My Uncle sent me a link to a newsletter he gets about Little League baseball. There were a few good articles to read in there… and a few that I thought were brutal in terms of accurate information. Nonetheless, I wanted to share the following post with you seeing that the season – if it hasn’t started already – is right around the corner.
It’s got to do with parents, and how they conduct themselves in the stands.
Now I’m not a parent, so I don’t know what drives parents to say the things they say, or for that matter act (out) the way they do when they watch Jr. play the game.
But I do know what it feels like to hear what comes out of the stands from the closest of kin. I hear what my players try to block out when they’re playing. My players have told me what goes through their heads when mommy and daddy “encourage” them to play better, offer instruction, berate the umpire, or question a call made by the head coach… and making sure every one is aware of their opinions in the process.
Some outbursts can be funny. Some can be blatantly obvious. (You don’t really need to tell a pitcher who just walked somebody to throw strikes!) Some can be accidentally hurtful. Some (advice/behavior) can be flat-out wrong. I have a story for each (as I’m sure you do too!), but I’ll save them for another time.
At the end of the day mom and dad, don’t forget to put things in perspective before before letting your instincts take over your mouth.
The name of the post is called “Sideline Suggestions (10 Things Kids Say They Don’t Want Their Parents To Do). Don’t make the mistake of blowing this list off just because Jr. isn’t in the little league anymore. Remember: they’ll always be your kids!
Coach Bones
