Bob Wire Has a Point (It's Under His Hat)
Coach, Shut Up and Let the Kids Play
It's a softball game, not a horse race
By Bob Wire, 5-12-09
Ah, spring is occasionally in the air, the power bills are starting to decrease, and it’s time for the kids’ sports to heat up. Good thing those power bills are dropping—I need the extra cash for balls and band-aids. And some duct tape for the coaches.
Speaker, age 10, is playing her fourth year of little league softball. She loves it, and thoroughly enjoys the practices and the games. Her only complaint is the same one voiced by virtually every kid who plays little league: “I hate playing right field. It’s boring!” I ask her if she’d rather play right field, or left out. This quasi-Zen question shuts her up pretty quickly.
At this age (all the girls on her team are either 10 or 11), the girls are a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Some are tiny, probably not tall enough to qualify for the pants-peeing rides at the carnival. Others are so tall and, uh, developed, that you wonder if they drove to the game after dropping off their kids at the sitter.
But, thankfully, they all seem to reside at the same marginal skill level. Because of this, their coaches feel obligated to shout a constant stream of instruction, reminders, and minute adjustments in the girls’ positions on the field during a game. “Speaker!” one coach will holler from the dugout to center field. “Move two steps to the left! No, YOUR left! Good!” Meanwhile, another coach is quizzing the infield: “Where’s the ball going, ladies?” They all point to first base, looking like Guantanamo inmates who’ve been tortured repeatedly with this question, yet have only the same answer to give.
It gets worse when they come up to bat. One coach is yelling at the batter from the dugout, another one is yelling at her from his position down the third base line. Dugout coach: “Get that back elbow up!” Third base coach: “Bend your knees!” Dugout: “Keep your eye on the ball!” 3B: “Level out that swing!” They yell at the poor girl to keep watching the pitcher, but her head’s on a swivel, trying to pay attention to the two chatterboxes. Meanwhile, the pitch goes by. Strike!
After four balls, the coach comes out and pitches to his own player. For this reason, the girls will rarely swing at balls thrown by the actual pitcher. Many are struck out looking. But when the coach comes up to the mound, he knows right where the batter likes the ball. He’ll try to place it there, meanwhile adding a third line of chatter for the batter to listen and nod to.
Why in the hell do the coaches even bother to have practice, if they’re going to micromanage the players during the games? Hey, coaches: You’re great people, the girls are lucky to have you. But when it’s game time, let the girls play. Provide encouragement and positive reinforcement. Save the constant, oppressive line of instruction for practice. Game time is for the girls, not for you. We parents and grandparents in the stands are always disgusted and frustrated that the coaches refuse to control their compulsion to give a nonstop, hollering commentary as the game drags on.
And the games do drag on. The pitcher will make her pitch, which goes over the catcher’s head while the catcher makes a weak pantomime at trying to catch the ball. Then she’ll shuffle around in her oversized protective gear until she finds the ball. Then she’ll throw it somewhere out to the infield, sometimes in the same zip code as the mound. The pitcher will miss it, and the shortstop and second baseman will spring into action, fighting for the overthrown ball, grateful for something to do. Then whoever picks it up will toss it to the pitcher, who will not catch it. Then the pitcher will pick up the ball and return to the mound. This catcher-to-pitcher exchange alone adds an hour to the game, and causes the outfielders to either pick dandelions, fall asleep, or perform an interpretive dance to the music in their heads.
The games only go five innings, or until 8:00, or until the team goes on a hunger strike. Spring weather in Montana being what it is, we’re all generally bundled up and miserable, fighting off arctic blasts and freezing rain, watching the ball avoid the pitcher’s mitt yet again. Finally, when the game is over, the coaches will gather the shivering, hungry, tired girls in the dugout for a 20-minute debriefing while the parents march around the parking lot, plotting coachicide.
Speaker’s team is improving as the season goes on, however, and the catcher-to-pitcher exchange is working more often than not. The girls are having fun, and we’re having fun watching them. If the weather doesn’t straighten out soon, though, I’m afraid Speaker’s batting average may drop when she starts wearing a parka during the games.
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Stumble It!
When I was 9, 10, back in the early 70s, our coach, a huge man named Rosie Glenn, used to sit in the dugout eating ice cream. We were allowed to play. We could also lead off, steal bases, play real baseball. It's not like that now.
Comment By Ann, 5-12-09Bob;
I must say that is one of the most enjoyable pieces I've read in a long time.
I actually felt like I was at one of those games.
It's important for kids to compete, and have a winner and a loser, without wearing them out and making them dislike the sport. I'm not a baseball/softball fan at all, but just reading your article makes me wish I were close enough to go and watch a game. Enjoy these games, and remember it's all about making memories.
Great piece. same is true for soccer; the great coaches sit on the sidelines and let the players play. they give instructions on substitutions and during halftime. No kid ever played better b/c a parent or coach yelled "go". or anything else.
I'm for Bob; let the kids play without the cacaphony....
maybe you should retitle the piece,, PARENTS, SHUT UP AND LET THE KIDS PLAY
Comment By Wedge, 5-13-09But, Dave, Bob's piece was about the coaches. Did you have a point to make about the parents? We're all ears.
Comment By dave, 5-13-09over the years with several kids playing all types of sports ive seen the parents just as vocal if not maore than bobs description of the coaches. it seems as well that most coaches are parents of the kids who are participating. the pressure from all sides is too much to perform, compete, excel. all well and good but they need to have some fun,,, lots of fun. and parents need to learn to chill and let the kids have fun. there have been plaenty of examples of parents/coaches going overboard to the point of assault and battery when it should " have fun and batter up".
Comment By Marisa, 5-13-09As a Little League coach for the past four years, I applaud your article. However, I only promise to not micromanage the team as long as you promise not to coach from the sidelines or the car you sit in (running) during the game. This is to all parents. If you don't like the way I coach, then get out of your car and come help.
Comment By Bob Wire, 5-13-09Marisa, you and Dave make a valid point about vociferous parents being a detriment to their children (not to mention embarrassing to the other fans). That's worthy of a whole article unto itself, which is why I kept the focus here on the overzealous coaches.
Comment By Kitty, 5-14-09I spend my weekends watching my two grandsons, ages 6 & 7, play soccer.
The 6-y-o just started playing this spring, but the 7-y-o has been playing for several years. He loves to run and will gladly play the entire hour without a break, even in 90-degree heat. His coach is a middle school teacher who began coaching when his grandson wanted to play the game. He's tough and strict, but the kids love and respect him because they just about always win. He corralled a bunch of 7-y-o's and turned them into a winning team.
I know nothing of softball, but in soccer the coaches yell out instructions all the time during the games. The parents seem oblivious to it as we're all cheering on our team.
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As a LL coach for the last three years I would point out that if the kids are having fun like you say, then the coach is doing a good job, micromanagement or not. Having fun playing a child's game is the most important part.
Comment By Bob Wire, 5-14-09Dan, you're right: having fun should be #1. And thanks for investing your time and energy into coaching. Quite frequently a coach can be the most important role model in a kid's life.
I did coach one season of 4th grade soccer, and I knew so little about the game that I didn't even know what to yell. It was mostly "Go! Go! Go!" My own son had to talk me out of quitting. I was not a role model.
HA HA HA !!! As the soccer season progresses, I learn all the kids' names. But in the beginning, I've been known to yell things like "YOU GO GIRL IN THE PINK SOCKS!"
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Not a bad bit; but with a topic like little league you should have hit it out of the park...
Comment By Wolfbite, 5-15-09"there ain't no cryin in baseball" (tom hanks) unless of course youve been micromanaged into taking a drug test....and failed! LL is great trianing for future team players of ...say...a road working crew. you gotta learn how to look like there is a purpose to standing(or sittin) around 80% of the time. Baseball/little laegue belong in a seperate sub category of psuedo sports.....the ones that dont require persperation!! Darts,poker,shuffleboard and birdwatching......!!?? There must be some form of subversive inculcation of young minds taking place when LL is foisted upon our great society.....ah!!! it is the american way....get away from my cracker Jacks......!
fun read BOB
I was a youth soccer coach (volunteer) for eight years before becoming a ref and progressing up the ranks until I was reffing college games. In accordance with the FIFA rules I did my coaching during practices and let the players play during games (yep, them are the rules). Worked out well for my guys. Several have been to Iraq and back and they still come visit so they must have liked it.
I hated were the screamers, both coaches and parents. They could ruin a budding athlete in a day. Several times as a ref I carded parent spectators and once, even a screaming coach (Yep, refs can do that), for their behavior. When I carded the coach her team applauded! Let the kids play.
I just moved into a home that backs up against the softball park by South Black and Mason. I like seeing the kids playing ball games and enjoying the day, and having a park in you backyard is wonderful for starters. What I did NOT enjoy this weekend was the Coach who was yelling at the top of his lungs constantly " GO GO GO GO GO GO" Repeatedly over and over, during the drills that the kids were running. Now I understand running drills and motivating kids can be tough durring drills as they would rather be playing the game but COME ON! I even went into the house closed the windows and doors and could still hear the coach yelling.
When my roommate got home I mentioned it to him, he replied that the coach was a CAT football player some years ago and has an ego issue. My roommate being a current college student has apparently ran into this coach at the college a time or two, and he treats the college teams in the same manner as a "ex-player now fan".
FINE- that is one thing but he should not be doing this to the 10 year old kids who, I'm sure, want to have FUN!
Now no other coach over the past several days, yells at the kids like this guy--they use whistles--when they need the kids attention. They motivate and instruct the kids PRE and POST drilling at a calm and more learning tone. Having been a kid once, I would respect a coach and learn far more if he came over and said "hey great job on that drill but turn your head this way and you should go faster". Guess what I LISTENED and it worked.
If anyone knows who this coach is, PLEASE TELL HIME TO BUY A WHISTLE. I'm tempted to call the police for the distrubance he causes, if not for yelling at the kids. If I yelled at the neighbors kids -instructing them on how to throw a ball- like he does, you can bet their parents would've had me hauled off by the cops!