Gotta let them go? oh please

Good story...I know EXACTLY where you're coming from on this one.

Hang in there...it only gets better (or is it worse?).

It gets better (or worse) as you go. Wait til you hear about the kid, or kids who left the ball bag, bat bag, contacts, glove, meal money, hat or uniform back at the bus, hotel, locker room or airplane. It's a comedy.

Funny story!

I'm a little encouraged about our youngest who just went off to freshman year of college this week (music, not baseball). He went to pay for music practice room reservation and realized his cash card was missing. Before he called to let me know, he had already called the bank on his own to ask them to suspend the card. (He did end up getting it back - evidently the cashier at the bookstore still had it.)

I must live in another world!!!!

Well here it goes....

2 days....yes 2 days before he leaves on the bus for College Florida spring training trip, my son calls home informing me that after hitting in the cage he dropped his bag behind his car to clear off the snow from his windshield...

wait for it...its coming.....

he turns on his car to warm it up.....clears the windows then hops in to back up and go home.......he of course runs over his bat bag......

But it gets better.....

The bat bag gets wrapped around his muffler and he drags the bat bag 5 miles to his apartment....

Now in 2 days we have to replace a bat, a pair of shin guards, a first basemans mitt and a chest protector.....his fielders gloves, spikes and catchers mask and helmet all survived......

(although a starter at 3rd base, my son is the definition of a utlity player....having started at all infield positions 1b/2b/3b/ss and catcher.. hence all the gear....

Just when I think I will get through this........

quote:

I must live in another world!!!!

TRhit

I'm from the Planet URON. HeHe

Bought son new OF glove, waited all summer for it. ( they were out of stock ).
Come to find out College has contract with other glove company.
Now have to buy a new one our 2 OF, 1st base. EH

I think the job description of being an 18-20 year old should include "Must be brain dead at least 25% of the time".

Well folks Im from another world like TR. My rule HS - Get to practice dont have a hat wear a batting helmet during practice. Get to a game dont have a hat - game socks - belt - or anything else issued to you guess what? You dont play. And you will run extra the next practice. Guess how many guys have forgot anything the last 10 years? Two. Both forgot to have a hat at practice and yes they wore a batting helmet at practice all day. I am a stickler for being prepared. If it rains we go inside. If we go inside and you dont have sneakers in your bag you dont practice. Hence you dont play the next game. In the last ten years no one has not had sneakers. I know Im going to make some of you mad. Go ahead and call me what you will thats ok I can take it. But I believe in being prepared and being responsible. The same kid that cant or wont pay attention to detail in the efforts listed above will be the same kid that misses signals, forget cuts plays, forgets first and third signals and situations etc etc etc. My son learned at an early age. Thursday night we are leaving tomorrow for the weekend for a tournement. Go pack your bag. If you forget anything you wont play. Knock on wood not once has he not had everything needed and required. Oh by the way one day an assistant coach left his hat in another car. He got to practice and promply went and got a batting helmet to wear at practice. LEAD BY EXAMPLE. Sorry to put a downer on a funny thread for most. But to me there is nothing funny or cute about not being responsible. Yes go ahead and call me an a** hole. Lets spice it up a little folks go ahead lets hear it.

Organization,...yep,..its a key element.
Pre-planning,...a definate must!
Consequences,...you betcha'.
Lead by example,...I'm all over that!

Allowance for a mishap,......needs to be one.

Its baseball,...not bootcamp.

( sorry Coach May,..I had to take the bait!)

Coach May - I'm with you. It's our job to raise them to be independant, self-sufficient and responsible adults.(we aren't always going to be around) And the way to do it starts at an early age. It's their job to pack the stuff and remember to bring it all home. If not they have to suffer the consequences ie; wearing the batting helmet. It's not always easy to let them suffer it out, but it's one sure way to remember the lesson.

SSmom no problem here. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Agree with CoachM,

And at this point - my wife and I havent a thing to do with it either.

The younger guy plays for a team he really enjoys. The coaches - like Coach May - expect the boys to take complete responsibility for their "hobby".
If they lose a shirt - and havent brought a backup - or bring the wrong belt or socks - they just dont play that day.

Its no big deal to me or my wife - as we dont have to do anything. Just a lesson for the kid.

One thing I have noticed is that he makes sure he knows where his stuff is - and he always brings everything just in case. LOL

Take it in stride ---- it’s just part of growing up! My son called a while back and said he had lost his ipod. Said he had left it on the bumper of his Tahoe and when he got back to his apartment it was gone. Wanted to know since he had bought the extended warranty would they replace it? I said I didn’t think so --- That question must fall under the category of consumer ignorance!! He said he really liked his ipod and was going to buy another. I said it’s your money ---- go for it! Three days after he buys a new ipod and umpteen hours of downloading songs, he calls and says he was cleaning his room and found his ‘lost” ipod between the bed and the wall of his apartment. My first thought was how it got from the bumper of his Tahoe to behind his bed but I didn’t ask ---- just another day in paradise. But that’s OK. I have to defend the young men! I turn 61 this month and I find myself doing many of the same things ---- forgetting to do things I’m supposed to do and headed in a direction that can best be described as “somewhere”. My real problem is watching them spend money on worthless things like an ipod when he could get a new fishing rod and reel for about the same money.
Fungo

I agree with Coach May - from an early age it was the boys' responsibility to make sure they had everything they needed... never, not once did they forget anything they needed for a practice or game. I see other parents picking up the slack - running home for the forgotten jersey or mitt, or even once on an out of town trip, finding a sports store to buy a new pair of spikes - and then junior complaining about the color. It has to be more important to them than it is to you...

my3 stole my thunder on this one: as soon as I read Coach May's post, the one word I thought of was RESPONSIBILITY - the more you get , the more you take.

At the same time, I'm bi-polar - half the time in TR's world with one of them, and the other half of the time in the other world with my other one...drive you nuts.

quote:

I turn 61 this month and I find myself doing many of the same things ---- forgetting to do things I’m supposed to do and headed in a direction that can best be described as “somewhere”.

Exactly Fungo! When I learn to be perfect, I will expect it out of my kids. We're suppose to be there to teach them, but unless they're completely unresponsible and unaccountable, we're also there to help them out in that rare mix up!

I don't ever remember my son forgetting his glove, jersey, etc in HS. However, my now 19 year old son was home for a couple of days from Nashville this summer where he was playing summer ball. He used my car to drive to long toss with someone and left his glove in there. So, yes, I run off to the post office to overnight his goof up! More than happy to do it! I'm sure he'd do the same to help me out if the situation was reversed!

Amen to Coach May!

The head of a private school known for taking on "discipline problems" tells the story that when he meets the parents of all these guys, none of whom would be there if they were choir boys, tells the parents that if they have medication or any such thing , for ADD or anything similar, take it home. Quote: "I've never had a case of ADD that wasn't cured by 5 miles at 5 a.m. Works every time".

Responsibility is huge, but explain this: we raise two wonderful sons in the same house, same values, same lectures, yadda yadda. Both great kids, but one turns out to be detail oriented, responsible to the core, the other believes you plan for tomorrow, starting first thing...tomorrow. Makes no sense to us.

The other day I'm on the way to work and I get a call from my son....."Are my truck keys in your truck?"....Yeah I respond after seeing them on the seat, and I tell him he has to call around to find a ride to school, not very happy with him and giving him a lecture about being 18 and being responsible.

Later that day, I get a break at work and arrange to take his truck up to school so he can drive home. I will usually leave his keys in situations like that behind his gas door. Well, I was on the phone when I dropped off his truck, stuck his keys in my pocket and drove off with my wife. Got back to work and got a call from my son when school is out...."Uh, thanks dad for bringing my truck, but you didn't leave me my keys"

Hokie - I like that - "plan for tomorrow..starting tomorrow"

Keller - I guess that's the difference between being responsible and he onset of Alzheimer's!!

I'm glad he's "the head of a private school" because he doesn't sound like an educator

What a brilliant man.........

See I told you it would spice the topic up. Great responses from Fungo as usual and all the rest. Look, I understand that kids and adults will make mistakes. And I agree that we need to step in and help the boys and girls out because no one is perfect. Baseball though is a game. It is not life. Lessons learned through baseball hopefully will keep them from making more critical mistakes in life. Having to sit out a game or extra running or even having to wear a batting helmet is not nearly as critical as making a mistake in life and possibly loosing your job etc etc. Thats my take on it JMHO.

Agree with C.May about responsibility as well as lafmom and helping our kids out when they need it-although I DO believe that along with that helping hand there should be a stern reminder that the second time they are on their own- .

I remember forgetting my warmup pullover for a basketball game in HS many moons ago-didn't sit out of the game but DID run 50 laps around the gym after the game. The custodian let me out afterwards and I walked 5 miles home in the dark. Never forgot a thing again for a sporting event.

But here is a question to ponder-Why do we let students off with a "warning" who have INTENTIONALLY disrupted the classroom or broken school rules but the athletes who ACCIDENTALLY forget a piece of equipment
are punished immediately? Just something to think about.

quote:

Why do we let students off with a "warning" who have INTENTIONALLY disrupted the classroom or broken school rules but the athletes who ACCIDENTALLY forget a piece of equipment are punished immediately?

Interesting question. Could be that the athlete is not only letting themselves down but other members of the team whereas the student is only letting themselves down

Who knows, life seems full of double standards and athletes are usually the benficiary's of such standards.

I believe we hold our players to a higher standard. Is that right? Probaly not. I was not afraid of the administration when I was in school. I didnt fear what they would do to me if I got caught skipping school. But God did I fear what my coach would do to me. If it was not for sports I probaly would have still made it through HS. But there is no way I would have ever made it through college. Whats the teacher going to do to me if I miss class? Give me a 0. Whats the coach going to do to me if he finds out I missed class. Make me a zero!

we tell our kids--"we don't care what you do or did on other teams. here we do it our way"

quote:

Originally posted by Fungo:
Take it in stride ---- it’s just part of growing up! My son called a while back and said he had lost his ipod. Said he had left it on the bumper of his Tahoe and when he got back to his apartment it was gone. Wanted to know since he had bought the extended warranty would they replace it? I said I didn’t think so --- That question must fall under the category of consumer ignorance!! He said he really liked his ipod and was going to buy another. I said it’s your money ---- go for it! Three days after he buys a new ipod and umpteen hours of downloading songs, he calls and says he was cleaning his room and found his ‘lost” ipod between the bed and the wall of his apartment. My first thought was how it got from the bumper of his Tahoe to behind his bed but I didn’t ask ---- just another day in paradise. But that’s OK. I have to defend the young men! I turn 61 this month and I find myself doing many of the same things ---- forgetting to do things I’m supposed to do and headed in a direction that can best be described as “somewhere”. My real problem is watching them spend money on worthless things like an ipod when he could get a new fishing rod and reel for about the same money.
Fungo

Sounded like a ploy for a new ipod! Son has had 2 shuffle breakdowns, now he's moved up to Nano! By the way, if anyone has the extended warranty, you can trade "up" and pay the difference.

Coach May,
Great post!