A wise friend of mine once stole a quote and told me, "We all leave baseball at some point. Some of us leave when we're 13 and some when we're 40...but we all leave." I don't know where he heard this, but it is 100% true.
No one wanted Mariano Rivera to retire at the age of 43. However, I have known a few parents who would have liked a kid, or two, to retire at the end of a 10 year old tournament. Too much standing around thinking about Snow Cones to be interested in playing baseball.
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| Snow Cone! Cherry & Grape Both Favorites |
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| Don't Exit, Sandman! |
Maybe Johnny's parents shouldn't have pushed their son into baseball. Maybe the coach didn't know what else to do so he stuck the kid in Right Field and hoped the ball wouldn't find him. (The ball ALWAYS finds him.) What about those kids who are really talented but end up sitting the bench or in the wrong position? How does this happen? The answer is more frightening than an 99 mph fastball coming at your head... The dreaded, Daddy/Coach!
Before you say, "Not all Daddy's are Dreaded," I will admit there are exceptions to every rule. There are great dads who assess their player's skills, treat them fairly and choose positions based on what is best for the team...As long as their son plays Short Stop!
Forget that CK (Coaches Kid) can't catch the ball, run the bases and has the lowest batting average on the team. SHORT STOP? REALLY? KILL ME!!
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| SAFE! |
Dreaded Daddy Coaches, or DDC's, try their best to be objective. All parents view their son through 'love' colored glasses, including me, but I hate to say it, some of us need a new prescription. The DDC wants his son to be the best, be the leader and carry the team on his shoulders. What do the rest of the parents want? For the RIGHT kid to play SHORT STOP!
Don't think for one second my kid was immune to all of this. When we started in this crazy game called baseball, DDC's wouldn't let him play Short Stop or Pitch. We heard things like...
1. He's not fast enough.
2. He should stick to 2nd base, his arm will never be strong enough to play short stop.
3. His pitching motion is all wrong.
In addition, Friends of mine have heard...
1. He's too small
2. He's got bad body language
3. He's too quiet
4. He doesn't look good in yellow.... just making sure you're paying attention.
Daddy Coaches have a hard time properly assessing the skill set of their sons. This is true whether the kids are nine or fourteen. The sad thing is, everyone else can see it, can't or won't say anything about it and it continues to be problematic. Maybe that's why so many travel baseball teams split up.
If any of this sounds familiar to you, there is hope! As the boys get older, if you're lucky, a new, spirit lifting, baseball miracle comes along....The Paid Coach!!
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| Here I come to Save the Day! Or is That Mighty Mouse? |
The Paid Coach or PC, is objective, assess his player's skills, treats them fairly and chooses positions based on what is best for the team. And, if the parents never offer advice and pay the man on time....Then, Glory, Glory!! Our kid may get out of Right Field and have a shot at...wait for it...Short Stop!
Sheri Super is a Realtor at RE/MAX Preferred Properties in Knoxville, TN, Ryder's Mom and
an avid baseball fan!
www.knoxsuperagent.com 865-215-1118 knoxsuperagent@gmail.com
