Excellent list!
What makes you lose your mind?
- Thread starter ANNASDAD
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- Nov 13, 2019
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I would have to say my biggest pet peeve is over coaching. It’s very hard watching after every swing and miss the batter look down at the coach for help and receive three swing instructions in a matter of two seconds. It’s just as difficult for me watching baserunners unable to take an extra base without first checking with the coach even if the ball is right in front of them. Putting the emphasis on winning instead of teaching kids to develop on their own and take risks is sabotaging their growth. parents are at fault too, because they are often the ones demanding the winning over the development.Not talking about umpires, parents, or tournament directors here, just the players. I feel I've mellowed out over the last few years, I try not to let "ball" make my head explode anymore.
***But, a few things that make me look at a kid sideways while keeping both of my hands in my pockets!
1) Just boneheaded mental errors, not thinking! Like not covering a base, or throwing behind a runner, or overthrowing a cutoff!
2) Not taking advantage of free outs! Pitcher throws a routine ground ball, or bloop pop up and it gets blown, got to have 100% of those!
3) Not getting a bunt down, popping a bunt up to the pitcher or catcher makes me want to go to the car and start drinking!
***Back to 1) Outfielders NOT taking proper angles on hard hit balls and giving up an extra base!
Kids make errors, I get it, I think sometimes this game is set up for failure, but when a kid gives me 100% effort and "something" happens, I'm fine, won't say a word unless it's to tell them to adjust, know what they did wrong and get the next one! When a kid is lazy or has some kind of mental breakdown, I'll get loud!
***And back to 2) ERRORS!! We all know what happens when stupid errors are made at crucial times in a game......and it's usually with the very next hitter!!
I'm sure I just left out 20+ things, what stupidity sets you off?
Not remembering what to do on a dropped 3rd strike...eventhough they have played many years and/or it has been covered MANY times in practice. Oh...the horror of every parent in the stands yelling "RUUUNNNNNN!!!!!" 
A player (usually new) watching 3 straight strikes right down the middle without ever lifting the bat off shoulder . Ugh!
A player (usually new) watching 3 straight strikes right down the middle without ever lifting the bat off shoulder . Ugh!
ceas04
Fastpitch Dad
Most of the things that drive me crazy, in gereral, have already been mentioned. For my daughter - especially in rec ball - it drives my insane when she walks girls that can't hit because she's trying to hit spots with different pitches. I get that she's trying to work on pitches but some girls just won't swing. Don't throw a change up 0-2 then try getting them to chase out of the zone when there is a better chance of them getting hit by lightning then getting a hit. Especially when the ump is trying to help the other teams hitters out (not sure if this happens everywhere, but after a few innings in town ball, the strikezone gets VERY narrow for the couple hard throwers) and isn't giving the corners. Just gets her frustrated, prolongs a lopsided game and puts people on base that have no business being there.
Thanks for bringing this up: The shenanigans that happen when a clock is used in a game that shouldn't have one.
Quite a few people mentioned this "not swinging on 3rd strike down the middle"......I never get on my DD about this because, simply, when was the last time, me, you, any coach or any parent was in a batters box facing pitching in a game?.......It's not as easy as you make it out to be.Not remembering what to do on a dropped 3rd strike...eventhough they have played many years and/or it has been covered MANY times in practice. Oh...the horror of every parent in the stands yelling "RUUUNNNNNN!!!!!"
A player (usually new) watching 3 straight strikes right down the middle without ever lifting the bat off shoulder . Ugh!
Man I am the opposite. I hate calling FBs. Don't want to do it at all. I want Screwballs (hopefully they get fouled off if hit) then drop or rise. I have no interest in calling a ball they goes straight to get roped to the outfield.
When was my last at bat? This past Sunday mens league. But to clarify..I said 3 straight down the middle. Not just the last third strike. Everyone gets caught looking now and then on the 3rd. Im referring to the player ( and its common with young player) to literally watch 3 straight and not even try to swing. And FWIW...I dont get angry at the player or show it outwardly or yell. The thread was about what drives us nuts. A girl that just never gives her self a chance drives me nuts. But I dont yell and scream at her. I talk to the team at practice about confidence and giving themselves a chance. If they dont swing they have ZERO chance....give themselves a chance. They just might be successful more often than they believe they can. But..no I dont yell at them for this....it just drives me nuts.
I am not a coach, so when I see other girls doing many of the things mentioned I just think to myself "Only one of the monkeys in that circus is my responsibility" but one thing that drives me nuts is both players and parents/spectators not paying attention weather during a game, practice, or during warm ups and BP. My dingbat mother in law got smoked in the face by a wiffle ball because she was completely oblivious that there was a while team of girls hitting. She was juuuusssst outside normal wiffle ball range and one of the girls really sent one for a ride and hilarity ensued for everyone but her. Had that been a softball an ambulance ride would probably have been in order
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