If you are a team you dress as a team

Coach_May posted:

Your name on a line up card. The staff's praise for a job well done. Your performance when the lights were on which was created by your work ethic when they were not. The respect of your team mates and Coaches. The Jersey you get to wear. The privilege to compete on this team. That is your reward for doing what is demanded of you to do. IF there are people who don't reach the level of expectations that are required to wear that jersey they won't need a belt. They can sag in the stands or parking lot.

Everyone works hard. Everyone is held to the same standard on and off the field. Some will exceed those standards. Their reward is knowing they have done that. Our reward is they are an example for others to follow and reach even higher. If a non leather belt player scores we get 1 run. If a leather belt player scores we get 1 run. If a non leather belt player strikes out we get an out. If a leather belt player strikes out we get an out. We have all paid the same price to have the privilege to represent our school, community and family. Some have paid a higher price but we have all paid the price to be worthy. Those who have not are not with us.

We all look alike. We wear the same uniform. No one can see a difference. We all run as hard as we can. Some just run a little faster. We all play as hard as we can. Some can just play a little better. Be we all see the same thing. My brother who paid the same price I paid to be a part of this. I am not a leather belt and your a plastic belt. We are all the same.

If a Coach has players that don't work hard and they still wear the Jersey then he needs to take off his belt because he doesn't deserve it. If a coach only has 4 players that will work hard enough then he has failed them they have not failed him. If a coach only has 4 players that are worthy then give them a uniform that is exactly the same and work hard to properly build a program that 5 would want to play for the next year. And when he gets 9 he will have a team. JMO

Some newer posters may not be familiar with Coach May. He doesn't post as frequently anymore. Because I know he's humble I won't make a long list about who he is and his accomplishments. If your kid is fortunate he will play for a Coach May. Your kid may come home grumbling because he was told the truth. But when it's all over your kid will know Coach May got every bit of ability out of him. As a parent you will know everything was fair and on the level. You will know your son will see obstacles as opportunities rather than make excuses. I'll give him one compliment. He's the EF Hutton of the board. When he posts pay attention.

Having a ball reading all the post!! I join Hsbw because I love to hear individuals different opinions about sports and how they deal with situations that comes up , and how to maneuver through the recruiting process. I can say I'm not disappointed .  I do praise my son not just for baseball . Son have a great attitude when it comes to baseball learned how to play the game the right way had so many positive coaches in his life .When he has a bad game he always find something in it that he did well. I'm the parent but he keep teaching me that it just Baseball!!

d8 posted:

I knew this would get a lot of replies..... In college, I would switch my leather belt for a cloth one because it was more comfortable.....just sayin'

This is really funny.

Come on folks,  this is ridiculous. And this is second hand info, what is the REAL story.

hshuler posted:

Extremely hypothetical example of how that would work out at our home. 

My son - "Dad, I didn't get a leather belt. "

My response - "W...." (he interrupts)

My son - "I know. I know. Work harder!"

End of discussion. That's been my standard answer since he's starting playing.  

With the risk of having DFCS visiting me, my son knows better to come home and ask me for a leather belt . . . . .

Be careful what you ask for. 

Nuke83 posted:

hshuler posted:

Extremely hypothetical example of how that would work out at our home. 

My son - "Dad, I didn't get a leather belt. "

My response - "W...." (he interrupts)

My son - "I know. I know. Work harder!"

End of discussion. That's been my standard answer since he's starting playing.  

With the risk of having DFCS visiting me, my son knows better to come home and ask me for a leather belt . . . . .

Be careful what you ask for. 

LoL 

Grindneverstop posted:

If you are a coach and you want your team to be a unified team then they all should dress the same. I don't see a problem with team leaders or a c on the uniform. If the players pay the same amount of money to play the sport then everyone should get the same thing. There are so many other ways to acknowledge hard work. 

This statement is just wrong on so many levels!

Feelin the Bern?

lol

Loving all the post! The reason I join hsbw so I could get feedback from the members about different situations that happen in baseball and to maneuver through the recruiting process. Shout out to all the coaches who have imparted so much wisdom. My son was blessed to have lots of good coaches that taught him to play the game the right way. When my son has a bad game he always find something that he did well in the game. I'm the parent  but he constantly remind me "THAT ITS JUST BASEBALL ".

Grindneverstop posted:

Loving all the post! The reason I join hsbw so I could get feedback from the members about different situations that happen in baseball and to maneuver through the recruiting process. Shout out to all the coaches who have imparted so much wisdom. My son was blessed to have lots of good coaches that taught him to play the game the right way. When my son has a bad game he always find something that he did well in the game. I'm the parent  but he constantly remind me "THAT ITS JUST BASEBALL ".

How old is your son?

2018 (16)

Grindneverstop posted:

Loving all the post! The reason I join hsbw so I could get feedback from the members about different situations that happen in baseball and to maneuver through the recruiting process. Shout out to all the coaches who have imparted so much wisdom. My son was blessed to have lots of good coaches that taught him to play the game the right way. When my son has a bad game he always find something that he did well in the game. I'm the parent  but he constantly remind me "THAT ITS JUST BASEBALL ".

I have to say, I've never heard my kid say "it's JUST baseball".

I remember our 1976  State Championship Little League team didn't even have belts,  just fancy elastic waist bands. Maybe we should go back to the good old days of Gold pants and elastic waistbands.

CaCO3Girl posted:

Grindneverstop posted:

Loving all the post! The reason I join hsbw so I could get feedback from the members about different situations that happen in baseball and to maneuver through the recruiting process. Shout out to all the coaches who have imparted so much wisdom. My son was blessed to have lots of good coaches that taught him to play the game the right way. When my son has a bad game he always find something that he did well in the game. I'm the parent  but he constantly remind me "THAT ITS JUST BASEBALL ".

I have to say, I've never heard my kid say "it's JUST baseball".

I never did either!

TPM posted:

CaCO3Girl posted:

Grindneverstop posted:

Loving all the post! The reason I join hsbw so I could get feedback from the members about different situations that happen in baseball and to maneuver through the recruiting process. Shout out to all the coaches who have imparted so much wisdom. My son was blessed to have lots of good coaches that taught him to play the game the right way. When my son has a bad game he always find something that he did well in the game. I'm the parent  but he constantly remind me "THAT ITS JUST BASEBALL ".

I have to say, I've never heard my kid say "it's JUST baseball".

I never did either!

I recall saying it a few times, but it was never well received.  It usually resulted in a look that said "you just don't understand".  

Grindneverstop posted:

2018 (16)

I asked because this sounds like little league stuff.

Just sayin'.

JMO

A HS coach giving four players on the team a leather belt because they worked the hardest in practice?"

So if I read this correctly, they could be the 4 worst players on the team, yet they are working the hardest in practice. They get special recognition over 10-15 kids that are more productive contributors than them? So your # 1 pitcher that throws a shutout every time has the cheap belt and the last player on the bench has the nice belt? This has to be is a joke, right?

I can see why people take the pro-belt or anti-belt (as FREDDY77 nicely put it). Like everything in life, there are pros and cons, and at the end of the day, most of us will attract to either pro- or anti-. I just want to comment from out-of-the-box…

• Hard work is generally rewarded with playing time. If you work hard and have the talent you will play; if you don’t have talent and work hard, then try another sport; if you have incredible talent without working hard, you will also play (remember Bo Jackson, he did not even like BB practices, but was a beast); if you work hard, have talent and are a bad teammate you should not be in the team because of added bad chemistry.
• As for acknowledgement by the coach of hard work, well it can be said, praised, shown, and I guess give a leather belt, or let the hard workers use ‘the’ nice bat, or let them use the fancy-looking cleats. IMHO, I think that this situation may create preferential treatment, albeit with justifications, and the ones raising hell will be the parents when their kid tells them the story and the negative repercussions will be back to the player now created by the parent. I do however agree with a coach assigning a player(s) as captain(s) because it is about team leadership that has been earned and that is awarded and carries responsibilities with the team.
• What happens if the kids with the ‘belt’ then slack off during the season because of a slump or whatever other reason? Does the coach take the belt back? :-) 

Sometimes you see the hard work and sometimes you don’t, but it will always reflect. My son (let’s call him T) was one time invited to a local scout’s showcase and after his bp, a scout asked him ‘hey T, when do you find time to work out with your school work, good grades and HS practices?’ his response to the scout was…sir, during the week I get up at 4:30am, in the gym at 5 and in school by 7:15, His coach never saw this and did not even know to this date of his work outs, but it reflected on the field.

As far as I’m concerned, excellence, proper behavior, dedication and hard work are to be expected if you want to be in a team, on and off the field; if a player doesn’t want to provide these requirements, then the player does not belong.

If I were the coach, I would give leather belts to all players in the team and say ‘this is for the hard work of the  team, some have earned it and some have not, now everyone of you show me that you have earned your belt’.

Good stuff Fourbases! When the parent asked me my opinion how I felt about the situation, this is what I said to her "what define hard work". The OP states that. To make it clear it was not my son nor his team. Since, it created so much negativity with the team IMO it should not have been done. 

Gatorade, anyone? ;-)

hshuler posted:

Gatorade, anyone? ;-)

Koolaid!

All this belt talk has me ginned up a bit and I am actually in need of a new one. Since I am in Clemson for the banquet tonight, I think I'll stroll downtown to The Tiger Sports shop and get me a new one with Tiger Paws on it. I wonder what the other parents willl think?

btw, son 92/94...up to 95, closed scrimmage game last night, 3up-3 down.

Go Tigers!