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Originally posted by GarthB
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Coaches, all coaches, are lobbyists. They do not say "boo" to an umpire without having a desired result in mind. Experienced umpires understand this and limit their conversations accordingly. Unfortunately, some newer umpires are not aware of this and, on occasion, in an effort to help a coach, say something in a manner that really didn't reflect their actions or understanding only to have it used against them. (again, there is a reason they are called Rats)
Garth, I enjoy reading your posts, as well as many others on this board. I am not an umpire. I am a coach. I coach because my son loves the game as much as I do. As a coach, I feel that one of my biggest priorities is to teach and instill in my players (12 year olds) a love and respect for the game. If I do that, then teaching them fundamentals, rules, etc will be an easier task. It will also raise the odds that each one of my players will want to play next year. Your statement that "all coaches are lobbyists" may apply to the large population of coaches, but not "all". I understand your dislike for coaches(rats), and have seen 1,001 things that coaches do to give umpires reasons to hate them. But remember, there are still some coaches who do it for the pure love of the game. I don't gauge the success of my team's season by wins and losses. I gauge it by how much did my team learn. That is one reason why I faithfully read this board. To learn more about the rules so that I can dutifully teach the players. Again, I truly do enjoy reading what is posted here, and typically try to keep quiet and learn. But please don't group all coaches as liars, rats, lance, etc.
Remember, be gentle.