Things I love about players parents...

Not many say "thank you coach" at the end of the season.

CV

6. You hate my son and so...

As a coach I agree. As a parent I resemble that post. By the way, I coulda played pro ball if only I hadn't been 16 my senior year in HS. The fact that I played in front of umpteen scouts at 17 and they weren't impressed is irrelevant.

7. Why isn't my kid playing in the infield?
8. Why isn't my kid pitching?
9a. We want the team to win, you should play to win.
9b. Hey, how come my son is sitting all of a sudden?

They go on websites trash my program and then kiss my butt in person.

How about this knife thru the heart..."you have taken away my son's self confidence and stole his love for baseball."

Dads son is on the hill cruising in the 5th with a no no. You take him out because its early in the year and he has thrown 65 pitches.

Dad: What the heck is he doing he takes him out with a no hitter!

Dads son is on the hill battling his butt off in the 5th. Getting touched a bit and struggling to get guys out.

Dad: Get him out of the game coach. Its early in the season hasn't he thrown enough pitches.

Kids hitting in the four hole.

Dad: He hates hitting in the four hole. If he would move him to the five hole he would rake.

Kid moved to the five hole.

Dad: Ever since he put him in the four hole he has screwed up his confidence. If he would put him somewhere and just leave him there he would settle down and be fine.

Kid stays in the five hole.

Why doesn't he move him in the line up so he can see more fastballs in the count untill he gets his confidence back.

Kid moves to the 8 hole.

He hates the 8 hole he never gets any rbi opportunities there.

Kid gets DH for.

Can you believe that he has a dh for my son. That coach has killed my sons confidence.

Pardon my intrusion on this coaches, but Id like to add that I could have been a pro player...with my desire and love of the game.... I only needed a few other (minor)things and I was definately a major leaguer.....

Like:

Talent
Ability
Speed
Hand/Eye coordination
Size

Other than those, I had it made..........hands down.....

Seriously now, as the HS season fades away and I get more into summer ball, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you all for all the time, effort, professionalism and heart you put into your programs......

Many of us umpires admire what you do, the sacrifices you make and what you have to put up with on a yearly basis...

Thanks Coaches.........

CV,

Think I did, but if not, Thank you Coach!!!

quote:

Originally posted by cvsting:
Not many say "thank you coach" at the end of the season.

CV

I taught my son to do that when he was about 5. And every single sport, every season, he goes up to his coaches - w/o any prodding from me - and looks them straight in the eye and shakes their hand and says "thanks Coach; I had a good time this year [or something similar]".

Their son goes to a showcase that rates them a 9.5 out of 10 and they can't understand why they aren't starting (the kid can't throw strikes).
They give hitting tips to their son while he is in the on-deck circle.
They shout out gems like "keep your head down", "throw the barrel", "good idea" (after they throw a ball).
My personal favorite:
They have their son's number and name embroidered on the side of their hat!

the sad thing I see at most every game is the coaches stalling around on the field after the game before they can leave, as they are clearly waiting for the parents to leave the stands so they don't have to face the "barage".

I had to put an end to my coaching days a few years ago. I don't miss- the mom who told me her 10 year old was already being recruited by UCLA; the dad who complained about the number on his son's uni and that the uni's weren't "fancy" enough; routinely waiting in the park for over an hour until the last kid got picked up; taking home the kid who's ride never came.......

Never had a problem with any kid and when one of your players comes up to you and says thanks and when I run into former players now grown up, in college etc. and they just say "hey coach, how are you doing", it was all worth it.

Sandman I think that is great. I taught my sons the same thing. Thank the coach for his time and his efforts every year. When my oldest son was 12 he was picked for an all star team. He played 14 games with them and never got on the field. He never got one ab. At the conclusion of the all star season I told him to go up to the coach and thank him for the opportunity. I also walked up to the coach and said "Thanks for giving my son the opportunity to play on your team". He looked at me with a stunned look on his face. He was actually speechless. I turned and walked away. I didnt mean it in a sarcastic way. It taught my son some valuable lessons by not playing and sitting on the bench. It motivated him to work even harder. Did I think it was right that he never got a chance to play. Or was it right to pick him if he was not going to even get one ab. NO. But thats ok live and learn and move on.

Great post - I've heard almost all of these from various parents.

At my son's signing in March, we invited a couple of former coaches. I was thanking one of them and sharing about our baseball experience through son's life. He's truly never had a negative experience (with one exception of a recruiting experience last fall) in baseball. To make a long story short, the coach said that much of our happiness and joy with baseball was due to my son's attitude. I thought about this for a few days and he's probably right. Those parents that support not only their son, but the coach (don't mean kissing butt) and teach their child the values that Coach May and Sandman have talked about will have a much happier, successful, and fulfilling experience. The kids who I've seen have an attitude have usually been reflections of their parents. While those kinds of parents mentioned above are frustrating to say the least to coaches, they are really doing their child an even bigger diservice.

Bulldog - I'm afraid I am one of those parents yelling suggestions from the stand. I'll have to say I really have very limited baseball skill knowledge - I do it as a way to cheer. Or I thought it was a way to encourage and cheer! My son's favorite is "don't overthrow". I've stopped all of the advice this year as I realized he doesn't need my suggestions for many reasons!!! He had to help me realize this one!!

quote:

Originally posted by HeyBatter:
Never had a problem with one kid and when that one kid comes up to you and says thanks and when I run into former players now grown up, in college etc. and they just say "hey coach, how are you doing", it was all worth it.

That's another nice gesture some kids just do naturally - call a person coach for the rest of their days! My son does it all the time, even people who only coached him a year and several years ago. It just feels more natural to him, I guess, than calling them Mr.

Ahh... the little things.

I was a hitting coach for youth to HS. I was always the" assistant" leaving the big headaches to the head coach. I feel fortunate for this time and hope to extend it even as my son graduated. As Sandman said the " hey coach" you get for years and the bond and relationship with that many young people trumps any possible downside. It was and continues to be one of life's greatest pleasure. Can't imagine not doing it. Thanks to all you full time coaches!!

In a close rival High School game, the Dad was in the stands behind the plate heckling the umpire until his son got up to bat. Then he was yelling out where the catcher was setting up so his son would know (supposedly)where the pitch was coming. The umpires quickly put an end to this, but how embarassing for a High School Senior to feel his Dad thinks he can't hit a baseball without Daddy telling him where it was being pitched. What a sad situation for the young man. Don't parents realize what they do to their kids confidence when they don't just let them play, especially once they reach High School!

We just finished league play recently for our high school teams and I could not pass up the opportunity to get this off my chest. Aprroxiametely two weeks earlier we faced a club that was leading our division at that point and in the last inning the game really turned ugly when the ace of their staff came on to close the game against us. I had a conflict of interest and allowed my asistant coach to run our club that night(I allways miss the fireworks or so it seems). It all started with an exchange of words, I was told, between that pitcher and my third baseman. Apparently the young man who is listed as a senior for them made a rather rude comment about my 3rd baggers mother and the dugout had to restrain my player from going after him. We lost the game that night and afterwards lined up to shake hands and the opponents player was not finished with the verbal barrage against my player and I was told that three of my players had to tackle my 3rd sacker to keep him from doing something that we would all regret. I receive a call from the director the following morning to inform me that the problems were escalating it appeared that the sister of one of their players had driven over to find my player. She found him at lunch time and then cut him and his passengers off in traffic and continued with the verbal assault. The recount of the story said that my player kept his mouth shut and backed up and went around without further incident.
We had a game scheduled that night and I had a team meeting with the early arrivers of the squad and informed them that any retaliation would result in that games suspension and any additional continuance would result in being removed from the team. The only problem was the young man I needed to reach the most was not yet there. I looked up and out towards the parking area and saw my third baseman just entering the runway, this was compounded by the fact that I also see the opposing pitcher from the night before and his parents walking towards the parking area on the same path. I told the squad to stay put and I took off for the potential confrontation. I did not make it in time to hear what was said but I saw my 3rd baseman go livid but he retained a modicum of composure and give a wide berth and did not appear to say a thing. I asked him what had happened and he told me that the mother looked at him and said ,"What are you looking at ******?" I could not prove anything by restraining the other three so I let it go and we went on to play and we won the game that night. I figured that the night had ended on a positive note until we all went out to the parking area together only to see a police car in the lot because someone had broken out a window of my third basemans, best friends car. Needless to say security became a high priority for the rest of the season.
Now for the best of the story. We had finished playing for third place and winning that, not bad for a club that started 1-9 with 5 freshmen and 4 sophomores on the roster. I decided to stay and watch the championship game which involved the team that we had the earlier altercation with. They were trailing 2-0 in the seventh when of all the people there the mother of that opposing pitcher came over to me and asked if it were legal for their opponents runners at third base to be in foul territory. After my initial shock I told her that we all teach our runners at third to stand on foul ground to avoid being hit by a fair ball and being called out for being hit by a batted ball in fair territory. She did not agree with that, not that I expected her to. All that I could remember thinking was, 'NOW SHE WANTS MY OPINION?"
As the game progressed into the bottom of the ninth with them trailing 3-0 and 2 outs and the batter with a 1-2 count these same parents completely lost it and the game was interrupted for 15 minutes until 5 of those family members were removed from the grounds. After order was restored it took two more pitches to end the game

with all this going on you wonder why some coaches just beg off and find something else to do.

Will - its because the good still far outweighs the bad...