| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| kaytrishjr |
Posted - 03/30/2010 : 14:24:44
I though this article was funny and true!!! From the Rockdale Citizen
It’s late March, and the Little League baseball season is in full swing. Never mind that it will soon be interrupted for spring break. The only thing more sacrosanct to Gwinnettians than youth sports is their annual week at Disney.
Those who are new to this phenomenon — in other words, whose child just turned 5 — may find the whole Little League experience a bit perplexing.
Why, for instance, if there’s supposed to be some sort of draft system in place to ensure parity, is your 5-year-old’s team routinely trounced by a bunch of 4-foot-9 third-graders?
Why are the Braves scouting your opponents with a radar gun, while no one on your team can throw the ball from the pitcher’s mound to home plate?
And, above all, why is the coach’s kid playing shortstop instead of yours?
To answer those and other pressing questions, you must understand what is actually meant by terms such as “draft,” “coach” and “all-stars.” Thus, as a public service, I’ve provided this handy “Glossary of Little League Terms,” gleaned from years of experience, in-depth research and snarky comments from disgruntled parents:
Association: A federation of youth athletic teams formed and governed by parents intent on providing their children the best possible sports experience. If other people’s children also have a good experience, that’s OK too.
Team: A group of children whose parents are clearly delusional in regard to both their children’s athletic abilities and the magical properties of a $500 bat.
Coach: The parent whose child is the best player on the team, whether he actually is or not.
Assistant coach: A parent who aspires for his child to be the best player on the team. To accomplish this, he plans to become a head coach next season.
Team mom: The head coach’s wife. Following the season, she will be known as the head coach’s ex-wife.
Tryouts: When those children interested in playing a sport gather to be evaluated by coaches. Excused from this process are coaches’ sons, assistant coaches’ sons, friends of coaches’ sons and anyone else who can play. They’ve already been “locked in,” or assigned to a team. Any resemblance between this practice and college football recruiting is purely coincidental.
Draft: The process of assigning players to teams — except, of course, those who’ve been locked in. Following tryouts, the coaches meet to determine the order in which they will select, then proceed to “draft” players through several “rounds,” from the best available down to your child.
All-stars: A group of coaches’ sons brought together to play groups of coaches’ sons from other associations. The head coach is either the father whose team won the league championship or the one whose company is sponsoring the team.
Travel team: From among the better players in the league, those whose parents have either the most money or the least sense.
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| 9 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| pheasantman643 |
Posted - 04/07/2010 : 23:09:50
Wow this is really interesting, funny and true all in one tightly wrapped package. It's kinda funny to try and talk to some of these parents these days and tell them they are being some what silly when it comes to how they act in travel baseball especially between the ages of 8 and 15. It's like when I was a teenager and my elders tried to caution and tell me about my silly mistakes back in the day. You look back on it now and sometimes feel you want to walk around with a bag over your head for not listening. It will be the same for some of these parents and coaches.
We all want our children to have a fortunate life, but some people really see their children through tunnel vision eyes and never once notice to see if their children are accomplishing the most important thing in baseball or sports in general for that matter. Simply having fun. Remember you do not let your child play for you, this is about them and leave it at that... |
| coachdan06 |
Posted - 04/04/2010 : 16:18:57
quote:
Originally posted by whits23
What about team mom? Kid is horrible but she is hot!!
 |
| biged |
Posted - 04/03/2010 : 21:43:45
Add, The head coach or future head coach and the other 7 or 8 assistant coaches will at some point become mortal enemies for life...... |
| whits23 |
Posted - 04/02/2010 : 19:11:45
What about team mom? Kid is horrible but she is hot!! |
| elmer |
Posted - 03/31/2010 : 10:17:13
quote:
Assistant coach: A parent who aspires for his child to be the best player on the team. To accomplish this, he plans to become a head coach next season.
I would add
Assistant coach: A parent who aspires for his child to be the best player on the team. To accomplish this, he plans to become a head coach next season
Alternative definition: A parent with the actual best child on the team; however, this is an honorary title for having a talented child neither parent nor child is required to attend practices or other team functions except games. |
| mikewells |
Posted - 03/31/2010 : 09:15:10
quote:
Originally posted by kaytrishjr
I though this article was funny and true!!! From the Rockdale Citizen
It’s late March, and the Little League baseball season is in full swing. Never mind that it will soon be interrupted for spring break. The only thing more sacrosanct to Gwinnettians than youth sports is their annual week at Disney.
Those who are new to this phenomenon — in other words, whose child just turned 5 — may find the whole Little League experience a bit perplexing.
Why, for instance, if there’s supposed to be some sort of draft system in place to ensure parity, is your 5-year-old’s team routinely trounced by a bunch of 4-foot-9 third-graders?
Why are the Braves scouting your opponents with a radar gun, while no one on your team can throw the ball from the pitcher’s mound to home plate?
And, above all, why is the coach’s kid playing shortstop instead of yours?
To answer those and other pressing questions, you must understand what is actually meant by terms such as “draft,” “coach” and “all-stars.” Thus, as a public service, I’ve provided this handy “Glossary of Little League Terms,” gleaned from years of experience, in-depth research and snarky comments from disgruntled parents:
Association: A federation of youth athletic teams formed and governed by parents intent on providing their children the best possible sports experience. If other people’s children also have a good experience, that’s OK too.
Team: A group of children whose parents are clearly delusional in regard to both their children’s athletic abilities and the magical properties of a $500 bat.
Coach: The parent whose child is the best player on the team, whether he actually is or not.
Assistant coach: A parent who aspires for his child to be the best player on the team. To accomplish this, he plans to become a head coach next season.
Team mom: The head coach’s wife. Following the season, she will be known as the head coach’s ex-wife.
Tryouts: When those children interested in playing a sport gather to be evaluated by coaches. Excused from this process are coaches’ sons, assistant coaches’ sons, friends of coaches’ sons and anyone else who can play. They’ve already been “locked in,” or assigned to a team. Any resemblance between this practice and college football recruiting is purely coincidental.
Draft: The process of assigning players to teams — except, of course, those who’ve been locked in. Following tryouts, the coaches meet to determine the order in which they will select, then proceed to “draft” players through several “rounds,” from the best available down to your child.
All-stars: A group of coaches’ sons brought together to play groups of coaches’ sons from other associations. The head coach is either the father whose team won the league championship or the one whose company is sponsoring the team.
Travel team: From among the better players in the league, those whose parents have either the most money or the least sense.
DUDE this is halarious !!
Yea it all about hits dead home the best is definition of TEAM and ALLSTARS |
| kaytrishjr |
Posted - 03/31/2010 : 08:25:13
quote:
Originally posted by 6bomber
obviously someone had a bad experience.
were you one of those volunteers who coached? or expected someone else to do it?
i for one have enjoyed my sons league teams. also enjoyed his travel teams. definitly not the most money or the least sense.
this game teaches you so many life lessons that we can't even begin.
it's not the situation, it's how you deal with it.
I didn't post this article because I had a bad experience with my son on a rec ball team...my son plays travel ball, but started in rec. I posted it because I just though it was funny and in some ways apply to what happens in rec ball leagues and how outside people view the whole process.
I,in no way, intended to offend anyone or start a big debate on politics of rec ball leagues. |
| bmoser |
Posted - 03/31/2010 : 06:57:58
I've been on all sides of the equation as a player, parent, coach, sponsor, and impartial observer. This is funny now looking back, but it wasn't too amusing at the time. The all-star description is my favorite on this list. We got the last laugh on that one  . |
| 6bomber |
Posted - 03/30/2010 : 22:06:03
obviously someone had a bad experience.
were you one of those volunteers who coached? or expected someone else to do it?
i for one have enjoyed my sons league teams. also enjoyed his travel teams. definitly not the most money or the least sense.
this game teaches you so many life lessons that we can't even begin.
it's not the situation, it's how you deal with it. |
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