed down, and that wouldn't be much more than a warning, there isn't much of anything else an umpire should be doing given the situations provided.
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
No, it is not dead. I have had similar bad situations but they are the vast minority of the time. Unfortunately it seems easier to recall the bad situations then the good.

Like when we only had 9 players and 1 got injured, the other Manager asked us if we wanted to borrow 1 of their players to play the field.

Like when one of our players is not doing something quite right, maybe a little illegal, nicely talking to our coaches instead of complaining to the umpire.

Some people should not be managing, umpiring, or playing. I can only control my DD, and her only to some extent.

If my DD did anything like you described she would be off the field and sitting next to me for the rest of the game. She would also not participate in any negative chants, she knows better. Manager against me, the Manager is going to loss that argument; my DD is not being raised that way.
 

MTR

Jun 22, 2008
3,438
48
I can also assure you that our girls do not and will not chant and scream at other players or pitchers as this team did throughout the weekend which I believe is a violation of ASA rules as well. These were direct negative chants at the pitcher and players....I have never seen anything like it. I have not seen negative direct chants towards fielders and even outfielders but this team had them and used them all weekend long..

Well, that is a little bit different. There is nothing in the rule book specifically addressing this for players, just coaches. However, it is a matter of unsportsmanlike conduct which is purely within the scope of what the umpire judges as UC.
 
May 25, 2010
1,070
0
You heard the coach instruct his players to intentionally hit the players on your team. That instruction, in and of itself, is not really a violation upon which the umpire could take any action, is it?

If, however, this instruction was carried out and is deemed by the umpire to have been illegal contact, then the umpire may take action.

Your job as a parent involves teaching your child how to respond when she encounters bad people and as you have seen firsthand, softball doesn't guarantee any sort of sanctuary from harmful interaction with people who have poor quality parents and coaches.
 
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Mar 13, 2010
1,758
48
Just what would you want the umpires to do?

There are idiots everywhere, unfortunately that isn't against the rules. Other than when the player was pushed down, and that wouldn't be much more than a warning, there isn't much of anything else an umpire should be doing given the situations provided.

Negative chanting would be something that could be addressed. A coach telling a girl 'good job' after elbowing a player could be addressed. A player being shoved down should be addressed.

I've seen coaches ejected for doing stuff like that. I've personally ejected coaches for far less worse. And I was backed up every time by the judiciary committee.
 
Jul 26, 2010
3,567
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Politicians need teams to play on too, looks like this other team's girls have a real future in social service.

That said, it really is disgusting, but in the end the only thing you can do is maintain your standards and make sure that your own daughter and (if you're a coach) your team does everything they can to live up to the high standards you're supposed to set.

I see this kind of thing occasionally, but I also see a lot of very good organizations that do have high standards. The interesting thing is that it seems the more money organizations charge for their programs, the worse they behave.

-W
 

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