Mean little league coaches... long story...

[-Greg-]

My oldest daughter (16) decided this year that along with working at a lawyers office everyday after school, that she would learn how to be a little league umpire ($25 per game was the motivating factor!). She went to umpire class, read and re-read the rule book, studied online, etc. and up until last night has been having a great time. She came home crying and as she tells the story, one of the coaches was up in her face yelling, screaming, and putting his finger in her chest, all over a supposed "bad call". Now mind you the kids she was umpiring were 9 and 10 year old little boys, I am thankful that I was not at the game as who knows what would have happened! I spoke with the league president this morning, he was already made aware of the coaches behavior and was suspending him for 2 games, if it happens again he told me he will be suspended for good. He is also going to talk to my daughter tonight and provide some more guidance as to how to handle the situation if it comes up again. I just cannot imagine what could go through a persons mind to make a little girl (she is still my little girl!) cry, and better yet, how no one came out to defend her, they all just justify it as being "competative", I'm sorry, but I don't buy it.

I as well have run in to something similar, this year I volunteered to coach my youngest daughter's (10) softball team, it has been a learning experience to say the least! One of the teams we played had a coach that was out in our umpires face after another supposed "bad call", now again, these are 9 and 10 year old little girls, I don't think you can have a "bad call" in this age group, but that is just my opinion. The umpire was a older kid who was holding his own, but after 10 seconds of hearing the coach yell at the umpire I was out of the dugout and in the middle of it, I told the other coach and the umpire if this doesn't stop immediately, or if it happens again, my and my girls are going home! Just let the girls play! Anyway, I just don't understand the mindset, what could possibly happen that someone could justify that kind of behavior in front of little kids? Are some that competitive that common sense and reason go out the window? Anyway, we play this team tonight again, and before the game starts I am going to once again say my peace to the coach and the umpire, hopefully all goes well! And my oldest daughter is learning some more good life lessons about how  to deal with mean people!

Greg

[Joyce]

Jamie is on a softball team too, and the first coach was a psycho (just like your story),
was fired last week by all us moms and dads and we scrambled and got THE BEST coach 'Joey' who is also the stepdad
of one of the players who is also my daughters best friend. Didn't even miss a practice.
He is great. I gotta downlaod the pix I took at last Fridays practice.
My husband is one of the 'helpers' for the team now too. 

Glad you handled it the way you did. 
I like nipping things in the bud too, if not chopping them off at ground level.

[Ky Kim]

I'm like you, good thing I wasn't there with him putting his finger in your daughters chest.  That's uncalled for, no matter what the age may be.  It really sets a bad example for kids to learn from.  I know its competive, but you have to draw a line some where and KNOW where that line ends.  Nothing wrong with a good ball game, but the children are there to learn.  How do they learn when their coaches are mean and nasty.  It just teaches them to do the same.

WTG> Greg!  Keep it up!

Kim

[miguynmkoi]

I'm sorry your daughter had to experience an idiot at work.  When my kids were young we saw this happening all the time and it really ruins the kids fun.  Isn't a kid's sport suppose to be fun and teach them how to play with others?  Why do some parents get so steamed and loud over little things?  I would explain to my kids that these over-reactive parents only knew how to scream their opinions in public and did not know how to raise their own kids or had a life.  Where are these parents now, ten years later?  Divorced, shunned, and family-less.  Life lessons.

I hope your daughter knows not to take it personally - easier said than done.  The coach/parent just has a chip on his shoulder.  When that chip falls off or is knocked off he will not be worthy of her spit (to say it nicely).

[-Greg-]

Thanks everyone for the support! This is my first year coaching, we only have 3 out of 12 kids who have ever played before, and those 3, one of which is my daughter, have only played last year, so we are all learning! All of the other coaches except the one mean one, have all been great! Easy going, there to help the kids learn, and all of us are working together. The kids are having a great time, no one has missed a game or a practice and we have only won one game, not that they know. The hardest part is the pitching, right now it is a big "walk fest" as only 1 out of 10 pitches or so is anywhere near the strike zone, trying to teach underhanded fast pitch to a 10 year old has been difficult to say the least, good thing we have patience!! Here is a link to our team's website that I made up for them:

http://web.mac.com/gunkel04/Site1/Hawks_Softball.html


Greg

[Esther]

He sounds like he has the "little man" syndrome. He thinks he is a bigtime guy like on TV in the pros.

[Jerry]

Esther nailed it!