[Mountaineer]

Really strange one tonight - and maybe this is a HTBT. Two top varsity teams in the state tonight. I'm PU with two great pitchers. Game is moving without incident (other than one small problem that my partner had with the home coach) - both pitchers are throwing strikes and the score is 0-0 after 7 innings.

*sidenote* The pitcher from the home team is a senior that transferred from a smaller school this past Christmas - her parents both died in a horrible car wreck on December 23. She moved in with her grandmother and transferred to this school.

Back to the game - 8th inning. Visiting team's 1st base coach walks across the field to his box and stops at the mound and says to the pitcher - "sorry to hear about your parents this year" . . . she said "thanks" and smiled - and then it hit her as to what he said and she broke down crying. Now I didn't see or hear anything - I was getting a sub from the visitors. I suddenly hear yelling from the home coaches and they are running out to the mound. My partner comes in and tells me what he was "told" was said to the pitcher. I talk to both coaches briefly and tell the home team to go back to their dugout and get the team settled down - by now several of the players are crying and the crowd is screaming! The visitors 1st base coach tells me he screwed up and honestly didn't mean to upset her that it was a stupid mistake. (I honestly believe him - he's known the girl through ASA for a number of years and I can't believe he'd do that on purpose.) The home team wants him ejected - which I don't think I can do since I didn't hear anything and I'm not sure he did anything worthy of an ejection - an a$$-kicking? maybe. I look up and see the AD coming across the field. I wave and get his attention and asked if I could help him - he identified himself as the AD and wanted to know what was going on. I explained the situation to him and he asked if I was ejecting the coach. I explained to him why I wasn't and then he went off on me! Calling me (and my partner) stupid and idiots. He was using quite a flowery vocabulary in describing what he thought of us and what he thought of the coach's actions. When it got personal was when I told him he needed to get off of my field. He said he was the AD and had every right to be on the field. I explained to him that a) he was not one of the coaches of the team; b) he was not dressed in proper attire for a NFHS contest; and c) if I told him to leave the field that my best advice for him would be to hurry. I might add that I never raised my voice and no one other than him heard one word that I said - although everyone heard what he said. On his way off the field, he stopped by the visitor's dugout and gave them some parting shots - and then he stopped at the gate and said some things to the spectators gathered there and then he was gone.

In the 8th inning the pitcher was obviously pi$$ed. She had been throwing BB's previously but came out now with LASER beams! I don't think they could have hit her with a 4X8 sheet of plywood! She threw about 11 pitches in the 8th and struck out the side. In the bottom of the inning with two out a girl hit a 2-run walk-off homer to win the game for the home team.

As my partner and I walked off the field, the AD met us just inside the gate and started yelling at us from about 60 feet. Calling us stupid and as I got to him he yelled "You've got your last check ever from Riverside - in any sport. (Honestly, my first thought was YIPEE! No more of their girls' basketball games! - but I didn't say that.) I simply looked at him and told him "Don't you dare threaten me!" He then started another tirade filled with colorful words telling us how stupid we were for not ejecting the coach in question. I told him that that was enough and that if he continued, he would be asked to leave. He said "I live right down the road - I can just walk home." Again I stayed calm (I wanted to say start walking - but didn't) and said "Coach, if you want to talk, come over to our cars and we can discuss this away from the crowd in a civilized manner." He responded - "I don't want to discuss anything with you two idiots!" It was at this point that I said, "OK coach - you're done, I need for you to go home." (And gave a very slight ejection "point".) He left, but did yell a few things at us as he left the facility.

There's no excuse for a coach saying the very hurtful things he said WHEN he said them. It was certainly not using his brain very well and he admitted that over and over. I informed him that I would be writing a "special report" to the WVSSAC and he said he understood and would not argue with any punishment they would give him. Again, I'm not convinced he did it with intentions of messing the pitcher up - of course the home team believes he did and I would too if I were in their shoes. However, for an AD to act in such an unprofessional manner is absolutely ridiculous! I have already called our state interpreter (who is also my college supervisor) and explained the situation to her and she thinks we handled it properly. I honestly don't think I said anything out of line or inappropriate to the AD as I made an asserted effort to stay calm. Of course I have replayed the situation over and over already - and pretty much come to the same conclusion - the AD has to go home.

Based on the details I've given - what would you have done differently? Have you ever tossed game administration before? Give me your thoughts.