Little League and parent arrogance

[Anonymous]

I know what you’re saying, OP. VLL is out of control and many coaches don’t even want the help of additional volunteers. They get together with their buddies so their little clique can have complete control over the team. And don’t even think about trying to coach a Majors team - that requires an interview lol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We've been in MLL and haven't experienced this, are you sure its not just a few here and there

As a Vienna mom with daughters who do not play baseball, but lots of friends whose kids do, I can say with confidence that VLL is absolutely full of these types of coaches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Little League in general is bananas. Vienna Little League is especially bananas. In fact, I would pay to see a VLL-NWLL brawl star game, with achievement-minded coaches and parents losing their minds and the kids (generally) just wanting to get out and play.

OP, I'd say I suspect I know the coach you're talking about. Except some years, there are so many to choose from...

I believe the Vienna 12u All Stars and NWLL 12U All Stars do scrimmage during the summer. I know NWLL scrimmages both the McLean all-star teams (is McLean a good proxy?).

[Anonymous]

I used to be on the board of a LL and I argued that we should charge more and have one paid professional coach be the head coach of each Majors team.

The thinking is these paid coaches would know what they are doing and manage the team fairly.

Yes, it is not easy to find paid coaches (although CHLL seems to have a good stable of former players that work on the Hill and need the extra $$$)...but the idea was dismissed by all the parent power trip coaches/board members.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I used to be on the board of a LL and I argued that we should charge more and have one paid professional coach be the head coach of each Majors team.

The thinking is these paid coaches would know what they are doing and manage the team fairly.

Yes, it is not easy to find paid coaches (although CHLL seems to have a good stable of former players that work on the Hill and need the extra $$$)...but the idea was dismissed by all the parent power trip coaches/board members.

I find it fascinating that people think paid coaches don't play favorites. My MLB team played favorites with players for years without caring that it made them worse. Maybe it happens less if you pay the coaches, but I bet it still happens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:this is not specific to LL... soccer, football, lacross... I've seen it everywhere

I keep reading about this phenomenon on this board, but have never seen it. My DH is involved in coaching a couple of my kids’ teams and he is very diligent about rotating kids through positions and alternating who is scheduled to start a quarter vs sub. I’ve also never seen it on the teams that other dads coach. If anything the really athletic kids whine about wanting to be in the game and the coaches say too bad, wait your turn.

[Anonymous]

Oh I totally know what you mean OP. I think most rec cosches are great and I don’t begrudge them giving their own children a bit more opportunity at the youth level (in my view- the time they spend coaching all of the kids is taking away from the time they have to work with their own kid on the side). That said, a a few coaches take things much too far- lots of social engineering among some of the coach dads and their dad buddies as the kids get a bit older. The all star team at the 12yo level in my kids’ league is where the worst of it crops up- and some deserving kids do get passed over due to “dad issues”. Then these same dads try to put together daddyball travel teams (with their kids featured of course- deserved or not) before high school…tends to be a mess.

My oldest DS is also playing in high school. The main thing I see is that the kids “padded along by dad and his friends”- the ones still playing anyway- have often never had to deal with adversity, never had to compete for a position or playing time etc. Results in some bad attitudes. Some of these kids are good players, sure- but they have to learn (for example) to be flexible in defensive position and take it in stride (many of them come in as shortstops of course!…lol). I can’t blame you- it is definitely a bit amusing for sure. Most do seem to settle in and get with the program after a bit of a culture shock.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know what you’re saying, OP. VLL is out of control and many coaches don’t even want the help of additional volunteers. They get together with their buddies so their little clique can have complete control over the team. And don’t even think about trying to coach a Majors team - that requires an interview lol.

+1
While it is harder to find volunteer coaches at the lower levels, attaining coaching positions for Majors are very competitive in our league. At that point, the “dad clique” asserts itself. It is really gross actually. Have seen it with both of my sons’ age groups (both now aged out of LL). And no sour grapes as both of mine did make those teams- but some of their deserving friends did not due to “dad politics”. My own DH works long hours and was never a volunteer or a factor one way or another.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to be on the board of a LL and I argued that we should charge more and have one paid professional coach be the head coach of each Majors team.

The thinking is these paid coaches would know what they are doing and manage the team fairly.

Yes, it is not easy to find paid coaches (although CHLL seems to have a good stable of former players that work on the Hill and need the extra $$$)...but the idea was dismissed by all the parent power trip coaches/board members.

I find it fascinating that people think paid coaches don't play favorites. My MLB team played favorites with players for years without caring that it made them worse. Maybe it happens less if you pay the coaches, but I bet it still happens.

I only put my kids on teams where the coach does not have a kid. It usually means the coach is paid, but DD's softball coach is just a young woman in her 20s that loves the game.

But, you may think they are "playing favorites" but they are not. The reality is that they are using more than just on-the-field production to determine playing time. They are using attitude, potential, respect, etc to help develop them as young athletes.

So you may be surprised that your kid (or a friend's kid) that got 4 hits in pool play isn't in the line-up for the elimination games on Sunday. But it may be because he talked smack to the other team when he was at 2nd base, or was a bad teammate in the dugout, or didn't run out a ground ball, or didn't sprint to get that lazy fly ball in RF after the team was already up 12 runs. It happens A LOT more than you think and the good coaches simply do not tolerate it.

Of course, no parent wants to hear that their kid as an a-hole or not playing hard. But that is often the reality.

It's not "favorites." It's teaching.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't begrudge coaches (in any sport) starting/playing their own children AT ALL. It is a huuuuuuuuuge time committment to coach, the least they should get is a perk for their own kid.

You want your kid to play more? Make them a better player or volunteer to help out.

Really mean spirited . All he kids signed up to play they all need to play.

My son likes to watch football so he wanted to try it at around 8 years old. There were two father coaches with puffed up chests thinking they’re Bill Belichick. My son is on the delicate side and was never one to pick up a ball. These guys were so obnoxious and just plain nasty. They were doing warm up exercises in three random lines. One of them screamed at him to get in the back. When I asked why he didn’t play for the required minimum time the coach said he didn’t belong there. We were aware of his lack of skills but it’s a child’s game meant to be fun. But why make some kids have just an unpleasant experience. This isn’t Texas, high schools have no cut football teams even though not everyone plays. They need to stop using fathers who volunteer. They don’t always deserve respect.

[Anonymous]

CHLL has paid Coaches!?! I think not.

Beyond the playing time issues and favoritism, do these coaches actually teach the kids anything about baseball?!? Or try to? Kids won't improve otherwise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CHLL has paid Coaches!?! I think not.

Beyond the playing time issues and favoritism, do these coaches actually teach the kids anything about baseball?!? Or try to? Kids won't improve otherwise.

NWLL has the paid coaches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CHLL has paid Coaches!?! I think not.

Beyond the playing time issues and favoritism, do these coaches actually teach the kids anything about baseball?!? Or try to? Kids won't improve otherwise.

I thought CHLL paid some of the young hill workers a couple bucks. Maybe it was informal with the parents of a team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CHLL has paid Coaches!?! I think not.

Beyond the playing time issues and favoritism, do these coaches actually teach the kids anything about baseball?!? Or try to? Kids won't improve otherwise.

I thought CHLL paid some of the young hill workers a couple bucks. Maybe it was informal with the parents of a team.

I thought everything LL had to be volunteer coaching. The volunteerism is the spirit of Little League.

[Anonymous]

From being in the Little League world for many years one anecdotal observation is that the level of craziness in a town’s LL is proportional to the strength of the town’s HS baseball team. Obviously, Vienna has a really strong Madison HS baseball program and that level of competitiveness flows down into travel and LL teams. Parents see their neighborhood kids getting college scholarships and occasional pro baseball opportunities. So the expectations are often unrealistic from the get go.