What would you do?

[ApogeeDemon]

Before a league game(high school ball) you notice a piece of paper that has blown over by your dugout. When you pick it up, thinking its trash, you notice its the other teams wrist band numbers and what they mean. Nobody see's you pick it up. This game is a very important league game also. Do you hand it back to the other teams coach without looking at it? Throw it away without looking? Use it to gain an advantage? Is this any different than picking/stealing signs during the game? Try to be honest. If you think you would use it, then stick to your beliefs.

 

[cz fastpitch fan]

Hmmm. Can't wait to see this one.

 

[Pacerdad57]

GIVE IT BACK! if the team can't beat them with their ability, why cheat to win? that's a lose lose for the entire team.

 

[HITTER23]

Definitely give it back, but id tell the coach i memorized it just to mess with him lol.

If i kept it, it would cheapen the win for me.

 

[wvanalmsick]

How do you know that the other team intentionally let that piece of paper (information, intelligence, whatever you want to call it) leak out??? Are you going to let this piece of paper suddenly change your game plan?

Coaching and teaching is about being able to get these kids to function and make decisions on their own. We try to subject them to just about every scenario possible and teach them what to do in each possible situation. There is a time when you have to sit back and let the kid perform without your input and hopefully that is before the season starts. Yes, high school coaches get paid and to them, this is looked at as a job. They equate winning as being successful. If they don't win, then they get fired. Well, from the teacher's point of view, if you don't teach them, then you have failed, you are not successful, and you should get fired. That aspect is lost a lot of the time.

Even if you knew what the signals were, your athletes still have to outperform their athletes. As a coach, you still tell the kids before every pitch what to do, don't you???..."Watch that runner on 3rd", "Get the out at first". The coach is still trying to reinforce the training but in the end, the athlete must perform to the standard that you the coach has set.

So, whether or not you have vital intelligence about the other team, if your players are not properly instructed to begin with, it does you no good. As a coach, I would look at the paper and see if it is happening during the game. I am not going to let it change my game plan and how I coach. If this paper is actually the other team's signals, you might be able to outfox them once, twice if you are lucky, before they switch to a different code. Then what are you going to do? Sure, you might be able to "Best" the other coach in outwitting him, but then, the game is now about the 2 coaches and not about the girls.

Bottom line, teach the girls the whole game. Set them up for success, not failure. Teach the rules, strategy, technique, and etiquette and then sit back and watch your girls excel.

I will get down from my soap box now before I fall down or I am pushed down.

 

[Lenski65]

Before a league game(high school ball) you notice a piece of paper that has blown over by your dugout. When you pick it up, thinking its trash, you notice its the other teams wrist band numbers and what they mean. Nobody see's you pick it up. This game is a very important league game also. Do you hand it back to the other teams coach without looking at it? Throw it away without looking? Use it to gain an advantage? Is this any different than picking/stealing signs during the game? Try to be honest. If you think you would use it, then stick to your beliefs.

You give it back. Any team that uses the wristbands should have additional number sets so chances are they would swap out for a different set anyway.

 

[coachjwb]

Lol I like this one Apogee. Of course, you should give it back ... and agree with Lenski that you should have additional sets (I supply 3 with mine), though it's possible they might not be actually with them and available/ready to use. It is different than working to steal signs during the game, though I'm not personally a fan of that either in youth sports ... if it is going to be done in youth sports, it should be done by the players!

 

[Run26]

Dumbest thread ever. Do you come up with these stupid scenarios on your own or are they really life experiences? What could you possibly be teaching your team by letting them know you have the opponent's signs and you're going to utilize the knowledge?

Please stay away from any and all girls. Freak.

 

[HITTER23]

Dumbest thread ever. Do you come up with these stupid scenarios on your own or are they really life experiences? What could you possibly be teaching your team by letting them know you have the opponent's signs and you're going to utilize the knowledge?

Please stay away from any and all girls. Freak.

 

[gcg3refs]

I don't think it's the dumbest post ever. This lends itself to your integrity and honesty. If you possess these qualities, you probably look at the sheet, see what it is and give it back the other coach, without ever memorizing the numbers.

 

[HITTER23]

I don't think it's the dumbest post ever. This lends itself to your integrity and honesty. If you possess these qualities, you probably look at the sheet, see what it is and give it back the other coach, without ever memorizing the numbers.

It was sarcasm !!! lol

 

[gcg3refs]

Thought so, but wasn't sure with all the banter back and forth with Apogee going on other threads. Thanks

 

[crystlemc]

Even if you chose to try to use this to your advantage, it would be way too time consuming to watch their sign, look it up, and relay the info in such a way as to not be glaringly obvious. And at the point of being obvious, they will either change cards or switch to another method. So setting character issues aside, it's just impractical.

 

[spartansd]

I would give it back......

 

[Strohbro]

AG would tell them how wrong they are using it. That they should do it his way. And he would never show them how his way would work better.

 

[longball00]

Even if you chose to try to use this to your advantage, it would be way too time consuming to watch their sign, look it up, and relay the info in such a way as to not be glaringly obvious. And at the point of being obvious, they will either change cards or switch to another method. So setting character issues aside, it's just impractical.

Which is my opinion on the whole system. It slows the game down compared to traditional signs. Some people like it, I'm just not a fan.

 

[backstop09]

No question. Give it back.

 

[crystlemc]

Which is my opinion on the whole system. It slows the game down compared to traditional signs. Some people like it, I'm just not a fan.

I like the system itself. My Daughter's former team used them. Her current team does not. She often says she misses them. She felt there was less confusion and everyone was on the same page. I agree that it slows the game down, but only by seconds and not even that, once everyone gets in the groove.

 

[Westler33]

For sure give it back and win the game between the lines.

 

[coachjwb]

It could happen so I don't think the situation is ridiculous. Crystle, you are right that it really wouldn't work in time ... by the time the other team looks it up and lets their team know what's going on, it would either be too late or too obvious to the team whose signs are being stolen. Longball, with all due respect, if it's slowing down the game, it's either a bad system, being used incorrectly, or perhaps the first game or two a team has used it ... it takes a couple of games to get used to. I'm using in it a high school winter league right now and maybe 1/2 of the girls hadn't used one before, but they all had it down by the 2nd game with no delays.