Coaching

Today I confirmed again to myself why I definitely shouldn't coach. I just can't keep my mouth shut. I don't think that it is because I find myself so amusing or like to hear myself talk, but I really do find my comments funny.

Today was the first game of the Little League Team Tournaments. Since our team finished second...to last...we were suppose to be matched up with equally poor teams from other towns/districts. Showing up for the game today, it was quickly obvious how out sized our team was compared to the other team. Then, the game started. Not only was it size, it was talent. Our team just lacks the ability to...throw, catch, hit, run....I wish I could say that we had some positive attribute, ummm...they are good kids? Yeah, that's it, well mannered "good" kids, not talented good kids.

If this was their leagues worst team, we looked like a team of t-ballers. The other team pitchers were faster than anyone in our league. Granted the ump preferred an ankle strike zone, which threw off my son's pitching game. The parents were getting upset with the strike calls, but I have to say at least the ump was consistently bad. A kid on the other team, at least 5'10" hit a home run, over the fence at least 230. We had one hit.

As I sat keeping score and pitch count and mumbling under my breath, I was amused by the other coach and his coaching decision. Granted, there may have been (hopefully) more to the story, but the other team had one kid that didn't bat in the full rotation, he rotated him into the game. He was the last batter, typically the worst of the team. He was substituted in after the 2nd inning and was able to bat once and field one inning before he was rotated back out. The starter went back in for two more innings and then the sub came back in for another inning. Seriously...the other team was crushing us by 9 runs! Don't you think that the poor kid could have seen some playing time? Guess it goes back to my fairness ethic.

Their team did struggle with pitching in the last inning and the "sub" ended up saving the game for them after two other pitchers in the inning managed to walk 9 batters and get zero outs. My comments, that those pitchers better be careful or they may end up being a "sub". Fortunately I keep my comments pretty quiet, one parent found them most entertaining as she seems to have the same...um....competitive/playing vision as I do. I have to admit that my comments typically aren't directed toward our kids, not specifically, whereas her's were. I was OK with her comments, since I was thinking the same thing, but I'm sure many of the parents may have been offended.

While I think I could do a better job coaching, I'm best off trying to keep my mouth shut and sitting on the sideline biting my tongue.