My daughter's 9-10 softball team had a game today. I'm not a coach, just a practice helper or bullpen helper on game days.
The other coach chose to pull his entire infield into within 30 feet of the batter in the 4th inning. We had bases loaded, and it was one out. We were ahead 10-6. After the first pitch went by, I felt compelled to yell to the batter (which I never do!) to take a good solid compact swing to show the other coach why he was doing something to jeopardize his girl's safety. BTW, no bunting in 9-10 softball, and everybody knows it.
As soon as I said something, he called time and told his girls to go back to their regular positions. Don't know if I struck a nerve at that point or what?
After the game, he sought me out...and I'm not a coach of our team remember. He wanted to explain that he uses this technique once in a while to intimidate the opposing team's hitter. At that point, I asked him to stop talking because I was getting really mad, after not being mad at all. I told him I thought that was the most ridiculous thing I ever heard and that he should take a long look in the mirror when he gets home. I told him not only was he gambling with the health of 9-10 year olds, who don't have the reflexes to react to a ball from 30 feet, but that he also demonstrated poor decision making when he mentioned something about intimidating a 9 or 10 year old.
At that point, parents from both sides could hear what I was saying. I was not yelling, cause I didn't feel the need to make a spectacle of the whole thing. He looked at me, thanked me for the advice, and then walked back to his dugout to gather the team gear.
A number of his parents gathered around me to thank me for saying something. I asked them why they hadn't said anything before, since clearly he has done this before? Not a peep from any of them. I walked away just shaking my head.
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