How Strict is Your Travel Ball Team?

[BuckeyeGuy]

Running as punishment isn't bad in and of itself. It serves 2 main purposes: 1) it is unpleasant and memorable like punishment should be, and 2) it is good conditioning when done right, which is why it is used very effectively in the military (it works, contrary to the teachings of the kinder, gentler generation).

That said, it ought to be saved for the practice field. Never air your dirty laundry in public.

 

[riseball]

Running as punishment isn't bad in and of itself. It serves 2 main purposes: 1) it is unpleasant and memorable like punishment should be, and 2) it is good conditioning when done right, which is why it is used very effectively in the military (it works, contrary to the teachings of the kinder, gentler generation).

That said, it ought to be saved for the practice field. Never air your dirty laundry in public.

So true. It is also used in most of the top college softball programs in the county. Unfortunately it is the kinder, gentler generation, and helicopter parents that got us where we are today:

 

[BuckeyeGuy]

View attachment 6560

OK, I lol'd for real at this! Stolen and posted elsewhere, thanks much!

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I have no problem with taking a lap, if everyone is goofing off. But, running due to a mental mistake is just wrong. Heck, I let a piece of roast sit out all night. I guess I better take a lap.

 

[SoCalASABlue]

Running as punishment isn't bad in and of itself. It serves 2 main purposes: 1) it is unpleasant and memorable like punishment should be, and 2) it is good conditioning when done right, which is why it is used very effectively in the military (it works, contrary to the teachings of the kinder, gentler generation).

That said, it ought to be saved for the practice field. Never air your dirty laundry in public.

When do you go through boot camp? All punishment running did for me as an 18 year old was make me wonder about a Full Metal Jacket moment...

 

[FP26]

I have no problem with taking a lap, if everyone is goofing off. But, running due to a mental mistake is just wrong. Heck, I let a piece of roast sit out all night. I guess I better take a lap.

There are two possible reasons for mental errors on the field. The first is that the player made a mistake; forgot the situation, moved in the wrong direction, etc. Work with this player individually if necessary, so that she has a better understanding. If this problem persists, it may be a lack of effort on the player's part. I have a much lower tolerance for lack of effort than I have for any type of error.

The second is that the coaches did not teach the player properly to begin with. But how many coaches will admit to that?

 

[JJsqueeze]

So true. It is also used in most of the top college softball programs in the county. Unfortunately it is the kinder, gentler generation, and helicopter parents that got us where we are today:

View attachment 6560

Not sure how kindness and gentleness is a bad thing? There is a time and place for everything, getting wrapped up in a kick rear, tough guy persona is as bad as getting wrapped up in a metro sexual, latte drinking persona. I am not a fan of extremes of this sort.

I know that I have never regretted being gentle with my kids but have regretted being too hard on them. Oh and we are talking about girls not boys and I know it is forbidden to say it, but they are different.

 

[dbronstein]

One of the misguided perceptions here is that mental mistakes need intervention from the coach to lead to understanding. I am not sure why coaches need to yap so much at the kids. The kids know, they made a mistake, simple. It is a part of learning. If you have a certain window for practice, do you really have so much free time in that window to run? We are not trying to save the free world from death and destruction in softball--just trying to get out there and compete at our best. Make up some drills that recreate pressure in games so the kids can handle it better.

If the kid can't perform, playing time is the best motivator. Oh, I forgot, everyone plays in TB.

I disagree that the kids always know when they made a mental error. Keep in mind that my DD is playing 10U rec so we're dealing with kids who aren't always aware of what the correct play is in every situation. They can genuinely think they made the right decision even though they didn't. So sometimes it does need to be pointed out to them. And yes, we do try to go through situations in practice, but you can't cover every possiblity, and again, these are 10U rec players so they don't always remember what they were taught. Sometimes the best reminder comes in a game.

 

[BuckeyeGuy]

When do you go through boot camp? All punishment running did for me as an 18 year old was make me wonder about a Full Metal Jacket moment...

Army Infantry in 1990 (the equivalent of Boot even though Jarheads are taught otherwise).

And you probably never should have signed up if you resented being punished for screwing up. The one time I stepped way out of line in Basic, I got repeatedly hammered by the Drill Sergeants for the remainder of my Ft Benning visit - at least once per day for about 6 weeks. What I got out that was to not make the same friggin mistake again, along with some serious low crawling skills. I screwed up, I took my lumps.

My point was simply that punishment is real world, but shouldn't be publicly humiliating or dangerous. And while kinder, gentler isn't always bad, it can be when there are consequences that need to be taught. The severity of the punishment should match the severity of the offense, and sometimes that doesn't leave room for kinder and gentler.

 

[CoogansBluff]

My point was simply that punishment is real world ...''

Not sure what that means. Punishment is a strategy employed by some, not others. It doesn't have to be part of a softball team. That's a choice.

The severity of the punishment should match the severity of the offense, and sometimes that doesn't leave room for kinder and gentler.

What are some real-world example of that in softball? When behaviors in a 14-year-old travel player would you punish, and what would the punishments be?

And perhaps an unrelated question - Why aren't major league players punished? By managers, I mean. Not talking about misconduct, but mental errors, physical errors, lack of hustle. Why are they not made to run? What's the difference between a 14-year-old TB player and a major leaguer that makes punishment work in one case and not the other?