Little League Baseball Drama...

[Nathans_Dad]

I need the advice of some of the dads on the board.

As some of you know, I coach little league baseball. Currently my son is 8 so we are still in coach pitch. The fact that he is 8 makes the rest of the story even more ridiculous.

So anyhow, there is a team in the league named the Dirtbags (apparently appropriately so). Before the spring season of 7 year old baseball the head coach of this team apparently sent his wife over to the house of my best player and she tried to talk his mother into switching over to their team. The mother (who likes the way I coach and run the team) said no. She told me about this during the season and I basically blew it off.

So we go through the spring season and do pretty well, ending up something like 8-5. I had two kids that were really good players which I picked up in the draft before the spring. I didn't know anything about these kids, just lucked out.

So fast forward to the end of the season. Each team names 3-4 kids to be "all stars". These kids are eligible to try out for two summer teams that are run by the league and play in summer tournaments around the D/FW area. My two super star kids make the #1 summer team. I notice that the assistant head coach is the guy who was the coach of the Dirtbags and I remember wondering if he was going to try and steal those kids too. You can probably see where this is going...

So last week I find out that one of my two superstar kids is, in fact, switching to the Dirtbags and the other one's parents are "thinking about it".

To sum it up, this guy has either stolen or tried to steal three kids off my team in the span of 6 months. Now, I am not saying I have any claim or rights to these kids. If they want to switch teams, that is their decision. I would have no issue if the kids had decided their best buddy was on the other team or even if the kid decided that they liked the other coach better. This is the coach chirping in the parent's ear all summer, sending his wife to their houses, etc. Plus, he is using his position as a coach on the all star summer team to try and stock up his own team for the season.

My question is this: Should I say anything to the commissioner of the league? Part of me thinks that this kind of stuff is absolutely what sours people on youth sports in general and someone should say something about it. Little league baseball is SUPPOSED to be about making friends, having fun, and learning something about baseball. This guy is acting like he is the GM of the friggin New York Yankees trying to win a world series.

The other part of me says that it isn't worth the effort. Alot of these guys (including this coach) are friends and have other sons who are older and play select baseball with each other. Chances are anything I say will fall on completely deaf ears. Add to this the fact that I am not planning on coaching (at least not head coaching) past the age of 8 and you can make a good argument to just move on with life.

[Joe Bob]

Hell yes......poaching in Little League is an asshat move.

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by Nathans_Dad

My question is this: Should I say anything to the commissioner of the league? Part of me thinks that this kind of stuff is absolutely what sours people on youth sports in general and someone should say something about it. Little league baseball is SUPPOSED to be about making friends, having fun, and learning something about baseball. This guy is acting like he is the GM of the friggin New York Yankees trying to win a world series.

Are you annoyed at his behavior, or your losing good players? I would completely ignore this. Who cares if he wants to play Mini Steinbrenner? As long as he is treating the kids well/fairly on the team then it is a non-issue.

[Nathans_Dad]

Nostatic, I would say about 80/20, with the 80 being annoyed at his behavior.

I only had these two kids for one season and I honestly was expecting one or both to leave to go play select ball anyhow. My issue isn't losing one of the kids, my issue is him poaching players off of my team, and who knows how many other teams.

The whole thing tends to unbalance the league. How much fun is it for the kids to get their a$$es handed to them by what is essentially an all star team?

[968rz]

Really you should look at the parents of these defecting kids. If they are the type that are willing to move their kids so they can be on "the winning-est team" you don't want them near your team (the parents, not the kids).
Like you said it's about friends and fun or than winning (but that don't suck either).

[McLovin]

Originally Posted by Nathans_Dad

Before the spring season of 7 year old baseball the head coach of this team apparently sent his wife over to the house of my best player and she tried to talk his mother into switching over to their team.

AND

I had two kids that were really good players which I picked up in the draft before the spring.

Those 2 don't make sense to me. If your son is playing in a league where the players are drafted, why would any "team switching" be allowed?

My son played LL for 5 years, I head coached a few of them, and I never once saw that happen. It simply wouldn't be allowed, it defeats the purpose of the draft and is unfair to all the other teams.

Anyways, I'd just move on.

[Nathans_Dad]

Well, here is how it works.

In the fall, the league basically allows you to load your team with as many returning players as you want. Fall baseball is supposed to be less competitive and more about skill development.

In the spring, you can "freeze" up to 7 players that have played for you previously, either in the fall or the previous spring. All players that are not frozen go into a pool for the draft.

So basically what this guy is trying to do is upgrade the quality of players he will be freezing in the spring by pulling my good players onto his team for the fall.

[peppy]

Little league here requires an act of congress to change teams.

[Zeke]

Even if you're 80/20 annoyed, and knowing myself, I'd be more than that, I have to agree with the consensus so far. Be done with this and play ball.

[Dantilla]

If you act on this, will it be similar to poking a stick into a hornet's nest?

If so, I wouldn't do anything.

If not, it's because your complaint will achieve nothing.

Based on the information here, I think I'd let it go.

[McLovin]

Originally Posted by Nathans_Dad

Well, here is how it works.

In the fall, the league basically allows you to load your team with as many returning players as you want. Fall baseball is supposed to be less competitive and more about skill development.

In the spring, you can "freeze" up to 7 players that have played for you previously, either in the fall or the previous spring. All players that are not frozen go into a pool for the draft.

So basically what this guy is trying to do is upgrade the quality of players he will be freezing in the spring by pulling my good players onto his team for the fall.

Got it. IMO, that's not a great way to run the league.

In ours, for fall ball, it was just put together whatever team you want. No draft, you just form your own team with whoever you want, and however many teams are formed is how many are in the league. Scores were kept, but there were no standings, no post season, etc. Just a fun, casual fall season, which was fun.

Spring, though, you start from scratch. Tryouts, draft, no "protected" players. Every coach has a shot at every player.

I think that is a FAR better method, for a variety of reasons. It gets rid of the "game playing" you are experiencing. Every coach has an equal chance in the draft at the beginning of each spring. You get far more parity among the teams, b/c the coaches all know who the top players are, and every spring they get more or less equally spread out among all the teams. Makes for a better season for everyone.

And, IMO it's better to have the LL teams mixed up every year. They are only very young kids, and it's better to force them to meet new kids, have new teammates, new environment, make new friends etc. every year. It's better for them.

[Nathans_Dad]

Agree McLovin...

Once they hit 9 years old, the league starts to have tryouts and I think the freeze rules become more restrictive so maybe this will be a one year thing. I hope so.

Anyhow, I have decided to just leave it be and press on with the kids I have. As someone mentioned above, I don't want the hypercompetitive parent on my team that would swap their kid over to another team to get a couple more wins in an 8 year old little league anyhow.

[jim72911t]

Rick, it sounds like you "get it" and the Dirtbag coach doesn't; simple as that. You are doing the right thing.

You have also reaffirmed my notion that the worst thing about coaching little league is the parents. Too bad you're seeing this at such a young age group. I can assure you that it only gets worse as the kids get older, and the (parents) get more competitive. Have fun, but more importantly, make sure the kids are having fun.

[stealthn]

Wow I coached my kids this year and I have to say your league sounds way to serious; I don't know if this is a US thing or not , but at the 6-7 ages we are teaching the kids about the mechanics of baseball in a fun way. It's not about wins losses or outs it's about fun.
Yes there are some returning coaches that are way to into it, but all in all it's about the kids having fun.

Stacking one team is sending the wrong messages to the kids and if they won every game, they wouldn't learn to lose with grace and sportsmanship. But then it shouldn't be about winning and losing at that age...


My two cents CDN

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by stealthn

Wow I coached my kids this year and I have to say your league sounds way to serious; I don't know if this is a US thing or not , but at the 6-7 ages we are teaching the kids about the mechanics of baseball in a fun way. It's not about wins losses or outs it's about fun.

Never, and I mean never, underestimate the buffoonery of parents trying to relive whatever miserable athletic career they had through their kids.

[sammyg2]

What do the rules say? if he's breaking the rules, report it.
If he's just playing the system and doing things you feel are unethical but still within the rules, get over it and stay above it.

[1990C4S]

Sounds like a problem for the convener/commissioner to figure out.

Just like MLB he has to act 'in the interest of the game'.

Not your problem. Any more than it would be if kids left to play with friends on another team.