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Member
I'd like to share my opinions on why we do it and why it matters how we do it. So many coaches and parents say "it's for the kids", but very few walk the walk. It's for the kids as long as its really just for their kid or reliving some lost time from when they played or coached. Whether it's daddyball,or bashing a coaches decision to leave a pitcher in so loudly that the kid who is pitching her heart out for you is within earshot of your rant, or coaches that continue to argue calls that have long been decided right or wrong, or screaming at players for a mistake that everyone is pretty sure she already knows she did, or bashing your coaches on the sidelines so often without ever taking to them that it ruins team chemistry and your coaches ability to function and teach. We are all caretakers of this game and developers of the character of the young ladies in our charge. How we coach, support and play this game matters. We should approach it with a high degree of enthusiasm and effort, but also with respect and a strong positive approach. I always tell my players that we never get too high and we never get too low, our game face is a smile of determination and we will learn from every failure by coming back harder the next time and support our teammates when they need it. Parents......have respect for the time and energy your coaches put in by not only expressing your feelings when things are tough, but also by letting them know you appreciate their hard work as it is a very thankless job and few get paid. Communicate with them when you disagree and keep things positive for your child and the team you pledged to support. Show that you are a role model with respect for the game and not a selfish non-team player only out for your own self interests. It matters.....and we are not just building Softball players, we are building young adults and future coaches and parents. We should refuse to surround our children with adults that they cannot respect, winning is not a cure-all for disrespecting the game or each other. Sorry for the rant......and this is not meant as a shot at anyone in particular, but if you relate to it, might be time to make a change.