Divas

No room for that at that age.  If the coach does not take care of this ASAP, it will only get worse, but HE has to do.  Sounds like the players did a great job of trying to assert some corrective behavior, but ultimately it's up to the coach to teach this player a lesson on being part of a "TEAM".  It's sounds like this kid has been coddled and knows he can just find another team if he has to, sad situation, I hope it works out

I feel the opposite in this situation as the above, the coach handled it in the best way possible, he let the team handle him, and this is how most good coaches/managers do it, being a former ML player, he's using the pro way to handle it.

 

Nothing works better than peer pressure!

 

There are (talented) divas in every level of the game, get used to it.

Yeah, about to post very similar to TPM...

glad the team handled it.  Maybe that's what the coach was waiting for.  Or maybe he had other plans on how to handle it away from the group.  While handling it in front of the group certainly has it's avantages, there are more than one ways to skin a cat diva.

 

I've seen similar circumstances where the player didn't show up next outing.  The coaches had asked him afterward not to bother returning.  Silent dismissal and absence had a surprisingly strong effect.

Jp24-

 

Your younger more mature son should be congratulated.  A tip of the cap to him.

 

I agree with TPM and others that it needs to be handled internally by the team leadership.  However, it has the potential to go beyond the players.  There is a fine line when the head coach needs to step in.  From your coaches reaction, he doesn't feel that it necessitated his involvement yet.  He's probably right based on his experience level. 

 

Unfortunately, we all deal with divas.  I deal with them every day, and I'd really, really like to handle it the way your son did but that is really frowned on in my workplace. 

 

Good luck to your son the rest of the season.

He handled it the right way. Having the coach say "you'd best run" doesn't do much. Having the team look down upon him does something.

 

I have no idea how this diva nonsense started up, but it needs to be nipped in the bud at a young age. You win as a team, and you lose as a team. Any effective leader will tell you that.

JP, did the "diva" buckle to peer pressure and run?

He stayed. But the season's wrapping up, so it'll be interesting to see what happens.

My 2015 just returned from PG WWBA in Atlanta. Game 2 we were playing a very talented team. I had noticed the CF for the opposing team. Very athletic kid. Looked very good in warm ups but you could just tell he KNEW he was good. We jumped out to an early lead. The CF was their 3 hole hitter. Kid pitching for us was lights out good. This kid K'd first 2 at bats on curve balls in the dirt and was thrown out at first. On the second K, he threw his helmet down, ripped off his batting gloves and threw them at the feet of the first base coach and proceeded to head to CF. I couldn't believe what my eyes had seen. He walked his 3 AB. My son comes in to pitch the final inning. By now we had spit the bit and blown the lead by one. Well this kid comes to the plate and Ks again on fast ball. He literally turns and backhand throws his bat at his team's dugout and the bat hits the fence that protected the kids in the dugout. I could not believe this kids attitude or that it was tolerated. As a dad the coach wouldn't have had an opportunity to deal with this as I would have snatched him off the field mid game. I'm just glad that bat didn't get over the netting and hit one of his teammates. You would have thought he would have been ejected by umps. Maybe because it was last inning?  I'm not sure.

 

I would've thrown him out as an umpire, and as a coach, I would've made sure he never play for me again. That kind of conduct is not permissible at any level, regardless of how good you are or anything. The player is acting like a child because he knows he's too good to have out of the lineup.

 

Sometimes, the toughest thing is to grab the bat and run back to the dugout after a strike out. You feel as though the umpire was wrong, or that you missed your pitch, or whatever. The best all-around players (not just skills, but makeup too) can do that. Those are the guys I want.

The problem though is that there are far too many teams that are about the $$$ and winning, than about teaching the way you should play the game.

 

This kid's attitude didn't just crop up.  It's been allowed to exist for far too long because coaches are afraid to bench him and risk losing.

 

Apparently the coaches forgot to remind the kid that not just his performance - but the way he behaved in reaction to it would be seen and remembered. 

The sad truth is the Diva will never know how many college coaches crossed him off their watch list. I remember my son's coaches(and this website) taking the time to explain what "being watched" meant in every detail.

Saw a minor case of this ealrier this week but a great case of how to nip it in bud. A team from Miami FL at 17u level playing in Ohio. 3 Hitter, obviously very good. Struck out first 2 times, mad but appropriate. Third time up hit a bomb to CF, he thought it was a HR but fell about 10 feet short, he crow hopped like Sammie Sosa and then jogged to 1B when he realized it was not a HR. By the time he got to first and ball coming in, their coach had a pinch runner headed to 1B. Then coach apologized to our coach loudly for his kid showing up ours. Made the kid after the game apologize to our pitcher.My kid can play for that coach anyday if he would have him.He has my respect.  

Coaches need to correct this issue ASAP. One of the most important things these kids, at this age, must learn is being a team player. Even if he didn't play that game doesn't mean he is not on the team.