Behavior at LL practice
 

Defying the coach is benchable. Bench him and do it publicly, in front of his teammates. There are other kids who want to play that will do what the coach says. You should do this with players who are unrelated to you, also. It worked for Eddie and Sean Sutton.

Behavior at LL practice
 

I also coach 9-10 YO Mustang baseball (Pony League). Native Son pitches, catches, and center field. Most kids think pitchers and catchers receive preferential treatment even if they aren't the coaches' kids so I know where you're coming from.

I agree with the public benching. Kids come to practice to play and be with their friends. Benching takes them away both of those. I've found it to work well.

Behavior at LL practice
 

Nominate for funniest post ever on this board.

Elephant Wood
 

The lovely outdoor setting where I saw the Iguanas, as mentioned on the FB, happened to be the Oregon Zoo. The elephant area is very near the concert lawn. Packy, the largest Asian elephant anywhere, was sporting wood that easily matched the rest of his girth. Leading 3 3/4 year-old Ruth Bader Ramone to ask "what's that hanging from his bottom?"

I very quickly replied "just part of the elephant" and ushered her out back to look at the girl elephants. I am such a wimp.

Elephant Wood
 

Old joke:

Daughter: Mommy, what's that long thing hanging from the elephant?

Mommy: That's his "trunk," pumpkin.

Daughter: I know what a trunk is, mommy. Farther back, near his bottom.

Mommy: Oh, um, that's his tail, pumpkin.

Daughter [impatiently]: I know what a tail is, mommy. Further up, between his legs.

Mommy [embarassed]: Oh, well, um, that's nothing.

Daughter: Daddy, mommy says the thing between the elephant's legs is nothing.

Daddy: Don't listen to her, pumpkin, she's just spoiled.

Misbehavior at Big League practice
 

Which makes me think of how "pro league" is defined. I've had the unfortunate experience lately of exposing Viet Babe to hot-tempered balding men with office butt who think their lame little lawyers/accountants/whatever league constitute a pro league so as to justify appalling behavior and language when they don't like the way things are going. Some of these fools act like they're HOCKEY professionals for goodness sakes.

It's usually some fat guy who doesn't like the ump's call, throws a hissy, cursing loudly in front of tons of children and Moms who've been dragged to come watch Daddies play their little boy games. Why, just last week we saw a church (!!) league dude go medieval when he disagreed with a call even though his team was already losing 15 to 1 and generally sucked. The guy yelled, "HE WAS FUCKING SAFE, DOUCHEBAG FUCK!!!" I looked over at the bench and saw all those kids (including his own) listening (what's worse for the Moms later: explaining what "fuck" is or "douchebag"?). You'd think the guy's teamates would have engaged in damage control vis-a-vis the listening children. But no. Instead, they all went over and "comforted" the fool (who by now was still steaming and all red about the face and neck and such).

IMHO, this sort of behavior makes an imprint on future poorly-behaved little leaguers. I really think it's not the tantrum that is the worst, but the way the other guys comfort the tantrum thrower which may send kids the wrong idea.

Um....is this a rant?

Vietmom
(Happy that Babe is too young to have to explain "douchebag")

http://www.aerieproductions.com/robb...eballFight.jpg

Elephant Wood
 

This reminds me of the time my sister saw a giant dog of some sort (I think it was a Great Dane) walking on the street in front of her. She was inspired to comment, "They should be required to wear underwear." I couldn't disagree.

My son knows I don't have a penis (he has asked about what my horse's penis was -- but as he has one, it wasn't a big deal to point out the corresponding anatomy on his equine friend), or, more accurately, he thinks I have a different kind of penis. It hasn't dawned on him that girls don't actually have one.

Elephant Wood
 

....actually, unless you were raised in a Muslim country, he is technically right, but that's another topic.

Elephant Wood
 

He refers to it as my "inside penis". How he knows that, I do not know.

Behavior at LL practice
 

I was a catcher for years and years, until my right knee popped in and out of joint a couple times while I was sitting in class. Plus -- Stand by the coach and shag balls during fielding practice. Minuses -- Hot equipment, fairly frequently nicked by bats and balls, deep knee bend on every pitch, and the occasional ball to the nuts.

Preferential treatment?

S_A_M

P.S. Pony, I think he's gotta sit the next time he tells the coach "No."

Behavior at LL practice
 

Oh SAM, you're viewing it through an old man's eye.

At this age (9-10 YO) the physical degradation and injuries haven't set in yet so they only see the 'glory' side --
more innings played/less bench,
more innings playing an infield position (outfield is still boring at this age cuz not too many hits out),
shin-wedges buffer against knee strain,
catcher is involved in almost every play,
catcher gets to run the game and tell the pitcher what to do (at least that's how the kids see it), and
when he picks off the steal there's lots and lots of cheering (half these little guys can't even hit 2nd from home plate) or,
even better, tag the runner coming home he's a hero with one play.

P.S. I don't 'waste' my catchers standing next to coach shagging balls. I don't see that as a 'catcher' skill, at best it's a basic defensive skill (catch the ball coming at you) that every kid needs to practice. I rarely have a kid standing next to coach but when I do that's another way I 'penalize' a kid with borderline bahavior (disrespectful goes to the bench, lazy shags balls).

Anyway, with 40-50 practice balls I have a bucket at 1st and 3rd so every ball goes into one of those rather than coming back to home. I want the basemen to get as much action as possible. I want the fielders thinking where to throw rather than autopilot throw back to coach. When the bucket at home is empty it gets refilled from 1/3.

Follow Up
 

Catching is such an odd thing at this age. I have one kid who has a quick release and can throw a strike to 2d in under 3 seconds (and who knows how to check and fake runners) but who struggles on throws back to the pitcher and is too small to block what he can't grab; I have 2 guys who can basically block anything within a mile of the plate but whose throws to second would be better off mailed and a 4th who is a combination.

It's frustrating when the first guy nails a guy going from second to third but then gets the ball back and sends it over the pitcher's head letting the guy from second come home.

Follow Up
 

Chuck Knoblauch's kid plays for your team?

Follow Up
 

I wish, then I would be striking out somewhere instead of sitting at this desk.

Follow Up
 

One of these 4 (not my kid) plays the outfield when he's not catching. He hates outfield and bugs me every inning to play the infield. The times he's played infield, he's had balls go through his legs, bounce off his glove, and generally throws 6 feet over the base that the runner has just left. In the outfield, he generally runs down the balls or stops them.

So I'm thinking next time he asks to play infield, say OK smarty pants and put him between short and third and leave only 2 outfielders.