Sportsmanship?

Not so much at highschool games....but DEFINITELY at the players at the SEC school down the street.   If your son is going to play in college then he better get used to it.  

Iowamom23 posted:

How much trouble does your school district/high school team have with people harassing players? We had one baseball game where a parent from the other team got kicked out for verbally abusing my son. Some kids on another basketball team were researching an opponent's social media, and then trash talking their girlfriends or parents by name in an effort to throw kids off.

Referees have had to tell players and spectators that they aren't allowed to refer to opponents by name or number.

Anyone else experiencing this level of issue? What do your schools do about it? Or am I being overly sensitive and this is now business as usual?

It bothers me that any player/fan takes it to a "personal" level, but such is the environment we live in today. There are no lines that say "this is off limits" any more unfortunately. Hell, we have had parents on our own team talk about my son in the stands right in front of us...we are in a cut-throat program. We could have gotten pissed, but we decided the fact that my son was on the field and theirs wasn't was enough of a "pay back." I get it, everyone thinks their kid would be better...until they get the chance and aren't.

If someone gets personal and ugly and trash talks me, well, we're gonna meet in the parking lot after the game.

I guess I'm just old.  I'm in the camp of "we've gotten too soft and we coddle too much".  Fan trash talk used to be much more extensive.  Now, I go to the HS basketball games and the student fan section has so many "proper etiquette" rules that they can't really get loud and rowdy any more.   As a result, less fans, less student body passion, fewer emotionally charged gyms, fields, etc.  Generally, there is plenty of trash talking going on between the players on the courts and on the FB field, particularly.  I liked it better when the players just played and the fans made the noise with conviction, no matter how that came out.  Boisterous fans have always been part of the sports experience.  Players deal with it (Yes, HS players too... they can, really).  It's a small part of what builds rivalry.  

Now, talking bad about your team's own players... that's an entirely different story.  Just wrong in any era.

Not so much at our HS(Catholic). College is a whole different environment. Fans/Players have so much material to work with out there publically on social media. You better get some thick skin quick, especially if your a pitcher. Texas A&M "ball 4, ball 5, ball 6"...., sticks out in my head. Some schools have serious fan bases that live for home games. They talk all pro trash. As a parent, you need to step away and focus on what you can. Best advice I've heard, you're on the field playing and they are in the stands talking trash, advantage player. My son says that it usually motivates him, but mostly clears it out and focuses on each pitch. 

Note to future players: Block your social media accounts and or keep them nondescript.   

If 99yo Millie the Vikings fan isn’t off limits to Eagles fans, who is? 

https://www.gomn.com/sports/so...-coming-to-minnesota

“Everyone can say it’s just one group of Eagles fans who did this but it’s another group who started a fight before the game, it’s another group who shouted “f**k grease” and climbed the light poles after the city asked them not to, it’s another group who pelted the Vikings bus with beer cans, and it’s the entire stadium that mocked the SKOL chant for a team that was just as excited as Philly to be there. Trashy fans.”

Just as a note — while son's coach encouraged ump to take action when the parent was standing behind home plate yelling at my son, and his youth coach, who usually camps out in left field to stay out of the way, came in to see how things were going, my son looked at both of them blankly and said "did someone say something?" Still not sure if that was just bravado or if he was that tuned in. We won, which I thought was all the response needed.

Wasn't much of a problem up here.  Sure there were times when we would hear other team's parents say that Ryan was "overrated", but we just tried to tune it out.  It didn't happen much, and it didn't really bother Ryan.

I mostly agree with Cabbage.  We have gotten a little soft, and rivalries are fun, as long as it isn't taken too far.  On the other hand, I think social media has made a lot of people really mean-spirited.  People call names, post insults, etc., and I am getting to the age that I just don't want to be invested too much in a particular team.  

Disclaimer:  I am a fan of all Atlanta Teams, so I have dealt with a lot of pain!  I have invested a lot of my heart with these teams, and it is painful when they "snatch defeat from the jaws of victory"!

Iowamom23 posted:

How much trouble does your school district/high school team have with people harassing players? We had one baseball game where a parent from the other team got kicked out for verbally abusing my son. Some kids on another basketball team were researching an opponent's social media, and then trash talking their girlfriends or parents by name in an effort to throw kids off.

Referees have had to tell players and spectators that they aren't allowed to refer to opponents by name or number.

Anyone else experiencing this level of issue? What do your schools do about it? Or am I being overly sensitive and this is now business as usual?

A few years ago parents of a football player from our HS were "escorted" from an away game by the local law enforcement for verbally abusing their own coach.   From what I heard it was pretty bad (lots of bad language and threats) that was directed to the players coach (yes, their own coach).   Since then there is a sportsman behavior statement read before all home games (all sports) regarding the expected behavior of all fans.

They don't mind cheering the team on, but verbal abuse or threats will not be tolerated.

I've told my son to look at trash talk as the spectator's job.  As long as they aren't personally abusive I don't mind.  In college that will change.  It will still be their job, but now it will just be stupid college kids trying to effect the game and they will get personal. 

I went to a very competitive Texas high school for baseball. I remember one game in the fifth round of playoffs we had fans print off pictures of the starting pitcher’s mom on the other team and wear the picture as a mask. Before our series with that team, the mom was escorted off sight for fighting in the stands. 

We averaged thousands of fans each game and there was some very personal things being said from fans at the other teams.

its only worse in d1. Drunks heckling the opposing team, college kids in the stands shouting at our outfielders.

We had an outfielder make an error at ole miss and the entire stadium chanted his name

I forgot to mention it’s honestly pretty funny. It’s a great environment. Makes the game more interesting. 

https://www.nfhs.org/sports-re...ts-of-emphasis-2018/

See point of emphasis on bench jockeying....Hopefully this helps!

Too soft as far as kids go, parents ..if over the line should be escorted out of event by police on duty. 

Back in 2015, Lampert was #1 nationally and came to our place. Everything you describe happened from their fans. My son started that game. They were insulting his GF , calling her a dog and much more. Pretty much screaming at him the entire game. 

I think the line was:

7ip Complete game 

1 hit (bloop to of behind ss)

10 or 11Ks

struck our side 3 times

up to 93 in the seventh.

we won

Its on you tube.

I watch that game at least once a year. Boy was it a beauty and fun to watch if you were a Mustang.

Now he plays and lives with Seth beer, it’s pretty funny.

I think I’m sort of in agreement with D1 catcher and a few others here. While it bothers us as parents, I would bet the vast majority of our kids are either totally oblivious to it, or find it sort of amusing. I remember when I played HS sports a LONG time ago, I could never remember hearing anything specific. More like white noise in the background if any at all. If you have never played, it’s very hard to describe or understand. I can vividly remember after basketball games someone asking me did I hear so and so. This could my dad asking about him shouting encouragement or a friend asking about the rival fans. I can honestly say I didn’t remember a single incident. The only exception might be during a free throw. All other times you are just so immersed in the game and your job you just don’t “hear” it. 

Yes big time D1 games can get crazy. As a parent, there have been times I wanted to confront some idiot. But what is that gonna accomplish?  I’m sure I would embarrass my son way more by getting in a brawl in the stands or seeing me on the Jumbotron or sports center. My choice is to usually go someplace secluded by myself and watch son pitch. It’s hard as a parent, especially a pitcher’s parent. I just tell myself HE signed up for this gig, not me. 

Shoveit4Ks posted:

Too soft as far as kids go, parents ..if over the line should be escorted out of event by police on duty. 

Back in 2015, Lampert was #1 nationally and came to our place. Everything you describe happened from their fans. My son started that game. They were insulting his GF , calling her a dog and much more. Pretty much screaming at him the entire game. 

I think the line was:

7ip Complete game 

1 hit (bloop to of behind ss)

10 or 11Ks

struck our side 3 times

up to 93 in the seventh.

we won

Its on you tube.

I watch that game at least once a year. Boy was it a beauty and fun to watch if you were a Mustang.

Now he plays and lives with Seth beer, it’s pretty funny.

 

 

 

 

 

 

You enjoyed putting that video together very much.

I didn't want to start a new thread just for this video, but I think it fits nicely under this topic.

https://twitter.com/b757fo_jim.../1006225576019947520

Cool video

Sportsmanship?  That was always something for rich people in Country Clubs that had to do business with each other on Monday.

Baseball is a sport that started out for the hard scrabble people.  It has always been an iffy affair.  Hard drinking, stealing signs, watering fields, spiking and dugout "chatter".  The stands were worse if you don't believe me go to a Yanks/Red Sox game sometime if you want to see unhinged "people" who are closer to animals let out of their cage than anything else.  It might be getting better now that ticket prices have soared in recent years. 

Ty Cobb starting riots, Chapman screaming unspeakable things at Jackie Robinson, head hunting from the mound are some of things old timers whistfully recall as they grumble about the growing softness of America and the future.

Hell blowing up defenseless middle infielders and catchers and destroying careers was "old fashioned hardball" until about 24 months ago.

Baseball like everything else evolves to new "norms" and as far as the violence on the field and the type of acceptable noise in the stands ….it is becoming more civil and not less than it ever was before. 

The availability of personal information is a new wrinkle.  There is a part of me that subscribes to the notion that you shouldn't broadcast your life if you don't want people to know and use that information against you.  In some regard you get what you deserve.  But that is another topic entirely. 

FWIW ….I am in favor of the cleaner approach.  Players should be able to walk when they are done....and a little perspective on the importance of a HS game much less any higher level game is in order IMO. 

As someone in the stands, this simple question should be asked "How does your team winning make you a better human being?"  The answer is that it does not....and never can.  Enjoy the games...like you should. 

luv baseball posted:

 

Hell blowing up defenseless middle infielders and catchers and destroying careers was "old fashioned hardball" until about 24 months ago.

 

 

that is a fact - it was and still is old fashion baseball and the game suffers now from a lack of it.

now they have to stop the game and go to instant replay to make sure the runner had a lane to the plate...and over night the take out slide went from an art to dirty...the owners try to screw up their own game but lucky enough for us they haven't been able to figure out how to do it.

Grow a set and play the game...we need more of that kind of sportsmanship.

School,

Not really.  Does anyone really miss Weaver or Pinella coming out and spitting seeds all over an umpire, throwing a base and kicking dirt and going back to the dugout with nothing changed or kicked out of the game?  Not me.  Besides I bet 100% of Cardinal fans would enjoy that 1985 World Series flag flying at Busch instead of Kaufman because the old way was better.  You are gonna just love the robot strike zone when it comes.

The world always improves. It is better now than 50 years ago and better then than 100 years ago.  

Perhaps you enjoyed Polio, or women that couldn't vote or slavery.  The good old days ….weren't that good. 

It's OK - eventually all the dinosaurs die because they couldn't....or wouldn't adapt.

luv baseball posted:

School,

Not really.  Does anyone really miss Weaver or Pinella coming out and spitting seeds all over an umpire, throwing a base and kicking dirt and going back to the dugout with nothing changed or kicked out of the game?  Not me.  Besides I bet 100% of Cardinal fans would enjoy that 1985 World Series flag flying at Busch instead of Kaufman because the old way was better.  You are gonna just love the robot strike zone when it comes.

The world always improves. It is better now than 50 years ago and better then than 100 years ago.  

Perhaps you enjoyed Polio, or women that couldn't vote or slavery.  The good old days ….weren't that good. 

It's OK - eventually all the dinosaurs die because they couldn't....or wouldn't adapt.

Well.  This thread went to hell quickly.

Let me try and get it back on track...  A lot of good kids out there who understand that some things are bigger than the game... 

https://deadspin.com/high-scho...end-to-win-182673619 

I enjoyed the video and it defines why I love the game. It is nice to show something like this to my very impressionable 13 year old rather than athletes doing silly fortnite dances

I saw that on twitter this morning, I did find it touching but honestly I don't know that many kids would do that. not because it is inappropriate or even good or bad. just  that you would have to be extremely close friends to not celebrate with your team first.

old_school posted:

I saw that on twitter this morning, I did find it touching but honestly I don't know that many kids would do that. not because it is inappropriate or even good or bad. just  that you would have to be extremely close friends to not celebrate with your team first.

There was a piece done on that last night as the video went viral yesterday.  The two boys had played travel ball with each other for many years and they were indeed very close friends. 

Probably more than sportsmanship, that young man just showed character, there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Proverbs 18:24.