Pathetic Youth Sports Stories

[KD in CA]

2 hours ago, Needle said:

Parents are holding kids back for sports constantly in my kids school district. I had so many people tell me that I was making a mistake sending my daughter to school when I did. Totally insane and pathetic.

 

Yep.  In CT, ‘redshirting’ boys before K was standard practice, both for sports and academics.  Haven’t seen it as much in CA.

[4merper4mer]

5 hours ago, Augie said:

 

Well that is nothing short of sickening. 

I agree it looked bad but there are actually towns in this country that run youth soccer leagues.  Soccer!  In the USA.

[Augie]

Just now, 4merper4mer said:

I agree it looked bad but there are actually towns in this country that run youth soccer leagues.  Soccer!  In the USA.

 

Soccer. I never thought it would be my favorite youth sport! My kids did baseball (boring), basketball (everybody just screaming at the refs, refs stopping AAU games till police arrive in the gym), football (always waiting for the next injury, and we had some wicked ones!), weightlifting (5-6 hours to watch 3 benches and 3 clean and jerks in this state finals!), and then there is soccer. While he did break an arm once, it’s generally the best balance of action and safety and civility (in the general culture....but can easily get out of hand). Not high scoring, but when you learn the nuances, it can be fascinating. My son was recruited for football, but would have done better in soccer in college. In the end I’m thrilled he took the path he did, just preparing for his future! 

[Buffalo716]

On 5/10/2019 at 7:02 AM, Gugny said:

In my twenties, I took the time to become a wrestling referee.  In one season, I was rushed by a drunken parent (at a morning modified tournament); berated by an angry mother because her son was pinned; and had to send an 8th grader to the locker room because, during a match, he was at the edge of the mat chanting "buuuulll ... shciiiiiit," whilst sitting NEXT TO HIS COACH.

 

The drunken parent, I was able to quietly suggest that he leave the area and he obliged.

The angry mother, I explained that her son was likely more embarrassed at her chewing out a ref than his about getting pinned.

The 8th grader was suspended from the first baseball game of the season, because this occurred during the last match of the season.  He actually went to the same school I did (and where my son goes now) and I knew the coaches very well.  I had a talk with them that they should know better, especially with kids that age.

 

I was done after that.  It was not fun.  The coaching thing is what pissed me off the most.

 

----------------------------------------

 

Then there was little league for my son.  He was probably 7.  HORRIBLE.  And he just didn't really like the game.  But he played the whole season.  During the season, I was talking to another dad.  We were talking about one of the coaches (someone we'd both gone to HS with).  This coach deliberately delayed his son starting school so he'd be older than the competition.  

 

Who the hell thinks like that when their kid is 4-5 years old????

 

Same coach had two sons.  The older one is a gifted athlete.  Both football and baseball.  Crazy good.  The younger one is my son's age.  During on LL game, the coach's son made an error.  The coach yelled, top of his lungs, "you'll never be as good as your brother."

 

Same game ... same coach ... this guy makes a pitching change mid-inning.  That NEVER happens in LL.  They don't even keep track of the scores/standings at that age.  Anyway, it's near the end of the game and there are 2 outs.  My son ... who never got one hit, mind you ... was up.  This douche brings in "that kid" who's bigger and stronger than everyone, to face my son.  The kid blew him away with three fast balls, which was no big deal.  But the fact that this a-hole took a kid out mid-inning because he gave up a hit or two, THEN brings in Mariano ***** Rivera to strike out the least-talented player on the team .... 

 

I always hated that mother *****. That made me hate him even more.

 

 

What age are you at? Edit saw 7

 

By 9-10 , even 7-8 little league baseball was very competitive in my town and scores and standings where kept and champions awarded

 

And pitching changes would happen mid inning occasionally

 

I suspect their younger than that

 

Just sounds like a douche parent living vicariously through his offspring

 

Edited June 20, 2019 by Buffalo716

[Whatnot78]

Have 3 kids...all 3 run cross country and the youngest just started playing lacrosse.

 

I help coach cross country.  It's broken up into 3-4 graders, 5-6 graders and 7-8 graders.  Prior to each race, the parents/coaches/runners are told that nobody is allowed to "run" with the participants during the race.  But, the amount of parents and/or coaches running with their kids while yelling at them to go faster just makes me sick.  These are young kids...and the team I help coach are all friends who just like to hang out and run together.  Nobody is making an Olympic team.

 

My daughter's lacrosse league was even worse.  This is a 3-4 grade girls team on a modified field.  They are still developing in learning the game.  The games require at least 1 pass after the midfield prior to scoring.  The best team in our league designed plays where their best player (the coach's daughter) would run towards anyone on her team who had the ball and her teammate would "drop" the ball in her pocket and that would count as a pass.  They won the league that way and the poor girls on that team learned nothing.

[JohnC]

Add this list to the disgusting brawling adults. 

https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/19/us/parents-brawl-little-league-baseball-trnd/index.html

[Gordio]

On 5/8/2019 at 7:28 AM, BeginnersMind said:

I wouldn’t take back a minute of coaching travel soccer. But without a doubt, the best part was the practices and the worst part were the games. The parents on both sides are tough. Luckily I got the majority of our team young and got some good advice. 

 

We we had a parent only meeting each season and through some good humor but also honesty, set forth a list of parent expectations. The first year required that we revisit it from time to time but after that, we established a baseline culture that the parents passed on to each new family. 

 

Our biggest rules were:

 

1) Criticize no one. Not the other team. Not the parents. Not the ref. Not the coaches. 

2) Cheer good play of your team and compliment good play of the other. We are building up all kids and our future community.

3) No coaching from the sidelines. None.  

4) If someone breaks 1-3, call them on it. 

 

I think the worst thing we would ever have happen was the occasional “come on ref.” 

 

 

Wow those are tough rules to follow for any travel team.  I commend your parents & your coaching staff for making sure they stick.  I have coached my sons travel baseball team since 8U(he is in 15U now).  I took a break from the coaching at 11 & 12U.  I didn't want to be on that 12U coaching staff since they were going to Cooperstown that year & I didn't want to be in the dorms stuck with 12 smelly 12 year old boys while while the rest of the parents are offsite having a grand old time.  Plus I didn't get along with the head coach who took over the team at 11U so it wouldn't of worked out with me being on the coaching staff.  Anyhow, some of the best memories I have had from my sons travel ball was that 11U & 12U season, sitting out in Center Field with the other dads, having a few cold ones, grilling out while we watch our boys play the game they love & second guessing the coaching staff on every decision they made.  It was actually a ton of fun.  

Edited June 20, 2019 by Gordio

[row_33]

On 5/9/2019 at 2:08 PM, BuffaloBud said:

What ever happened to "having fun"?

 

sure wasn't "fun" in the 70s when i played in city youth leagues

 

it's hilarious that people now talk about the 70s and 80s like it was a nice and moral time... 

 

 

[Gordio]

On 5/8/2019 at 1:30 PM, May Day 10 said:

My kid is just getting into it for the most part.  He just turned 6 and finished his 2nd year of hockey and starting his 3rd year of baseball.  I would say we have not encountered anything rough as of yet (its coming I'm sure).  We do hockey in a fairly skills-oriented, low drama organization though, at least at early age groups.  We did spring hockey last year at a different place and witnessed a trashy family hooting and hollering when their kid would knock a smaller kid over, steal the puck, score, and do a celebration.  My kid is doing spring hockey this year, and is at the high end of the age group.  Had the first game last weekend, and he was too good, where the other kids were probably not having a good time.  He wasn't passing and ended up scoring about 30 of the game's 35 or so goals.  I was hiding my face in my hands.  I had a long talk about passing and being a good 'role model', so we will see how this week goes.  If its a disaster again, I might inquire with the coach on what we could do, or if we can move him to the higher age group.

 

 

He scored 30 goals in one game?  Yeah I would probably look to get him out of that league.  

[row_33]

12 minutes ago, Gordio said:

 

 

He scored 30 goals in one game?  Yeah I would probably look to get him out of that league.  

 

i'd undercut him and he'd be carted off after 20 goals and he was still piling it on

[Gordio]

Just now, row_33 said:

 

i'd undercut him and he'd be carted off after 20 goals and he was still piling it on

 

 

Agreed, I am surprised he got out of the rink alive.  

[row_33]

a few years ahead of me was Wayne Gretzky and the reports of all the goals he scored every game before mine came ringing through the dressing room

 

they had to get him to Toronto ASAP to get out of the hometown drudgery and jealousy

 

 

[BuffaloBud]

3 hours ago, row_33 said:

 

sure wasn't "fun" in the 70s when i played in city youth leagues

 

it's hilarious that people now talk about the 70s and 80s like it was a nice and moral time... 

 

 

 

I'm aging myself by saying my experience was in the 60's.  Still don't know what happened to "fun'?  

[row_33]

26 minutes ago, BuffaloBud said:

 

I'm aging myself by saying my experience was in the 60's.  Still don't know what happened to "fun'?  

 

it was perfectly pure and godly in the 50s for my upbringing in the 70s

 

 

[stevewin]

Both my kids played multiple sports competitively from the time they were very small through HS, including AAU.  By the end of HS I was so ready for it to be over - so many idiot parents, but also more and more kids with entitled attitudes thinking they were some special gift.   Don't miss it at all.