Why do some coaches think they need to cheat?

[mosftballdad]

Play in a USSSA state tournament that is required to go to nationals this past weekend. One of the teams is known to do some underhanded and ethically questionable things and he didn't dissapoint this weekend. On Sunday he calls the regional director early in the day and asks if he can use a pick up player. Despite state rules that state your roster is frozen and no pick up players are allowed he ok's it...strike 1. He then proceeds to pick up a girl that had played in the same tournament but was knocked out on Saturday...strike 2. The game is protested and he has to forfeit. For his next game he calls in a 14u player for a 12u game. The pick up can only play in 14u as she is too old to play in 12u...strike 3. The UIC has been overruled by the regional director about the pick up players all along the way so his hands are tied. He finds out the girl is too old and asks to see a birth certificate - none available. She is told she can't play.

The good news is he was knocked out of the tournament the next game but in the process knocked a better team out by cheating. He was caught the previous month doing the same thing and regional director gave the protesting coach his money back to not make a big stink about it. He was bragging all weekend about a pitcher he has picked up for nationals and I doubt he has done the proper paperwork for the add/remove player process.

 

[Atlantabell]

If it's USSSA, there are no real rules. Trust me, they just want the money. It happens in our area as well.

 

[David Carter]

He is just going to keep on doing these things until enough people do the right thing; after getting DQed from a couple tournaments without even playing minimum games and not getting a refund trust me enough parents will complain to where he will get the message or they will just leave.

Parents can be pretty loyal but when their money starts going down the drain because of his incompetence they will revolt.

I do feel for the teams that do get caught up on the losing end of this stuff but I would much rather be able to look at myself in the mirror every day than try doing something like trying to play a 14yr old in a 12U tournament.

 

[starsnuffer]

They're playing USSSA because they don't cut the mustard for ASA or Premier. Trust me, our 14u team just won the "state championship" for 16u this weekend, and this team didn't even win a berth to ASA nationals.

It sucks that old men want to cheat at a young girls game though. Shame on them.

-W

 

[redhotcoach]

They're playing USSSA because they don't cut the mustard for ASA or Premier. Trust me, our 14u team just won the "state championship" for 16u this weekend, and this team didn't even win a berth to ASA nationals.

It sucks that old men want to cheat at a young girls game though. Shame on them.


-W

Star, just info, here in the midwest USSSA (like KC where I would guess MO is talking about) out numbers ASA tournaments probably 50-1. It has all flip flopped in the last few years.

 

[mosftballdad]

Redhotcoach is correct with USSSA having a lot more tournaments than any other organization. I am in St. Louis. One of our parents emailed the state director and his email back was "all I do is forward this to Bob Bone." That is the guy that we are complaing about and all he is going to do is send it to him?!!! At this point I would rather fund raise more and travel than play one more tournament in USSSA.

 

[Atlantabell]

Many people in our area are deciding the same thing.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

They're playing USSSA because they don't cut the mustard for ASA or Premier. Trust me, our 14u team just won the "state championship" for 16u this weekend, and this team didn't even win a berth to ASA nationals.

It sucks that old men want to cheat at a young girls game though. Shame on them.

-W

Gotta agree with redhotcoach, in the southeast USFA, USSSA, and NIT's are the prime choices. ASA we avoid like a plague because of poor directors and terrible run tourneys.

If your team wants an ASA berth come down here, sign up and it's yours. You'll probably be the only team entered.

 

[CoogansBluff]

I've found USSSA to be the most altruistic group in metro Atlanta among those that I've worked with. They've raised lots of money for non-profit groups, including softball associations and travel teams, when they could've looked out only for profit.

But I don't think this thread should become a critique of those groups.

Why do some coaches cheat? Because they are self-centered and think it's about winning and never realize it's about kids.

 

[MTR]

Regardless of sport or association, anyone who feels the need to cheat is probably in over their head and not very good at what they are doing, to begin. IOW, they suck at coaching