Okay, my turn for a proud mommy moment...

[kaddjr]

We're wrapping up our normal baseball/softball season here. Both my kids play.

This is my DS's third year in major league. He has progressed nicely from his first year in the majors when he was hit by 4 pitches in the first 3 games and then wanted to back out of the box the rest of the season. This year he has been one of the few most consistant hitters on his team (our team was really young this year). His confidence has also been boosted a bit as a back-up pitcher. Next year he will be one of our two lead pitchers. And even though the team overall came in last place and lost in the first round of our tournament, DS was chosen to be on our league's all-star team! He was THRILLED when he heard the news- mom and dad are really pleased, too!

Now a little background on DD's team. This is her second year in the pixie league. She too has gotten progressively better at the game. The league uses a pitching machine and doesn't have umpires- they have relied on the honesty of the coaches to make the calls. Unfortunately, there are some coaches that like to try to, how do I say this nicely? Well, let's just say they don't play fair. For example, there are times when it's not 3 strikes you're out, but 4. And of course, they would say our bookkeeper was wrong. It got so bad that we parents on the bleechers would start counting the strikes out loud, just to keep them honest! Then there was the runner gets the tie rule- but if you are on the opposing team, you won't get that call. The president of the pixie league argued this rule for the team she was the assistant coach for in a really close call. Fine, if that's the rule, that's the rule. A few innings later, when our team was in the same situation (and on a rally and close to taking the lead I might add), the SAME gal called our girl out! The kicker was that her girl's foot was CLEARLY off the bag when she caught the ball!!! Oh and there was the time when one of our girls ran to second base and was pushed off the base and called out. We're not talking a little bump in the heat of the play, this girl literally reached out and PUSHED our girl off the base! Same president called our girl out.

I will stop right here and say that I know there are bad calls made all the time. I know there are times when the call won't go your way. That's life and we all have to deal with it sometimes. BUT, I have to say that it gets painfully obvious that there is some bias going on when these bad calls are made in favor of the "favored" teams ALL the time. Oh, and whatever you do don't say anything about it or you will be threatend with being kicked out of the park...

So last week, DD's team played one of the "favored" teams. The coach of the opposing team HATES to lose. The coaches, the players, and the parents think this team is hot s...tuff. Can do no wrong. He is also buds w/the league's president. There were several bad calls made. The arrogance level was running so high that when our girls were making a comeback, this coach asked that play be stopped to make sure the pitching machine was pitching right! The machine was fine...And I won't even get started about the fight that their 3rd base coach started with our bleecher section... We lost by 3.

Yes, there is an ending to all of this- bear with me, I'm getting there...

Tonight was the first round of our post season tournament. We were the 5th seed. Had to play the 4th seed, which was the team that I referred to above. It's the top of the 5th, our girls are up to bat, no outs, runner on third, DD up to bat. Score is 10-4, we're winning. DD smacks the ball. She makes it to first, but the ball was over-thrown. She runs to second. Again, ball is over-thrown,but not by much. DD heads to third (girl on third scored already). Ball is thrown, caught but immediately dropped. DD is safe! (little stinker almost gave me a heart attack!) Now this is the top of the last inning due to time. Our league has a 7 run rule EXCEPT for the last inning. We are now at 6 runs for the inning. Our next batter gets up and smacks the ball. DD makes it home before the batter gets tagged out. So we now have 7 runs, 1 out. The league president tried to tell our coach that we had to take the field, since we scored our 7 runs. Technically, it wouldn't have mattered since they would only be able to score 7 runs also and we would've won, but that wasn't the rule. Our coach managed to get the call overturned and we continuted to bat. The next two batters were out at first. Their turn to bat. First two batters out at first. Next one got to second. Fourth girl out at first. We WON!!!! The coach's daughter was so sore about losing, she wouldn't shake hands with our girls!

I am very proud of my DD and every girl on our team. They played their hearts out tonight. Last year we finished 6th overall. This year, at the very least, we will finish fourth. No matter what, they have played with dignity and good sportsmanship, even during all of the times they lost. Tonight, I like to think that karma was on our side. And who knows, if they continue to play like they did tonight, they could win it all...

Thanks for listening!

 

[Lisa]

I love these proud Mama moments. Yeah, for DD's team!

 

[rlovew]

That is wonderful. I hope they continue to play well.

Rebecca

 

[PrincessNancy96]

Great job!!
Sounds like some of our baseball moments up here!!!
I could so see the whole even happening.. da ja vu!!

(Yep, it's pretty sad when the parents live vicariously through their kids in sports..and forget that the kid is playing the game...We have a few parents around here I'd like to shake around for a while...and offer them a clue)

 

[Faerie]

I'm amazed that there are leagues that play without at least one Ump.

That's wonderful for both your DD and DS that their seasons are going so well

 

[kaddjr]

Great job!!
Sounds like some of our baseball moments up here!!!
I could so see the whole even happening.. da ja vu!!

(Yep, it's pretty sad when the parents live vicariously through their kids in sports..and forget that the kid is playing the game...We have a few parents around here I'd like to shake around for a while...and offer them a clue)

With this league, there are two things that really bother me. The first is the bias that goes on. It's not all about winning, but at the very least, make the rules apply to everyone, all the time, and not just in situations where it benefits your team. No, our girls aren't the best, but at the very least make it fair so they have a chance. My second beef is the "stacking" of the teams. The coach of the team we played last night likes to snatch all of the "good" players for his teams so he has a winning team every year. I heard him complaining last night after the game about how the board is putting a stop to his tactics! I thought, "cry me a river, buddy!"

Our minor and pixie leagues don't have umpires because the board feels we can't afford them. That change came about 2 or 3 years ago. The board felt that the coaches could be fair enough to make all the calls. Well, I think they are finally seeing how this isn't working. Don't get me wrong- we do have some coaches that are very fair and honest, but we also have several bad apples.

Yep, it is sad to see parents that the only thing that matters to them is winning. I've witnessed girls being chewed out for making mistakes in games to the point where they were in tears. It doesn't matter to these parents that their child is improving and doing a better job overall- they made a mistake and that's all they see. Whatever happened to just letting them have a good time, win or lose? It's really .

 

[lewdyan1]

Congrats! I hate to hear of a few bad seeds taking the joy out of it for many others. I would want to collect from the team to pay for an ump whenever my team played! I love that both of my kids sports have independent officials running the show.

 

[PrincessNancy96]

With this league, there are two things that really bother me. The first is the bias that goes on. It's not all about winning, but at the very least, make the rules apply to everyone, all the time, and not just in situations where it benefits your team. No, our girls aren't the best, but at the very least make it fair so they have a chance. My second beef is the "stacking" of the teams. The coach of the team we played last night likes to snatch all of the "good" players for his teams so he has a winning team every year. I heard him complaining last night after the game about how the board is putting a stop to his tactics! I thought, "cry me a river, buddy!"

Our minor and pixie leagues don't have umpires because the board feels we can't afford them. That change came about 2 or 3 years ago. The board felt that the coaches could be fair enough to make all the calls. Well, I think they are finally seeing how this isn't working. Don't get me wrong- we do have some coaches that are very fair and honest, but we also have several bad apples.

Yep, it is sad to see parents that the only thing that matters to them is winning. I've witnessed girls being chewed out for making mistakes in games to the point where they were in tears. It doesn't matter to these parents that their child is improving and doing a better job overall- they made a mistake and that's all they see. Whatever happened to just letting them have a good time, win or lose? It's really .

Send an anonomys letter if you want and suggest they have the coaches rotate UMP-ing other games..thus allowing the coaches to coach and a "non-partial" coach ump... I know sounds easier said than done..but that is what we have done..and some of the coaches hate it...but they have found that the games are called better now...
Yep, one-sided calls run amuck around here too...

 

[maria34a]

I love to hear these stories about the "underdog" winning!!!!! Good for your Daughter and her team!!!! It's really too bad that certain parents have to take the fun out of it for the kids. They need to be reminded that they are only kids once and let them be kids!!!! Its all about them so let them just have FUN!!!!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Congrats to both kids!!! Job well done!!!

Now after reading all that do you see why my kids don't play team sports?!?

It's not the kids, it's the grown ups!

 

[kaddjr]

Thanks everyone!

Once you hit the major league in both softball and baseball, they do have independent umpires for the games. We really haven't had any problems with DS's games and the officiating (although there is one ump that will not call that outside corner... ). Once DD gets to majors, the officiating problem should be over, however, I've heard that the parents get worse, since the competition in the girl's majors is fierce!

This is really the only sport we have trouble with. DS plays football and basketball also. This is the only sport DD plays (tried basketball- didn't like it). She does attend the cheerleading camps throughout the year too. I hope she takes an interest in volleyball once she is old enough.

Like I said before, if her team plays the way they did last night, they stand a chance. If they lose, that's okay too. At least they beat the team!