Youth Baseball Coach Decks Blue

[GunnerShotgun]

This probably should be a thread on its own.

1.) Forced sportsmanship ? Parents, coaches and the like are lucky to have an opportunity to educate, shape and lead by example ... 10U athletes (and much older - aka Freshman 15) would eat ice cream for dinner if left to their own devices. IMHO it hurts no one (minus Covid19 protocol) to show them that it is just a game, leave it on the field and tomorrows another day.
2.) It also serves as a way to make new friends (great catch #8 !) and not burn bridges.
3.) It's a team sport, that's why.

Even if the team you played against exhibited zero sportsmanship during the game and now you are forced to high-five them afterward? It's fake and it's meaningless.

No matter what behavior is displayed during the contest you think that forced high-fives afterward are sportsmanship?

 

[radness]

Forced sportsmanship isn't sportsmanship at all. If players who know each other want to exchange a few words postgame, cool, but I really don't see a need for it to be a team thing.

Agree worthiness of high-fiving after the game is debatable

Hmmm while it may be considered forced sportsmanship it is a moment where teams have to look eye-to-eye with the team they just played.

If a team were completely unsportsmanlike on the field consider just do an end game cheer but not have exit greetings.
( which could be cheering out our own team name)
(Or thank you umpire and fans)


Consider the team that does show sportsmanship and the opportunity to exhibit it gives the team that does not have sportsmanship the opportunity to see what that is.

Without the opportunity to show sportsmanship some people will never know it!!!

As far as wasting time that could be extending game times I'd rather play longer and just do a cheer for the other team at the end of the game.

Thankfully there are games played where both teams have sportsmanship and camaraderie is grown from that!!!

 

[_MIA_]

I'd much rather opposing coaches/players (especially coaches..players I can see not doing it from an "in the moment competitiveness" sort of thing) cheer on a player for a good play. That is real sportsmanship that I rarely see..

 

[EdLovrich]

"Forced" sportsmanship is not a bad thing. Acting civilly towards another in spite of your own feelings is what sportsmanship is all about. Acknowledge their efforts even if you are feeling terrible about the results.

It is easy to be celebratory and upbeat when the world is going your way. Less so if the Fates have just kicked you in the teeth. Sportsmanship is never forced, however, it is often faked.

Hrmmm, maybe if some of the parents/coaches remembered these things there would be fewer examples of this story.

 

[radness]

Let's face it there are plenty of people who sit on their arses watching bad behavior and do nothing.

 

[El Oso]

Even if the team you played against exhibited zero sportsmanship during the game and now you are forced to high-five them afterward? It's fake and it's meaningless.

No matter what behavior is displayed during the contest you think that forced high-fives afterward are sportsmanship?

It's only meaningless if the coach acts like it's meaningless. It's up to the coach to lead by example. To rise above any perceived unsportsmanlike conduct displayed by the other team and make it meaningful.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

It's only meaningless if the coach acts like it's meaningless. It's up to the coach to lead by example. To rise above any perceived unsportsmanlike conduct displayed by the other team and make it meaningful.

They should move the handshake to before the contest to make it more meaningful. As others have pointed out the actions carried out during the game carry more weight.

You want me to tip regardless of the service received, as if I am obligated. It's dishonest.

You may or may not be surprised at all of the BS that takes place in a handshake line.

 

[radness]

They should move the handshake to before the contest to make it more meaningful. As others have pointed out the actions carried out during the game carry more weight.

You want me to tip regardless of the service received, as if I am obligated. It's dishonest.

You may or may not be surprised at all of the BS that takes place in a handshake line.

All good points!

However meeting before the game cruddy people will be cruddy given any opportunity, beginning of the game or end.
It could also Spark incorrect assumption causing worse circumstances during a game.

Yep Some services are already tip included in cost... regardless of performance.

Yep there can be BS in the handshake line but there can also be camaraderie made.


In the bigger picture what this exhibits to me is really about how leadership leads their team and that might start with the parents and the coaches but it is the responsibility ultimately of everybody on the field.
If people, teams, coaches, players are exhibiting such bad sportsmanship they can't have at least a neutral meet and greet ( have to be a dirty dog) they should not be allowed on the field. Whomever is to acknowledge the degree of terrible that would need to be determined and perhaps Banning a unsportsmanship team needs to be asserted immediately.
At a friendly or tournament.
Weed it out.

 

[Vertigo]

I think if professional hockey teams who beat the crap out of each other and get into fist fights almost every game can leave it on the ice and shake hands afterward, then youth SB teams should be able to, as well. Be an adult and be a good coach - actually, just be a good person! Lead by example. Stop making excuses. There is definitely not enough of that being seen by these kids anymore.

 

[Orange Socks]

Forced Sportsmanship can be a good thing. I played rugby in college and after every game we/they always had a party with a minimum of 2 kegs. We kicked the crap out of each other during the A game and the B game, then share some brews, sing some songs and find some mischief. One weekend we were playing Rice University. After the game some kids from the dorms invited the teams for a crawfish boil and fish fry that one of the parents from the dorms was hosting. Another weeknd vs Texas State we found ourselves riding pigs on someone's property outside of town. I really could go on and on with similar stories and I am really surprised I am alive or not maimed for life.