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"What to do?" -- Very long

Token

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"What to do?" -- Very long
« on: April 24, 2012, 11:25:53 PM »
Sitting here tonight, I'm so pissed that I can't imagine getting ready for bed.  No way I could lay still long enough to doze off.

Let me preface this by saying, I've coached every sport that my oldest son wanted to play for the last 6 years.  My teams have been beat a lot.  But we've won our fair share too.  I don't have a problem with losing, matter of fact, I think losing is sometimes more important than winning.  I've never had a problem with the other team being better.  I've never had a problem with the other team playing their best, no matter the score. 

This year, my youngest decided to play baseball.  I was torn.  I wouldn't have the time to coach both teams, but it wasn't fair to coach one and not the other.  So I decided to not take a team and let them play without my assistance.  Because of that, I wasn't privy to the "board" decision made by the 40 people on the board.  Not a problem, I'm not the type of parent that has to control everything.  Soon after signups a few months ago, I learned that some teams were already practicing.  Practicing before the official signup.  Interesting, right?  I thought so too.  I was told the day I signed both of my kids up, that they would be put in the draft and selected.  I had no problem with that, because that's how it had been for a long time.

After a few weeks pass, still haven't got that phone call from the coach.  This concerned me a little, because I knew some teams were practicing.  So I called the league president.  Waste of time, he never answers or returns calls.  Another week passes when both coaches finally call.  So I ask if there was a reason some teams had been practicing for a month.  I am told that the "board" members decided to have two divisions in each level of ball.  A "travel ball" side, and a "draft" side.  I already didn't like the sound of this, but whatever.  They were going to have two divisions so I assumed the travel ball teams would play each other, and the draft teams would play each other.  Not a bad idea, really. 

Then the schedule is released.  Not only do the "draft" teams have to play the "travel ball" teams, but they do it on a regular basis in the same division.  So basically, the board members all picked the players they wanted on their teams before the signups, and started practicing a solid month before the other teams were formed.  So I'm pissed.  Almost to the point that I take my kids to another league (further away) where EVERYONE is drafted.  But I don't, because my kids know some of the kids on their team.  So I figure I'll just deal with it.

Then I get to my little one's game tonight.  I get there in the bottom of the second inning, and the score is already 14-1.  They were playing the oldest and best team in the league, so I kind of expected it.  Their kids are good, each player can hit off the machine and reach the outfield fence.  Good for them, right?  I'd never expect their coaches to tell their kids not to hit the ball and play their best.  I wouldn't.  So I make my peace with the score immediately.  But it doesn't take long for that to change.  As I'm watching this game, their coach has 4 players in a row come up and bunt.  Kids that can hit to the fence, are bunting for base hits while up by 17 runs.  My blood is starting to boil.  But I don't want to be "that" parent, so I just watch.  Then, one of their bigger players comes up and hits a line drive to the shortstop, who miraculously gets in front of the ball to knock it down.  The 3rd base coach sends a kid home and tells the kid (now) on 3rd to round the bag.  SS throws to the catcher.  Instead of the coach bringing the player back to 3rd, he encourages him to go half way in an attempt to get our 7 year old catcher to throw the ball back to 3rd.  And he does, but he makes a good throw, so the 3rd baseball throws it back to stop the run from coming home.  What does the coach do, tells the runner to run halfway again.  Catcher throws to 3rd base, throws it away, and the runner scores to make it 5 gazillion to 1. 

I'm so pissed I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to voice my opinion without putting my hands on someone.  I'm able to do it.  I explain to the coach that I don't appreciate him trying to manufacture runs against 7 year old kids while up by 17, and that I really don't appreciate the fact that he's coaching a "stacked" team against kids who have never played baseball before.  His answer?  "We're just practicing".  I could have choked the fucking life out of him.  Killed him on the spot.  Or screamed.  Or cursed.  Or just hit him right in his smirking face.  But I didn't, because it's a kid's baseball game. 

So how should I handle this?  The coach I had words with is the vice president of the league.  The same league who thought it a great idea to stack their teams with the best players and practice a month before the other kids are allowed to sign up, just in case any of the draft teams are good enough to keep the game close. 

What would you do? 
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Re: "What to do?" -- Very long
« Reply #1 on: April 25, 2012, 01:32:40 AM »
« Last Edit: April 25, 2012, 01:34:37 AM by wreckingball »
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GarMan

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Re: "What to do?" -- Very long
« Reply #2 on: April 25, 2012, 02:26:42 AM »
That pretty much explains why I hate just about everybody equally.  There's bigger shit to worry about.  Don't let it piss you off.  Politely ask these board members for an explanation of that situation.  Have a little fun with it.  Make 'em squirm a little. 
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Saniflush

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Re: "What to do?" -- Very long
« Reply #3 on: April 25, 2012, 07:01:13 AM »
That pretty much explains why I hate just about everybody equally.  There's bigger shit to worry about.  Don't let it piss you off.  Politely ask these board members for an explanation of that situation.  Have a little fun with it.  Make 'em squirm a little.

This.
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"Hey my friends are the ones that wanted to eat at that shitty hole in the wall that only served bread and wine.  What kind of brick and mud business model is that.  Stick to the cart if that's all you're going to serve.  Then that dude came in with like 12 other people, and some of them weren't even wearing shoes, and the restaurant sat them right across from us. It was gross, and they were all stinky and dirty.  Then dude starts talking about eating his body and drinking his blood...I almost lost it.  That's the last supper I'll ever have there, and I hope he dies a horrible death."

Re: "What to do?" -- Very long
« Reply #4 on: April 25, 2012, 07:21:19 AM »
There's nothing you can do unless someone oversees the board. 

You may want to look at other leagues if you can.  I experienced the same thing when I was kid.  We were the Little Giants and the other teams were the Cowboys.  Except it didn't play out like the movie. 

I ended up hating baseball, and honestly, it made me hate basketball too.  It wasn't until 5th grade when I was bigger than everybody that I liked football.  I think my "sports are only good if you're winning and bragging" attitude came from those first two years of baseball. 
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The Guy That Knows Nothing of Hyperbole

GH2001

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Re: "What to do?" -- Very long
« Reply #5 on: April 25, 2012, 09:26:09 AM »
This is why I despise most little league sports now, especially travel ball leagues. It's become more about some of the parents having an ax to grind from their own dysfunctional childhood. Most of them are losers and have a chip on their shoulder, simply living out a dream they never had through little Jonny. Very political and very pathetic.
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Snaggletiger

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Re: "What to do?" -- Very long
« Reply #6 on: April 25, 2012, 09:28:30 AM »
I was always the best player on the stacked team so I don't see a problem.

Put your grievances in writing and CC every coach in the league.  Does the league have a website?  Can comments be posted?
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My doctor told me I needed to stop masturbating.  I asked him why, and he said, "because I'm trying to examine you."

JR4AU

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Re: "What to do?" -- Very long
« Reply #7 on: April 25, 2012, 01:16:35 PM »
Garman gave the best answer, and I hate saying that.  There's nothing you can do.  This shit went on there, and other places, long before your kids were even a gleam in your eye, and will long after they have kids of their own.   Too many parents living vicariously through their kids.  Too many that want to be on the inside controlling things.   I hear that this type shit is far worse in baseball and softball than it is football, but it goes on in any competitive sport where kids are playing and parents are hanging their own lives on whether their kid is a superstar or not.   Hell, at that age, half those kids on the travel ball squad will either have tired of baseball, not grown enough to be good, gotten in to drugs, gotten a girl preggo, or other trouble by the time they reach HS, and then their parents will have nothing to show off.
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dallaswareagle

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Re: "What to do?" -- Very long
« Reply #8 on: April 25, 2012, 01:47:24 PM »
Maybe if your kids didn’t suck j/k- No how about this-If you have the time and energy what about getting with the other parents of the “draft kids” and come up with a game plan. Bring that plan to the board, it could include boycotting one game and maybe go as far as dropping out of the league.

If not your pretty much stuck with it. 
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A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America ' for an amount of 'up to and including my life.' That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.'

Re: "What to do?" -- Very long
« Reply #9 on: April 25, 2012, 01:52:25 PM »
Maybe if your kids didn’t suck j/k- No how about this-If you have the time and energy what about getting with the other parents of the “draft kids” and come up with a game plan. Bring that plan to the board, it could include boycotting one game and maybe go as far as dropping out of the league.

If not your pretty much stuck with it.

Here's the best idea:

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The Guy That Knows Nothing of Hyperbole

JR4AU

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Re: "What to do?" -- Very long
« Reply #10 on: April 25, 2012, 02:02:06 PM »
Here's the best idea:



If I read Token correctly, his gripe is with it being done on the sly, then, after all the best players have been removed from the draft pool, then using said remaining draft teams as practice fodder for the travel squad, and doing it in the form of season games that count. 

Yeah, if you thought about it, and did so carefully, not emotionally, you could probably come up with a plan of action to at least make them be on the up and up, and make it where your kids were on a level playing field vs the teams they have to play.  If this is a league that has a national governing body, similar to Pop Warner Football, take it up the chain there. 
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GH2001

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Re: "What to do?" -- Very long
« Reply #11 on: April 25, 2012, 02:21:33 PM »
If I read Token correctly, his gripe is with it being done on the sly, then, after all the best players have been removed from the draft pool, then using said remaining draft teams as practice fodder for the travel squad, and doing it in the form of season games that count. 

Yeah, if you thought about it, and did so carefully, not emotionally, you could probably come up with a plan of action to at least make them be on the up and up, and make it where your kids were on a level playing field vs the teams they have to play.  If this is a league that has a national governing body, similar to Pop Warner Football, take it up the chain there.

That's exactly the way I read Token's complaint as well. And I totally see why he would be mad. They are kids for Christ's sake. What a pathetic bunch of fucking so-called Adults. The fact they were doing "practice" type drills up 14-1 is the tip off of what they were doing.
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dallaswareagle

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Re: "What to do?" -- Very long
« Reply #12 on: April 25, 2012, 02:27:38 PM »
Maybe as a protest (gotta get everyone on board) Go to a scheduled game, do your warm-ups and right before first pitch walk off.

How you tell the kids why would be the tough part?
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A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America ' for an amount of 'up to and including my life.' That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.'

Snaggletiger

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Re: "What to do?" -- Very long
« Reply #13 on: April 25, 2012, 02:57:33 PM »
With regard to how the kids feel, a couple of years ago, I was helping coach my son's team. 8-9 year olds.  They took the two top teams out of each league around the city and had a playoff for a city championship.  We made it that year and in one of our games, we got royally screwed down a run and the umps called the game due to the time limit.  All games had a 1 hour time limit.  The issue was the pitching machine broke down and they had to go get another one, get it all calibrated and set....and by the time we got back underway, we had lost close to 25 minutes.  Our head coach, a local pastor, literally went ballistic.  He did indeed put on a show.  He was right...but he looked like a horse's ass. 

I had the players grouped up right outside the gate and I recall them all looking at the coach like, what's his problem?  Can we go get a sno-cone yet?  Now granted, they were 8-9 year olds.  As the kids get older, they obviously begin to care about the outcome.  These just wanted that slice of pizza and a sprite from the concession stand.
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My doctor told me I needed to stop masturbating.  I asked him why, and he said, "because I'm trying to examine you."

GH2001

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Re: "What to do?" -- Very long
« Reply #14 on: April 25, 2012, 03:00:59 PM »
With regard to how the kids feel, a couple of years ago, I was helping coach my son's team. 8-9 year olds.  They took the two top teams out of each league around the city and had a playoff for a city championship.  We made it that year and in one of our games, we got royally screwed down a run and the umps called the game due to the time limit.  All games had a 1 hour time limit.  The issue was the pitching machine broke down and they had to go get another one, get it all calibrated and set....and by the time we got back underway, we had lost close to 25 minutes.  Our head coach, a local pastor, literally went ballistic.  He did indeed put on a show.  He was right...but he looked like a horse's ass. 

I had the players grouped up right outside the gate and I recall them all looking at the coach like, what's his problem?  Can we go get a sno-cone yet?  Now granted, they were 8-9 year olds.  As the kids get older, they obviously begin to care about the outcome.  These just wanted that slice of pizza and a sprite from the concession stand.

Zack-Lee

And the level that the 8-9 yr olds were stressing about it - is about the appropriate level anyone should stress out over a young child's sporting event. They are friggin 8 years old! They went out, they played hard - let's eat some food now!
« Last Edit: April 25, 2012, 03:01:56 PM by GH2001 »
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Snaggletiger

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Re: "What to do?" -- Very long
« Reply #15 on: April 25, 2012, 03:20:59 PM »
Nothing better than tee ball.  One swing and 12 kids all run after the ball.  The very first at bat my son had in tee ball....he hit it...watched every kid on the other team run after it...so he did too.  At first I thought the little bastard was retarded....

We had one little girl on our team.  She'd go out behind second base and usually sit or lay down and pick clover.  One time she was laying down facing the infield and a ball was hit right up the middle.  Rolled between everyone and right up under her chin.  Every other kid landed on her at one time. 
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My doctor told me I needed to stop masturbating.  I asked him why, and he said, "because I'm trying to examine you."

Re: "What to do?" -- Very long
« Reply #16 on: April 25, 2012, 03:51:41 PM »

We had one little girl on our team.  She'd go out behind second base and usually sit or lay down and pick clover.  One time she was laying down facing the infield and a ball was hit right up the middle.  Rolled between everyone and right up under her chin.  Every other kid landed on her at one time.

Oh, college!
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The Guy That Knows Nothing of Hyperbole

Snaggletiger

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Re: "What to do?" -- Very long
« Reply #17 on: April 25, 2012, 03:57:25 PM »
Oh, college!

They teabagged dat bitch for hours.
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My doctor told me I needed to stop masturbating.  I asked him why, and he said, "because I'm trying to examine you."

GH2001

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Re: "What to do?" -- Very long
« Reply #18 on: April 25, 2012, 04:06:39 PM »
At first I thought the little bastard was retarded....

So it turns out he wasn't I am guessing.

Thank goodness he got your wife's genes.
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Snaggletiger

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Re: "What to do?" -- Very long
« Reply #19 on: April 25, 2012, 04:10:02 PM »
So it turns out he wasn't I am guessing.

Thank goodness he got your wife's genes.

Thank goodness I'm not the father. 
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My doctor told me I needed to stop masturbating.  I asked him why, and he said, "because I'm trying to examine you."