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Admin
 
Central Mass Invaders
LJoseph
508-943-6570
P.O. Box 1232
Webster, Massachusetts
01570
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 Softball 'Stuff' |
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Read this at LEAST once a season!
THE TYPICAL GIRLS FASTPITCH SOFTBALL PLAYER (TGFPSP) is first and foremost somebody's little girl.
At one time, she looked cute as a button, dressed in pink with pony tails She had tea parties with her animals and dolls, helped mom bake cookies, and has probably earned a few bucks baby-sitting. She has been, and always will be, mommy and daddys little girl.
The TGFPSP still has all those little girl attributes. The only difference is now she looks cute dressed in sliders and shorts. If she is wearing ribbons in her hair, they are team colors. She still bakes cookies ...for the team bake sale. And she has probably earned a few bucks ... at the team car wash. Now she is, and always will be, mommy and daddys little softball player.
The TGFPSP takes pride in how much dirt she can collect every weekend. Go to dinner on a night that she is not playing and it takes an hour of primping to get ready, and she still feels self-conscious. Go after a game and she'll walk right into a restaurant with a streak of dirt across her face, matted sweaty hair, stained shirt and brown socks(that used to be white) in sandals with a toe sticking out and yell, "Let's EAT!"
The TGFPSP is ready and willing to play at the drop of a hat! If she can get away with it, she will play on two teams. (In the same day no less). She has an extensive wardrobe - plenty of old uniforms which she has outgrown but not discarded because, well, you never know. She has several hundred tee shirts and shorts from camps, leagues and tournaments from around the country. Her parents do her school shopping every weekend at the tournament T-shirt booth. When you say, "wear something nice", she thinks it means a tournament shirt without dirt stains.
The TGFPSP needs to get an athletic scholarship. Her parents have spent THOU$AND$ of dollars on camps, private instruction, batting cages, batting clinics, catching clinics, pitching clinics, camps, gloves, bats, equipment, uniforms, player fees, concession stands, restaurants, travel and lodging. THEY'RE BROKE!!!
The TGFPSP is a fierce competitor. She is willing to stand 40 feet away from a pitcher and take a pitch with a measured reaction time that even a major league ball player would struggle to hit. She might be 5'2" and 100 lbs. soaking wet, but shell dig in at 3rd or 1st, 25 feet away from the batter and challenge the hitter to drive one past her.
The TGFPSP has more spirit than any other team sport. At least it sounds that way. Shell go home hoarse from cheering and rooting her team on into the final innings. Softball is most likely the only sport where a girls ability to cheer sometimes affects roster decisions. She can't bunt or hit, she is a liability in the field ... but - she cheers constantly.
The TGFPSP is playing the game for all the right reasons! SHE LOVES IT! She could hang out at the mall, stay home and watch TV, or spend her summers at the pool. Instead she has a tight schedule with limited free time, hangs out on the practice field with a coach in her face, and spends her summers getting baked on a 100 degree field with no shade waiting to get into the game. Maybe we should get some of our kids checked for IQ? :)
The TGFPSP has her priorities in order: Tournaments, League Games, Team Practices, schoolwork, individual practice and batting cage, family, private softball instruction, church, conditioning, softball camps, boys. (Maybe church comes before the batting cage.) At least on Sundays.
The TGFPSP is diligent and hardworking. She knows the value of hard work. She understands that you get out of something, what you put into it. She is not the type of kid to take the easy way out! She is competitive and doesnt give up. She learns many valuable lessons during the course of her softball career, like:
you can stay at Holiday Inn for $25 bucks a night if you are willing to go 4 to a room.
hotels don't monitor pool usage, and you can go swimming anytime, whether you're a registered
guest or not.
Continental breakfast means: 3 bowls of cereal, 1 bagel, 2 donuts and 4 glasses of OJ.
Unlike the geographically challenged, softball girls know how to get from home to every field in a
25 mile radius.
The TGFPSP has a lot of fun every summer, enough to make her come back next year regardless of all the sacrifices, money, the occasional bad coach, drinking water that people have put their hands in, etc. She has learned and experienced teamwork and spirit. Most of all shes learned to respect all, but fear none.
SOFTBALL PLAYER'S PRAYER
Lord, give me the strength to hit the ball
And if I do don't let me fall.
Help me to pick the pitch that's right
Then let me knock it out of sight.
Then let me run with deer-like grace
Don't let me miss, but tag first base.
Then on to second, stay with me, Lord,
Cause this one out, we can't afford.
Then let me zoom like a flying bird
Right down the line and on to third.
Then let me slide with feet out-thrust
Across home plate in the swishing dust
BUT FIRST OF ALL, DEAR LORD, I PRAY
JUST TELL THE COACH TO LET ME PLAY
Excuse Me, Is Your Attitude Showing?
What type of attitude do you display? Are you the player who makes an error on the field, shakes it off and comes into the dug-out saying "Lets go team" or "Lets not get down" and "We can get those runs back"......in other words, you let your attitude die with that error where it should be...... buried at the end of the play.
Or......
You make a bad play and make sure everyone knows that you are mad......mad at yourself because you did not live up to self-expectations of being perfect......and when you come into the dug-out you pout and don't talk to anyone. But what does this do to help the team or you? Many players are quick to forgive a teammate's mistake and pat them on the back, but we fail to forgive ourselves and move on with the rest of the game. Sometimes a college or travel ball scout is in the stands and knows what you can do when things are going well, but they really take notice of how you react to a bad situation. Are you upbeat or do you bring yourself and everyone around you down, down, down. Softball is a game that does not stop or end because you are having a bad game, but rather it continues with the next pitch.
Please take a look at yourself and decide if you are helping your team or if you are burying yourself and your teammates with self-pity and negative emotions. Keep your attitude from controlling you. Turn a negative situation into a positive one. Everyone will notice!
Be A Team Player !
Softball's Little Instruction Book
Never underestimate the other team.
Don't bother holding a grudge against an umpire; it isn't worth it. Umpires are people too, and they make errors just like you and me.
If you invite a substitute to fill a vacant spot, treat that person like a royal guest.
Never heckle a pitcher, especially if that person is new to the job.
Try to have fun, whether you're winning or losing. Otherwise, there's no point to playing.
Be respectful of the other team, even if they do not treat your team similarly. Your sportsmanship on the field will quickly get known throughout the league.
Don't let that loud-talking batter fool you. Sometimes, the loudest player is the worst, the quietest the best, and everybody else falls somewhere in between.
You're never too good or too important to sit on the bench every once in a while.
Always run to first base, even when you bat a flyball. An error might stretch your pop fly into a single or double.
If your team has a uniform, wear it.
Don't question your coach's or manager's judgment in front of the team.
If you do have a suggestion for your coach, manager, or fellow player, do it privately.
If somebody makes an error, she already knows she made a mistake. Don't remind her.
If somebody makes a particularly bad error, don't make her re-live it. She is already in enough embarrassment.
Don't measure your talent against players on your own team.
Never chastise another player when others can hear you.
If you're fortunate enough to play on a good team, treat it like a privilege.
Always respect your fellow players, even if they don't give you immediate reasons to do so.
Cheer for your pitcher, even when she throws poorly. Being on the mound is the toughest job on the field.
When you're catching a hit, especially a bouncing one, always try to get your body in front of it like a goalie. You may take a bounce off the chest, but you will stop the ball, and your teammates will respect you for it.
If you can show up early, offer to install the bases and assist the umps with setup. Even if it is not your home team's responsibility, your effort will be remembered by other ball players.
Before you borrow a teammate's expensive bat, ask first.
If you're winning big, don't rub it in. Being cocky will haunt you one day.
If you are the batter on deck, tell the runner coming home whether she needs to slide or not.
Unless you're looking a brawl, do NOT run into the baseman.
Basemen: remember to make room for the runner whenever the play is not to you.
The same person that let you down one game, may win it for you next time.
There is always a next time.
Always shake hands, thank the umpire, and clean up after yourself before you leave.
Most of all, leave the game on the field, where it belongs.
Interesting Reading from the DesMoines Register
QUESTION, from a high school coach: I tell players and their parents before the season that I won't address questions about playing time. But still, after every game, win or lose, I have parents lined up outside my office to complain. How can I handle these parents who won't give up?
The experts:
Rick Wolff is chairman of the Center for Sports Parenting. His advertiser-sponsored column on youth sports appeared in Sports Illustrated and he has written 17 books, including "Coaching Kids for Dummies." He hosts a weekly radio program in New York City and has been featured on many national television news programs. He lives in Armonk, N.Y.
Gail Hartigan has won more than 400 games in 21 years as a high school girls' basketball coach. She has taken eight Treynor teams to the state basketball tournament, including the 1994 Class 1-A championship team. She also coaches volleyball, cross country and track, and has taken Treynor to the state volleyball tournament eight times.
Richard Engelhorn is a responsible for the coaching education program at Iowa State University, and teaches coaching theory. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in physical education and exercise physiology, and a Ph.D. in motor learning. He has coached softball, basketball, soccer and volleyball youth teams, and has coached track and softball in public schools.
WOLFF: Unfortunately, even though most coaches have a preseason meeting with the parents where they clearly explain that they don't want to have to defend their lineups with the parents, too many moms and dads either don't absorb this lesson or figure that the coach is only kidding. During the season it's about the coach's right to decide who plays and who doesn't. If a parent still persists, the coach should politely give the parent another copy of the coach's policy.
HARTIGAN: If you have parents lined up to talk to you, that means you did not follow your rule and after the first game you did talk to them. Go back to the rule and leave your office without addressing their complaints. Simply tell them that if their son or daughter wishes to talk to you later, your door will be open to them, but not to their parents. Usually the players who attend practice every day understand what is going on or want to know what to do to get more playing time. Then be as honest as possible with them.
ENGELHORN: We all want our children to be happy and enjoy every moment of childhood. The perception of many parents is that if their child is not starting or playing significant amounts of time for their sport team, the child will not be happy. The reality is that less than half of the members of most varsity teams participate significantly in most games. That is not going to change. Children and parents unwilling to take their chances in sport and accept this reality should find another activity. The coach, parent, and child will all be happier.
Some of the responsibility for providing an enriching experience for all athletes in sport falls upon the coach. Coaches should work to communicate the realities of the sport experience they will provide to both the athletes and the parents. Coaches should hold a well-organized parent meeting before every season. This meeting offers the coach an opportunity to describe his or her experiences, philosophy, goals for the season, participation opportunities, expectations of athletes and parents, what parents can expect from the coach, and rules for athletes and parents. One of these parent rules must limit or ban discussions of playing time. Having parents and athletes sign a form that outlines the basic team rules may help make the point that playing time and other issues are in the coach's domain and not open for discussion.
QUESTION, from a parent: Why are coaches complaining about parental involvement?
Would anyone expect anything less than parental involvement? The children are minors. The parents need to be involved with their children. If parents see their children are miserable and unhappy based on an unfair practice, then parents should step in, shouldn't they?
HARTIGAN: Flip side: There are a lot of miserable and unhappy children out there because their parents do all talking for them, make all their decisions for them, and are never allowed to suceed of fail based on their own work and skills. Every teacher and coach hopes to have children with parental involvement. It just needs to be the right kind. Encourage your child to work hard to be the best they can be. Give them an environment in which to succeed. Let them take care of their own problems with your guidance. Let them experience failure when they have not done the right thing (don't cover for them or mix their sense of right and wrong by going to bat for them when they are wrong). And be there to help guide them and learn from the experience to be a better person.
WOLFF: But being a coach these days involves a tremendous juggling act of trying to teach kids how to play the game, of trying to win games, and then trying to make certain that all the kids get enough playing time to improve. That's a very tough task - and having parents question every move that the coach makes only makes life that much tougher. In fact, it makes the task almost impossible.
ENGELHORN: I agree that parents should be interested and involved in their children's activities. However, it is the degree and type of involvement that separates welcome interest from interference. Parents need to understand their role in their children's sport participation. Coaches should want parents involved as cheerleaders, volunteer workers at events, booster club activities, and similar support for the program. The problems begin when parents do not respect or understand the acceptable limits of their role. The parent meeting and good communication can be the key to successful parent-coach relationships. Coaches must define their expectations for parents before the season begins. Opening positive lines of communication early is essential. Only if parents observe or are otherwise aware of behaviors inappropriate for a school-based program, such as physical or emotional abuse or harassment, for example, should parents get involved at a serious level with school administrators.
QUESTION, from a parent: Isn't there a simple solution to this - all players play the same amount every game?
HARTIGAN: Not so simple: Every student in every class should get an A because they all attend the same class with the same instruction? Every person should get paid the same for the job they have because they put in the same hours? Every person is given a gift to use, and our gifts are not the same. Each person has to develop the gift given to them in whatever area it is. That area could be academic, athletic, music, drama, etc.
ENGELHORN: Expecting all players in high school programs to play equally is unrealistic. In sport as, in all facets in life, individuals make differing contributions to the success of organizations or teams. High school teams, especially at the varsity level, should play those athletes who have exhibited the best skills, attitudes, and work ethic. Participation should not be equal, but coaches should strive to maximize the participation opportunities. Lower-level teams, freshman and junior varsity, should focus more on participation and less on winning, since these teams are designed to be developmental in nature.
WOLFF: At the young ages - say from 5-10 - that is correct. After that, though, the kids themselves will start demanding that the better and more dedicated kids get a chance to play more in the games.
Moms and dads are never objective about their little one. No parent ever is.
HARTIGAN: Every parent wants their child to be good enough to make the team. Sometimes it is hard to accept the fact that our child is not a very good athlete. It is possible they could be better in a different sport or they should be encouraged to take up a different activity.
ENGELHORN: Can this coach understand that his/her attitude stinks and that is why he/she should not be allowed to play (coach) either?
This level of sensitivity will surely invite chaos with parents. We are all advocates for our children and have a difficult time being objective in our perception of their abilities. Coaches know this and will feel the same way if it is their child not playing. If parents understand how difficult it is to coach and try to be fair to everyone, and the coach understands the stresses and concerns felt by parents watching their children in sport, it may be possible to reduce the coach-parent conflict over playing time - but do not expect miracles. Some parents will always think the coach "stinks" and should be retired early.
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