What is your best "lack of focus" story?

[3'sDad]

I have a friend who has coached for many years as a volunteer - 1st with boys baseball up to 16/18U then with the girls as he has 2 daughters. After taking his boys baseball team very far in a state tournament in his last year of baseball, he moved over to coach DD #1 in softball -10U. He was confident he had all of the coaching moves down - peptalks, skills drills, etc.

The team gets thru their pre-season traing. Game #1, DD #1 up for her 1st at-bat of the season; Dad is coaching 3rd base. DD rips a single thru SS into left field for a hit. Dad yells for her to run quickly to the base and make her turn, then looks away to watch the ball in the outfield. Dad looks up, DD is standing next to him @ 3rd base talking to him.....oops.....ran the wrong way on the bases.

 

[Dusty]

In my dd's first year of coach pitch softball I was the assistant coach and designated pitcher for her team. I was pitching to a kid who hadn't gotten a hit all season with runners on first and second. She surprised my by ripping a hard grounder to 3rd that the 3B bobbled and couldn't get a hold of in time to get the force out at 3rd.

I glanced over to second to see the runner had advanced and took a look at first to congratulate this girl for finally getting on base with a solid hit but nobody's there. I follow the first base line down to home plate and don't see anyone standing in the batters box. In puzzlement I glance over at our dugout and see the kid putting her bat on the bat rack and presumably about to take a seat on the bench as she was used to doing all year. I yelled to her, "Alison, don't you remember your supposed to run to 1B after you hit the ball!" It was even funnier that she made it safely to first, the other team's coach didn't want 3b to try to make that throw and risk allowing the run to score from 3rd.

 

[starsnuffer]

12u A ball team playing a semifinal. Just as the pitcher releases the ball, an airplane overhead does some aerobatics, the entire defense looks up. Shortstop is hit in the chest (while her eyes are raised), picks up the ball and throws it to first, perfect throw. 1b is out cold with a broken nose. Runner gets to second or third, can't remember which, but only because the umpire called time, not because RF even noticed what had just happened.

-W

 

[99&beyond]

Last spring was DD's 2nd year of 12u, first season to catch. I usually sit behind the backstop and offer gentle (or sometimes NOT so gentle) reminders to help her out when/if she is struggling. We had a tournament that her catching/batting coach happened to have a team playing in. She was having a heck of a time batting and kept throwing the bat. We finally face her coach's team. She is so worried about him watching her that she freezes up when batting. Then she gets up to catch. At one point, she had a live ball in her hand and turned her back to the field to tell me something while the runner is advancing. Her coach flipped!!!

 

[PAcoach]

This past year at Pony nationals. DD, who is normally a very smart base runner..major brain freeze. 5th inning game tie 1-1 and no outs, dd on 3rd. Batter gets sac bunt sign and lays down a nice bunt, 3rd baseman fields bunt, looks to check back dd.........ah, dd brain freeze and didn't wait for throw, she took off right away, girl tags her on way down the line..smiling the entire time. As luck would have it, teammate saved her and hit a triple with 2 outs, full count and a base runner on 1st in bottom of 7th to win 2-1

 

[andyh64000]

8U rec...I had a girl that was a good player but generally interested in other things...especially if she wasn't actively involved in the play. One inning I put her in left field. In this league at this age balls very rarely make it out there. About half way through the inning I look over and she is sitting in the grass with her shoes and socks off playing with her toes.

8U Rec End of season tournament...DD2 who was 7 at the time is playing 2nd base and her 8 YO sister DD1 is playing first. Runner on first 1 out. The other team's best player hits a line drive to DD2 who makes a shoe string catch. Now understand that is is an extreme rarity is at this level in this league for a girl to actually hit a line drive and then for a fielder to catch it so a huge celebration ensues in the infield. The base runner is now firmly planted on 2nd base. I am screaming at DD2 to throw the ball to DD1 but DD2 is yelling back that she caught the ball and that wasn't necessary. Meanwhile the other coach is yelling and waiving his arms at the baserunner who looks completely perplexed and starts to run to 3rd. When that happens DD2 finally notices the baserunner and remembers that she started at 1st. So DD2 runs to 1B and hands the ball to DD1 who steps on the bag for the double play (apparently either throwing the ball to DD1 or stepping on the bag herself since she ran all the way over there didn't occur to her).

Coast Rec (10/11 with a few 9s)...ball is crushed to right center and the RF, CF, (playing very shallow) and 2B all take off after it with their visors flying off. SS runs out for a double cut but she is delayed a little getting in position because she stopped to pick up the visors.

9/10 All-stars...I only had 12 girls that year which means only two coaches allowed and one always has to be in the dugout. I am coaching 3rd and a player is coaching first with a runner on 3rd. Batter walks so when she gets to first I give her the steal sign since it was a first and third situation. First pitch she doesn't go. I give the sign again and make sure the base coach sees it (and I see her whisper to the baserunner). Second pitch she doesn't go. I give the sign again and motion to the first base coach to make sure the runner knows and she indicates that she already tried and doesn't know what else to do...so I simplified the sign by yelling across the diamond "Amber, tell Maggie to steal second base". She did go the 3rd pitch.

 

[Coach Al]

My DGD was playing her first game in 9u rec. I don't know if she was disoriented because we were playing on a strange field or what. She was the first batter and hit a ground ball to the SS and ran 1/3 of the way to 3rd before she realized it, then turned and ran to 1st. The amazing thing was she made it to 1st. Her nickname now is wrongway.

 

[SoCalDad]

DD first year of 10U. Infield practice. I hit the ball to DD playing second base. DD throws to first. First nearly gets hit in head. I ask First what happened. She replies, "She threw it when I wasn't paying attention". I appreciated the honestly.

 

[playball13]

16U out of town tourney. I guess the girls stayed up too late.
Just after the pitcher throws her final warmup pitch and the batter enters the box. Our CF comes running off the field, she forgot her glove. The following game she was in the on-deck circle without
her helmet, at least she had her bat.