Immature coaches in baseball

[Gerard]

I'm sure this applies to all sports in general but it is still discouraging. I was watching a game tonight up the road with a former student of mine playing. These kids are 9-10. The coach for the other team was an ass. I know that minor sports are desperate to have people coach their teams especially since it's all volunteer work but still...this guy openly said to the home place umpire (a kid, I found out later, who was doing his first ever game) that he wasn't bringing his team back to the field again after he (the ump) made a bad call. As it turned out his team won so, as the game went on, he was happy as hell which made me as hell. I found out later that he made a comment before regarding a girl on the opposing team getting a walk and that it was the only way for her to get on base!! Is it just me or should this stuff be ignored?? You know that old saying...'If that had been my kid...' Well, it's true. That guy would enver coach a team again. But I bit my lip and cheered for both teams when it was deserved. Parent's don't give a crap for the other team even in little-league house ball. Even in my own son's hockey I cheer for both teams on good plays. And you should see some of the looks I get from 'my' parents. Like I worry about it. Sorry to rant but I had to get it off my chest.

[Leafs_Pam]

OM, we should never ignore a bad coach, no matter what the sport is. This guy sounds like some of the coaches FW and you have talked about for kids hockey.

I might get blasted by the men members for what I'm going to say next, but it sure sounds like what I'm about to say. Actually, I don't mean it derogatory against any of our men members. All of you are great to the ladies here. This is just for the coach mentioned in the post.

old said:

The coach for the other team was an ass. I know that minor sports are desperate to have people coach their teams especially since it's all volunteer work but still...this guy openly said to the home place umpire (a kid, I found out later, who was doing his first ever game) that he wasn't bringing his team back to the field again after he (the ump) made a bad call.

This coach not only sounds like a poor sport, but he also

old said:

I found out later that he made a comment before regarding a girl on the opposing team getting a walk and that it was the only way for her to get on base!!

sounds like a sexist.

There are some really good women and girl ball players, so to say a thing like that is derogatory to girls. Is he a swami that can read minds and know the girl can't hit? I doubt it.

[TOMGUNNER]

Well, a few years ago, ( ok, it's about 9 years ago now ) while playing Soccer, we had a coach, that "forced" a teammate to either play hurt, or to leave his Jersey that sec., and walk away from the team.

This was at a Provincial Tournament, which was very important to that players life.

To make a really long story short, our "assist." coach, contacted "The Coaching Association of Canada", and took over the team the next day. The head-coach was fired so to speak, about 4 hours after that very game.

Not sure if anyone would consider this OM, but here's the link. I'd report this A$$

www.coach.ca/

[lapniappe]

that is so dumB!

i played softball in grade school for the longest time, and I played short for a bit, before i was relegated to second and catcher.

i had hurt my shoulder, and i didn't have as much strength anymore to do mega throws that's needed for Short Stop.

but our coach never pulled that sexist b.s.
girls were never intentionally walked. it was basically, if guys can handle it; ditto girls.

you should do something about that coach.

[Thibault]

I think you said it old man......I don't blame ya a single bit. I was really pushed in baseball at a young age and lemme tell ya this isn't something to do. There are worse things in life I guess but that is something that's absoutely unnecessary.

[The Rover]

In any sport involving kids, the coach's main interest has to be that the kids are having fun and getting a chance to play and interact. If having fun isn't the number one priority to the coach, then he does not belong behind the bench, in the dugout, or on the sidelines.

I've seen the taunts thrown at females in baseball, and I can tell you this: it did not go unanswered. When I was 17 and playing houseleague baseball in Ontario a childhood friend of mine put together a team and entered it into the league. I was happy to play on the team with him, and thrilled that the coach was his...Mom. That's right. His Mom. She was a 3rd baseperson in a ladies fastball league for years and studied the game of baseball because it was a passion. So we started the season among taunts from the other teams players and coaches and parents. We didn't lose too many games. In fact they started scheduling us (a houseleague team) to play town rep teams from Richmond Hill and Thornhill. Again they laughed at our Coach, and our uniforms were not like theirs, you know, matching shirts/pants/hats/gloves...we were a ragtag looking team, but as the games against these teams progressed the laughing died down as our runs piled up.
We smoked the rep teams by large margins. But I have saved the best for last....we made it to our Championship Game, and faced the team that started all the laughing in Game One of the Season. I can proudly say that we won the Championship, and that the losing Coach and players respectfully congratulated us after the presentations, but more importantly, they made an extra effort in congratulating our Coach and gave her the respect that she greatly deserved. Right there I feel that we achieved more than just the Championship, we were able to put a smile on her face....and gave her the last laugh. It was beautiful, and it was also a learning experience that I will remember for the rest of my life.

By the way, her name - Fern Thoma, and she was the best Coach I have ever had the pleasure to play for.

[Leafs_Pam]

Hey Rover, that's a cool story. Thanks for sharing it with us.