First of all if the kid is getting this much verbal abuse and pressure from his parent or whoever,its only a wonder hes making errors. 2nd:cant be much fun for the kid if he feels this pressure, most players are upset with themselves when they dont perform well 3. With this kind of pressure most likely the kid wont continue playing 4. any scout will not like how the parent acts 5.baseball is a game of success but also failure, the biggest obstacle for all the players is the mental side of the game. The players have to learn to handle that on their own and if they cant it will be a tough road.This young kid will have a tough time becoming mentally tough and be able to move on after an error, they happen to everyone and he nees to be able relax and enjoy the game.
Posts: 670 | Location: california | Registered: December 17, 2007
And unfortunately, when this young man gets to his majority, decides to marry and start a family, he will more than likely continue the same kind of verbal abuse on his family ... children and probably wife as well.
Hopefully he will do as some of us have done and make a concerted effort to not treat our children the way we were treated. It is tough but it can be done.
In the meantime, I really feel sorry for this player. Too bad his father is living vicariously through his son because we all realize that the boy's error is a direct reflection on the father ...
Mary Ann * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8 [8/21/08]
Posts: 3937 | Location: Somewhere out there beneath the pale moonlight ... | Registered: January 02, 2003
Contrast that dad whose kid could do nothing right to the parent that brags non-stop and you can't get a word in. Have run in to both kinds of parents and I would much rather listen to the braggert because you know if the "bad parent" is running his kid down in front of you it must be even worse @ home for the kid.
Posts: 347 | Location: Northern CA | Registered: August 24, 2005
I can only assume this was the boy's father sitting down the right field line. He said, and I quote...
wishful thinking maybe it was not but if the assumption is true the kid has to deal with it I on occassion have heard similar things where the parent was getting all bent out of shape. Your instinct is to say something but probably the best thing is t stay out of it. Maybe family members might have addressed the situation.
Maybe if they only knew how bad they look.
The sad part is the kid probably has to go home and listen to it over and over.
In my experience I remember only once getting on my son about a lack of something. he was about 12 or 13 he had a pretty good game. The kids were in the habit of just walking on and off the field . On the ride home he was talking about this hit he got and the play he made. I stopped the car. I told him the next time I saw him walk on and off the field he could walk home. Never happened again.
Posts: 1560 | Location: Pennsylvania | Registered: January 06, 2003
Not sure I agree with you on this one. It would be one thing if "all" the person did was swear about the kid's performance, but to hear someone say that they should punch the poor kid in the head because he made an error ... well, perhaps if more people would intervene in situations like this we could save just one child from harm. I cannot believe that this person does not at least verbally abuse his child at home, if not physically. Maybe if another grown up, probably best if it is a dad, would just let him know he is being heard and could be considered a threat to his own child, then maybe, just maybe, he might ponder his actions in the future.
I realize my attitude might be a bit pollyannish but that doesn't mean something shouldn't be done. Perhaps a mild comment like "Frustrating, isn't it, when they make those kind of errors? You wonder if they remember sometimes what they have learned in all those games and lessons. I can totally understand your frustration, but surely you wouldn't really want to harm him physically for it, would you?" Of course he might tell you to jump in the lake but at least you have tried to diffuse his temper a bit, perhaps let him redirect it to you.
Just some thoughts because I think we as a society sit back too often and let these things pass when we might better serve our little citizens by stepping up to the proverbial plate ourselves in an attempt to make life better for them. I once called the police at midnight because there were little kids running around in the street near a coffee shop my then boyfriend and I were going for a bite to eat. The oldest child was maybe 5 and she was responsible for watching the toddler babes in diapers while her mother RAN TO THE STORE. It was probably a store on a local street to pick up some drugs, but whatever the situation, these 4 little kids should not have been out on the streets alone at this hour or any hour. It was the last date I had with by boyfriend because he thought I was wrong in calling the police to check on the kids (tho the local police apparently didn't think so since they were there in less than 5 minutes), because he was under the (false) impression that these kids would be worse off if they were in foster care than being raised by a mother who didn't give a darn enough to protect them from all the horrible things that could happen to them while wondering on the streets at midnight.
Off the soapbox ....
Mary Ann * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8 [8/21/08]
Posts: 3937 | Location: Somewhere out there beneath the pale moonlight ... | Registered: January 02, 2003
I hear you Mom...of course, my response was going to be more like, "Listen here you fat bag of...."
See, that probably would have just made things worse!
Im just trying to imagine why the parent being "fat" somehow increases your anger.....if he would have been skinny, would that have made the comment any less offensive?......
Posts: 1915 | Location: Pennsylvania | Registered: January 07, 2003
Originally posted by biggerpapi: You're right. I have made that reference twice.
I'm sorry. I'm going to go back and delete those posts, then this one eventually.
Great, biggerpapi ... now I have no idea how you responded.
Mary Ann * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8 [8/21/08]
Posts: 3937 | Location: Somewhere out there beneath the pale moonlight ... | Registered: January 02, 2003
At the end of an inning in a heavily scouted PG event, a player/catcher gestured to his Dad in the stands for water. The father responded - "Not until you start playing better."
Like BiggerPappi, I didn't say anything either.
Posts: 286 | Location: Alameda, California | Registered: April 21, 2006
