We have all heard the stories and seen the videos. Fastpitch players playing blatantly dirty. Baserunner deliberately altering her path to plow a fielder. Catcher intentionally tackling a runner in a rundown. Pitchers purposefully drilling a batter in the ribs. Baserunner willfully sliding cleats high.
The questions I pose to you are:
1. Is this behavior taught or instinctive?
2. Do you condone this behavior regardless of whether it's initiated by coach or by player?
Now, I know some people will say that it's part of the game. To that I have to ask "why". Why is it part of the game? Why has it become okay to intentionally hurt someone in the course of playing a game? It's not the Hunger Games. It's just a game that is meant to be played for fun.
Do college coaches recruit blatantly dirty players? Do they look the other way because the kid gets results?
Where and when does it stop?
The questions I pose to you are:
1. Is this behavior taught or instinctive?
2. Do you condone this behavior regardless of whether it's initiated by coach or by player?
Now, I know some people will say that it's part of the game. To that I have to ask "why". Why is it part of the game? Why has it become okay to intentionally hurt someone in the course of playing a game? It's not the Hunger Games. It's just a game that is meant to be played for fun.
Do college coaches recruit blatantly dirty players? Do they look the other way because the kid gets results?
Where and when does it stop?