Player thrown under the bus........
 

Don't know what or if anything can be done but thought I would ask if anyone has any thoughts, expierences, ideas.....

Did a 10 and under game this past weekend....I think this could happen on any age group.......good pitcher....threw strikes......catcher small but very good....did a great job sliding to sides to block if needed.......dug outs close.....coach giving signs from inside of dug-out threw fence....no problem there....but with coach so close I can hear every word....I have never had a coach be-little a player so much...every run was her fault.....every bad pitch was because she had called it wrong.....every dropped fly ball was her fault....I mean I really started to feel for this girl. Game over. They lost. I went to the catcher after the game and told her what a good job I thought she had done.

One more thing that I found out....it was the coach's daughter.

Anyone run into this ?

Anyone NOT run into this???

Before I even got half-way through that post, I was thinking, "Probably the coach's daughter".

I've seen some coaches really drop the hammer on their own players, even kids as young as ten, bringing them to the point of tears. In my mind, that's not very sportsmanlike behavior. Could anyone ever imagine a scenario where an umpire might step in here, or is that just too big of a stretch of the unsportsmanlike conduct rules to even entertain?

Only when awake or at a game. :rolleyes:

Yep.

I posted on here a few years back about an 18U coach.

He was calling pitches for the pitcher to throw and she continually was shaking off the catcher and wanting to throw her pitch.

After coach had had enough, he called time and walked out to the circle.

I was BU in C position and heard this loud and clear from the coach to the pitcher:

"If you ever shake off my pitches again, you can just turn in your f*cking uniform right there!"

He didn't yell and I doubt anybody in the stands heard it, but it concerned me. the general consensus on the board at that time was to let it go.

Different age group, actually a D1 game with a couple of not really strong teams. Bases loaded with 2 out and fly to left. F7 camped under ball and it hit he glove & then hit the ground. Tying and lead runs scored with another standing on 3B. DC asks Big Slick for time, gives him a substitution and walks beyond 3B coaching box toward left, waiting for his player to come in after being replaced. Said to her "If you're not going to use the F-ing glove, go put it away." I just moved to my next starting position. We laughed a bit about that on the way home.

I'm curious as to why people think an umpire should involve themselves in part of the game that does not involve them.

I'd step in only if it's abusive.

Absolutely agree.

That was what I was thinking.

Does it involve us????
 

When it gets to the point that the comments are so abusive and counter productive that it effects the mental / physical ability for the player to play (catcher....protecting home umpire) and or function is a safe manner it does effect the people you may speak of it not involving.

So that brings up the question...
 

What do you do when, in your opinion, a coach's behavior is abusive towards a player? I'm not concerning myself with adults here, as adults are free to come and go as they please. Minors, on the other hand, do not have the same voice that we do.

The ASA Safety Awareness Guide does make it very clear that ASA has a "zero tolerance" policy towards abuse, and they specifically mention umpires as being a part of the process.

If it's physical abuse (ie., hitting/striking the player), I think it's safe to say we should intervene. In that case, ejection is more than warranted. But what would you do if the coach is being verbally abusive? Where do you draw the line, and how do you handle it?

Bear in mind that the same Safety Awareness Guide also makes frequent reference to emotional/psychological abuse right alongside with physical abuse.

As an umpire, unless legally authorized to act in loco parentis, it is none of your business.

There are plenty of parents and other adults associated with the team, if you interject yourself into the situation it can turn bad real quick.

I understand you are trying to do good here, but such interference can turn bad in a heartbeat and it just isn't worth it.

Basically, I agree with IRISHMAFIA.

Oh I suppose there may be a line that would be so agregious that I would step in, but if that was the case it would be way beyond my duties as an umpire and I would be stepping in as a human being, haven given up my professional duties..

I guess I will agree to disagree. This is not adult ball. This is the foundation to adult ball. These are players that sometimes need attention and protection. I believe it a part of my professional duties to protect the game and the players. I'm not saying to what extent. I think each situation will be dictated by numourous items and each time it will be different. But to turn your back because it might not be what some would refer to as "none of my business" is a chicken **** way out of a responsibility you took when you walked onto the field as an umpire to protect the integrity of the game we love.

Pretty strong stance. Must be a new stance. I mean this IS you in the OP and you didn't do anything at the time.

There's a big difference between a coach talking about a player's performance and a coach talking about the player.

It's one thing if the coach is making comments that have to do with the game, even if the coach's criticism is particularly strong. It's not up to me to determine how a coach coaches and motivates his/her team.

Just thinking out loud here, but so long as the coach's comments aren't derogatory against the player, there's not much I'd even consider doing. But if the coach begins to lay into a player with devastating comments that have ZERO to do with either the game at hand or softball in general, I'm not so certain I'd want to let it slide. It all depends on what's being said, as well as the age group.

If a 10U-B coach starts screaming at a child that she's a "worthless little kid," I'd probably have something to say about it by going either to the league or ASA, or by just plain tossing the coach. That kind of abuse on the field should not be permitted by anyone.

I will acknowledge that this is, however, a VERY slippery slope. My example above is an extreme case, and I would imagine that most "harsh comments" made by a coach will (hopefully) fall quite short of this.

Knowing where to draw that line is difficult, at best.

I don't think this even a fine line here... there's a MASSIVE gulf between "protecting the integrity of the game" and inserting ourselves into coach-player and/or coach-daughter situations. If you're seeing it, someone else is seeing it. It's not chicken-S to avoid inserting ourselves into potentially volatile situations that are frankly none of our business.

These are players WITH PARENTS/LEGAL GUARDIANS who are responsible for their well being. Just because you don't care for something doesn't mean the world should adjust to you. Personally, I believe it is everyone's responsibility as an american to respect that.

And, BTW, it isn't any of your business and you can call it CS or whatever, but your PROFESSIONAL responsibility is to officiate a ball game. If you want to be more, get a badge.

You want to observe and witness, that is fine, didn't suggest you ignore it. However, the moment you take any action is the moment you are no longer a witness, but a participant and that is not your purpose there.

You are entitled to your view, but I would suggest you be careful where you intrude. Good Samaritans are not always appreciated and can easily become the villain.