probe1957
Posted : 8/23/2006 4:05:56 PM
>>Unfortunately not all coaches are like that.<<
I am not at all trying to justify what the "coach" did to Spencer, but I do think that, in most cases, when a player gets in trouble with the coach, other players are well aware of it. Perhaps the coach makes him run laps, pulls him from the game or makes him sit the bench, generally everyone on the team knows why, and for good reason, I think.
I absolutely agree with you. What this coach did is inexcusable and really hard to figure. Coaches are competitive too and sometimes, in the midst of competition, you do things you wouldn't otherwise do. I have, a time or two.
One time, our right fielder missed two easy fly balls in a row. It was a close game. I was in the dugout. When the kid missed the second fly ball, I yelled out and told him that he might as well sit down for all the good he was doing us in the field. I realized right away that I shouldn't have said it, but I did. I think the boys were 12-13 year olds, at that time. This kid's dad, who was standing behind the right field fence, yelled an obscenity back at me, suggesting that I might wish to perform a sexual act with my mother.
Maybe I deserved it, but at the time, I didn't see it that way. I came out of the dugout and started walking across the field, to exchange pleasantries, with this gentleman. The opposing coach met me at about first base and suggested I go back to the dugout. I did. He went out and told the kid's dad to leave, which he did. The next day, the kid's dad called the league president to complain about me. The president basically told the man to go pound sand.
My point in this diatribe, without defending Spencer's coach is, I think this guy lost it. He can't control his emotions. Maybe Spencer did something to piss the guy off, but he certainly did not deserve the reaction he got, no matter what he did. The only thing I can imagine, based on your description of the event, is Spencer mumbling something out loud or maybe rolling his eyes in disgust as the team was getting chewed out. That caused the guy to blow a gasket. Who knows. The guy, at the very least, owes Spencer an apology.
Now, let me give you A LOT of personal credit here. You are AT LEAST willing to consider the possiblity that your baby did something wrong. In my experience, most parents, well, many parents, aren't like that. Their kid could do no wrong. Those of us who are
arents know that ain't the case.
Maybe Spencer thinks you should just let this go. If so, I think you should. But I think you are entitled to an explanation from the "coach" and, like I said, I think Spencer is entitled to an apology from him. If he hadn't ripped the boy's uniform off, I would write it off to just a coach trying to motivate his team or a specific player, and I wouldn't have a problem with it. Not with 17 year old boys anyway. I bet the coach wishes he hadn't done that.