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I like you already.
I like you already.
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I like! We seem to be softer and softer on our children. We shouldn't teach to hurt but rather to play hard and put forth everything you have to succeed and ultimately, win! If a first baseman is trying to gain an advantage by taking over the bag, its the runners job to take away that advantage.
If these were boys and a DB was between your running back and the end zone, would you tell him to go around the DB. I think not. I honestly feel that many of you are saying what you think to be politically correct.
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Me politically correct? Never!! :lmao:
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Hear! Hear! Thank you Gregg! One of the things on this site that really bothers me (and hubbie) is many (notice I didn't say all!) posters' "DD" attitude: that fastpitch players are our delicate, pretty little girls first and athletes second. As far as we are concerned, our daughter is an athlete (and a pretty darn good one) who just happens to be female. She has the same attitude and really resents the (seemingly) prevailing attitude that girls should be treated differently than boys.
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Except one is the sport of football and the other is softball. Contact is going to happen in softball but is it worth putting two players in harms way when you can avoid it? It's not the same as contact on a slide into home, etc. A collision at first base is more dangerous because both players are not prepared for the contact. A play at the plate is an expected part of the game.
We can associate all kids of things from one sport to another that really has no relevance. We can say "Well in football it's ok to swat away the opposing team's pass so why not stick your hand out and slap away a ball being throw to a base?". We DON'T say that because they don't have anything to do with each other.
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Bullshit. I treat my girls like ballplayers, the same way I treated my male players. The VAST majority of people here are the same. I wouldn't teach my male players to lower their shoulder either and hit a player who is a poor position to defend themselves. Have some player do that intentionally to YOUR daughter and when you run out to to her on the ground, writing in pain, then you can think "My, what a good job that runner did!".
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I like Lenski's attitude. Maybe not the biggest or most athletic guy around, but among the more competitive, my 2nd time around dealing with someone in my way would involve a significant collision - a crazy wire shakes loose when adrenaline flows during competition, and you are fighting over meat (or property).
Would probably never coach again though if I told somebody else to behave that way, and someone ended up in a wheelchair forever .... in 14u softball.
For me that is the only dilemma - approach would be crystal clear for me as a player.
Yes, football is a collision sport, with pads that you are taught to use peoperly (offensively and defensively), and collisions are expected, and prepared for. Also, anyone who signs up for football knows that, kids & parents alike. Different deal altogether, IMHO.
Would probably never coach again though if I told somebody else to behave that way, and someone ended up in a wheelchair forever .... in 14u softball.
For me that is the only dilemma - approach would be crystal clear for me as a player.
Yes, football is a collision sport, with pads that you are taught to use peoperly (offensively and defensively), and collisions are expected, and prepared for. Also, anyone who signs up for football knows that, kids & parents alike. Different deal altogether, IMHO.
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If you actually READ my post, you'd see that I said many, not all, take the DD approach, just to avoid responses like yours.
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Great post. I have nothing against the safety bags, but otherwise totally agree. To place blame on the offense when the 1B is standing right in the road is simply misplaced. A collision is unfortunate, but is the fault of the person standing where she has no right to stand.
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Lenski and Joe I am with you on this also as I know coaches who teach for the infield to be KIND of in the way and not make it look obvious and depending on who the blues crew is if you or they get the call! Take it out of the defenses hand and create your own destiny....the hitters job is to advance the runner or put the ball in the brown, the green or over the fence and it is all good! Stay small on the collision and to roll and do not fight it and get up quickly and see if they have a play on the ball.
Most parents know what the coaches ethics are that teach this tatic so live with it if your kid gets laid out and do not act surprised when it happens and not if it happens...not through baseball our son was in a coma for a week so we know what it is too have a child hurt and partially paralayzed and most of you know what the coaches are teaching and you will not speak up due to playing time considerations etc....my opinion.
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I do teach my runners to round the base on the inside corner. I also teach them that if the 1st baseman is standing there with her foot on the base and there is absolutely no play to one then she is to brush by her as close as possible, making contact, and shouting loudly as she goes by. Contact is a part of the game. Not malicious, but softball is sometimes a contact sport..
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My dd took out a girl at first base who was standing on the base to field the throw. No safety base. After heated discussion and being told she was a dirty player, I didn't make any friends by telling the opposing coach teach your players to field properly and they won't get hurt. We also played a game this summer that you could tell the girl playing first base was taught to interfer with the runner as they tried to steal. She would line up in the base path. She even would draw a line. She wouldn't release from that spot till the pitcher released the ball. So If the girl was trying to use the rocker step she would think she was going to run into her. I told my dd to intentional run into her if she pulled that again, so Blue could see what she was doing.
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Two summers in a row, two different daughters: Older daughter is a frustrated middle-linebacker type. In league tourney, playing a team whose first baseman(basewoman?) STRADDLES the bag-one foot fair, one foul. No safety base. Leadoff batter ropes one into left-center, easy double or triple--until she is hipchecked into the coaches box. Umpire calls--not a dang thing! We lose our leadof batter and shortstop with two torn up/bloody knees, sprained ankle, and hurt wrist-cost her half her volleyball season. So my daughter gets up two batters later, first baseman tries same thing-my daughter plants her and breaks her collarbone. I had specifically told her to go through the middle/inside of the bag. Opposing coach comes out and goes absolutely ballistic. Dad of leadoff batter runs from the stands, and THEN the umpire warns US for "unsportsmanlike conduct." Total idiots, one and all. Fast forward to this weekend-12U tourn., playing a nationally ranked team with a first baseman as big as ME!. She straddled both bags, and we had no one on the team, maybe even the coaches, who could intimidate her by running into her. Umpires were informed and ....Nothing was done. This team was good enough to kill us without any bush and dangerous tactics, so why do it? I can only surmise they do it against us so they already know how to do it when they face a more competitive team. I for one am not going to promote total avoidance as a PC tactic--too many times, the good guy is the one who loses-try to make a sudden cut the wrong way, or jerk your body out of position--bad things happen. Bottom line-some coaches are jerks who wil try any and all tactics to win, and they sure as HADES don't care if YOUR kid gets hurt; and if umpires won't police the sitatuion, then you have to take matters into your own hands and do the best you can. I know for a fact the coach of team in situation 1 never paid any of the medical bills for my leadoff batter, and I sure didn't pay for his injured player. And what about the ones who are taught to block the base without the ball? (in a steal situation) We played one team where the fielder would set up in the baseline about a foot from the bag whether the ball was being thrown (or not) to second or third. Again, no amount of talking to the umpires resulted in any changes, warnings, etc.
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I think Lenski might have said it best shoulder down stay small and roll with it...just like in hitting Force= Mass times Acceleration and go for the legs and no matter how big she is she will come down!
Softball and base ball is a game played by kids however it is orchestrated and run by adults and adults do not like to loose to kids or other adults!
These kids do not learn these tactics on their own, they are taught and usually by an adult on how to gain what they see as a competitive advantage. Within the spirit of fair play or playing hard it should never be an issue however blocking the bag or impeding the runner and you will get what you give and you may not like the results. The problem is sometimes the pay back is given to another person not involved however she is on the OTHER team...there is a bumper sticker from the 60's S*** Happens!
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