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I umpired a doubleheader one day in little league, and that was my first and last games to umpire. I had a very generous strike zone, but when I'd call a ball........all hell would break loose.

we have a game in Mathiston tonight (55 miles) and eupora in a few weeks. If I didn't have to play every player every game, we'd be much better....but nobody wants to drive that far to see their kid ride the pine...

We are so unorganized. We lined up to pitch back and forth and 3 out of 11 didn't have gloves. They had $79.99 tennis shoes though, no glove....Their daddy's had gloves though..but their kids/nephew/whatever didnt have a glove.......The other coach and I tried to keep it fun but damn parents can get in the way quick by yelling at their kids sucking all the fun out of their faces......I figured this out in my short coaching career....kids love to run bases....we going to run bases next tuesday. I hated runnning bases in HS. I caught and my coach made me run them in full gear....thats another subject.............I'll keep telling myself..Keep It Fun ....keep It FUN!!!!!!

3rd year coaching my youngest daughter.
Started with T-Ball & have moved up every year with her.
First two years was like herding cats, but this year 8U is a TOTALLY different experience! This is the first year that they have "kept score". I'm not so sure that the electric current from the scoreboard is not somehow seeping into the parent’s brains turning them into screaming idiots! The intensity is UNREAL!

Gator – I really hope you were a better umpire than the ones that have been assigned to us! Granted, we’re talking about 13 year old kids, but I have been on the wrong side of several insane calls that quite frankly, IMO cost us the game! Very frustrating to say the least! I made a personal decision NOT to argue with the umps no matter what, but there have been a few times that I have to try really really hard to maintain that commitment.

i realize we're teaching them the game in small steps and such, but I wish they wouldn't allow stealing home in 9-10 year olds. steal all the way to 3rd, but not home. that's how most runs are scored on us...and how we score most of our runs...if a kid gets walked, he's usually standing on 3rd 2 pitches later...


several of mine didn't have gloves either....I keep about 4 extra gloves in my bat bag....now I need an extra that fits on the right hand....3 leftys on the team....for $40, you get to play, and the league buys shirts, caps and socks..they have to get shoes, pants, and belts(if they want them)..last night 4 differernt kids asked me where their belt was...told them wal-mart for 5 bucks...

eSJ, 13 year olds are easy. they know the right direction to run, the right end of the bat to hold, and most of em aren't scared to tell their parents to shut the hell up when they act stupid.

i'm curious though.......................how many calls have been changed b/c a parent/coach (who most likely don't know a baseball from a corn turd anyway) ran out there kickin dirt

took one summer to realize 1) the world is FULL of dumazzes and 2) i'd buy my own damned booze

-Gator

gator - the umps are 13, the players are 6-8. most still know the correct end of the bat & the right direction to run. they don't quite have the concept down that you can't sling the bat after you hit the ball! have had 2 called out for that (that's not the bad calls though ~ that one i agree with).
But to answer your question, none of the calls have been reversed & probablly won't be.
Not only did I commit not to argue with the umps, I strongly encouraged my players parent's not to. Did they listen to me? NO! Luckily though, i haven't had one climb the fence yet, but the season is still young!!! I have one parent that sits in the bleachers & barks orders to the players non-stop!!! I wonder why she didn't sign up to coach. Any suggesstions on how to tone her down would be appreciated.

DAAAAAANG, 13 year old umps???

man, in ANY league at ANY age, that's asking for trouble....on both sides and all accounts.

-Gator

i know man! they are just kids themselves & they are just not good at making split second decisions with any kind of consistancy. Dude - our first game, they raided our dug-out & disqualified 3 of our bats because they did not have the ASA stamp on them!!! Corking ridiculous!!

we have teenagers in the field, but not behind the plate.

the thing about older kids, say 12-13, those kids usually want to be there. I know some of mine are there cause daddy or mommy signed them up w/o ever talking to them..and the younger the age group, the worse it is.

I actually had a 7 yr old girl refuse to go in last year...I took her by her hand and we walked out of teh dugout to where her mom was sitting and I told her to tell her mother she didn't want to play.
she wouldn't say anything at first cause she was scared, but I wasnt in the mood to listen to her mom after the game because "my kid didn't get ot play"...

why the hell do I do this...I say every year that 'this is my last year'
but some how some way, they always get me back in there...poor-mouthing cause they don't have enuff coaches, bla bla bla.....

it's hard to keep up with all the rules oing from one age to another, one gender to another,...have 2 girls palying and one son....found out last night you HAVE to use a catchers mitt behind the plate....my cathcer preferred his glove...but that won't work.

i gotta agree....even out tee ball league has adult umps.... no 13 year old can effectively deal with a belligerent parent...that is just nuts....

that being said...for the guys whose daughters play softball...get used to the bad calls...i've seen my wife carry a rule book out after the ump and the ump wouldn't even look at it, and we are talking about High School state playoffs....

Bully, you live in Caledonia, MS now? they have a really good little rec. program there.... Still have some good friends in that area.....

Nope not planning on coaching, actually never, but I am going to watch Vernon play tomorrow, heard them boys are raising some hell, boy nicknamed "Bull", look out for em

tombstone wrote:

Bully wrote:I am coaching 5-6 year old T-ball. It has been good so far. We do not have a single democrat on the team. Come to think of it, I have not seen any at the ball park.

just come on back home

No thanks! We just got my mom out of there. As of Thursday, she is a full time resident of Fulton, MS. Todd is still there, but he can handle himself.

tombstone wrote:coaching girls coach pitch

It's gonna be a long season.

Better wear a cup.

Supply and demand!!! Aint enough grown ups to ump all these games. Had soccer and baseball tourney last weekend at Shiloh and yall are correct on PARENTS!!! INSANE!!!!!!!!