Little League, big problems



If this column looks familiar to you, it should. I run a version of it every year about this time, and every year I wish more and more people would read it.

With teams signing up for Little League all month long, I thought that this would be a good time to rip coaches, parents and other spectators who act like jerks from the stands or dugouts. Not all of them act like jerks, of course, but the ones who do will recognize themselves when they read this.

I wanted to remind parents that they weren’t exactly major leaguers themselves when they were eight years old, so they shouldn’t expect their children to be. Chances are that most parents couldn’t hit the ball out of the infield if it were on a tee, so maybe they should lay off of their 60 pound son who can barely hold his aluminum bat while another kid is hurling a hard ball in his direction.

Most parents have no idea how hard it is for a kid to throw strike after strike. I threw out the first pitch a couple of years ago, and the pressure got to me so bad that I barely got the ball over the plate. Can you imagine what a nine year old feels when the game is on the line?

Think about it. You just gave up the tying run, you’re trying to get out of the inning, and you hear you mom (who’s never pitched anything but a fit) jawing at you to “Come on, just throw the ball over the plate! We need strikes!”

Also, maybe some of the coaches need to hear that they should lighten up on the players and umpires. Here’s a wake-up flash for you, Tubby. You’re not exactly in the Big Leagues here. Just because you played a year or so of ball in high school twenty years ago doesn’t make you Ron Washington.

Most managers and coaches get into Little League for the right reasons. They want to coach their own kids, or they just want to help when no one else will. That’s understandable, even admirable.

But something happens to them when they grab that clipboard and stuff the sunflower seeds in their mouths. Their caps start getting as tight on their heads as their jerseys are on their guts. Maybe it’s all that baseball knowledge that they gained overnight.

And what’s up with all the yelling at the ump after every pitch? The coaches are ninety feet away and to the side of the catcher, while the umpire is inches away, kneeled down directly behind him. Now, who do you think has the better view of the ball?

Most of the time, these umpires are teenage kids who are either donating their time or earning just enough gas money to get to the next game. They have enough problems already with school, parents, girlfriends, pimples, etc. Do you really think that they have an agenda when it comes to who wins this game?

Look, competition is good for kids. They need to learn the importance of teamwork and how to win and lose with class. And they should be taught the basics of baseball, basketball and every other sport as early as possible to make them a better player and teammate when they get older.

But at this age, it should mostly be about having fun- for everyone involved. When coaches, parents and fans step over the line, it’s got to take some of that fun away.



Love the column? Hate the column? Have a new idea for a column? Contact Shannon at news@robconews.com or shannonscasta.blogspot.com and leave a comment.