Problems With Little League.....

[spacecaps]

So this one's for all the parents on here that have kids on Little League teams....

Last year my son played T-ball for the first time and I was the teams head coach. I thought it would be fun and it was...for him. The age group was supposed to be 4-5 year old but we ended up with kids on the the team that just turned 4 a week before the season started and kids that were turning 6 a few weeks into the season and the size/coordination amongst the kids was staggering.

This year I signed my son up again and instead of being the head coach, I signed up to be one of the assistant coaches. Even though my son will be 6 this April, he was put on a team with current 6, 7, and 8 year olds. Given the age discrepencys I had on the team last year, I didn't question this and I wasn't overly concerned because we play a lot of baseball together and he can handle himself pretty well. After a week of practicing with this team and working with the coaches I got an email from the League President tonight telling me the other coaches didn't feel he was a good fit to play on the team and he would only be allowed to remain if he played the outfield exclusively since many of the other kids are bigger than him. Keep in mind I'm one of the coaches on the team but the other guys I was put in with didn't bother to discuss this with me at all. They just brought it to the president of the league and had him let me know about this decision. In an email.

Now when your a coach, the registration is more money for some reason ($180) and they make you work the field house 3 times during the season (4 hrs each time for a total of 12 hours) and you also have to take a one time 4 hour coaching class they charge $35 for. To make sure you do all of this, they make you write out another check for $150 and if you don't meet their requirements, they cash that one on top of the other one you gave them for $180. (So it could end up costing you $330 if you don't meet all of their requirements) If you just sign up and not do anything else it's $150 for your kid to play ball with no other obligations other than the needed equipment. When I got put on this team with my son, the other coaches were a group of friends that have been doing this together for years and told me "I could fill in" if one of the other 3 weren't there. Needless to say I wasn't really thrilled then but now, I am red hot over this and really want to pull my kid out of this overpriced Mickey Mouse organization. I know he looses out on the experience if I do but I could always register with him the Little League in my parents town. I'm wondering if any of you have had similar experiences with organizations being run like this or is this the norm.....

[toys2cool]

dam bro that sounds like a nightmare, my son is only 2 but i was looking into this when he gets a little bigger

seems like something that was suppose to be fun, is ruined now...I say take him somewhere else

I think another member here had a similar situation with his daughters soccer league

[spacecaps]

Yeah it is a nightmare. The whole point of me being a coach was so that it was something my son and I could do together. When I was a kid I would get dropped off and picked up from little league. I can count on one hand how many times my father ever played catch with me and he wouldn't know the difference between a hit and a homerun. (The same guy once went to a hockey game and after the third period asked why everyone was leaving before the 4th quarter!) I never expected coaching to be a "good ole' boys club" where the veteran coaches don't take kindly to strangers...Also the cost is ridiculous for what you do. I think we had all of 12 games last year and one practice a week.

[mego ninja]

wow, sounds like your league really screws it to ya! I put my boys in a different league then the "Little League Assoc" simply because of age. little league didnt have a group for 3yo's. so I found an alternative private league. not as competitive, but when they are 3 and 6, they just want to play. It costs about $75 a kid. $5 is to cover the cost of working the concession stand once per season, if you work it, you get your $5 back. Also, I think if you coach, you get a $10 discount.

However.....I to would be super ****ed that the other coaches on YOUR team didnt come to you first about your son. I assume they didnt want to deal with you if you blew up on them...but still, they need to have a little consideration for you. I think they were wrong in not talking to you.

If I were you I would consider looking for a different league. you dont want to wait to long and then your son becomes "the new guy" on another team.

and lastly, I grew up in a household where my parents came to every event I had and totally supported through everything. I commend you and any parent who puts there kids first above anything. The fact that you want your son to have the best experience possible, says a lot about you.

[Donkey Hoatie]

Wow, this situation is a big-time train wreck. When I was a kid, I played Little League from ages 8-10. As an 11-year-old, my town dumped Little League altogether and transitioned over to a Youth Baseball program. At the time, the thinking was that Little League had way too much b.s. going on with rules and committees and whatnot. The focus was less on baseball skills and more along the lines of standardizing everything, and costs kept going up for Little League participation. At first, there was a bit of a backlash because our town couldn't compete for the Little League World Series. Yes, that was true, but there were plenty of other tournaments to play in besides LLWS ones. In all honesty, the biggest difference between Little League and Youth Baseball was that you didn't get the Little League patch sewn on your arm. Big whoop.

I guess the point of this is that there may be other options around for baseball besides Little League. As a coach, you should not have to pay more to enroll your child in the system. That's total garbage.Take a look to see if there's an alternative group in your area. The competition may not be as good, but at his age, that doesn't really matter. He'll be happy just getting out and playing with his dad. Good for you for taking an interest in an activity you can do together with your son. My dad was a coach or assistant coach for my teams and teams for my two younger brothers (he coached every year, but only for one team). Those memories will never be forgotten. I know the money and the rules are an issue for you this year, but what won't ever be an issue will be how much fun your son has playing with his dad. In the end, that's the best thing about the game.

[Adam West]

I think another member here had a similar situation with his daughters soccer league

That would be me. I coached my daughter's soccer team for 2 years in the rec. leagues. The soccer club president has a daughter one year older than mine and happened to be coaching teams in the same age bracket since the age groups were every two years. I consistently beat his team during the season and in tournaments which I guess peeved him off. When they were moving up to the next age bracket; I wanted to propose to the president to give me all of the better players on the younger side and see if I could develop them into a club team. He never returned my calls, emails, etc. When I would see him, he would tell me that he has been meaning to call me, etc. but never did. Then I heard he told another parent whose daughter played for me (and they happened to be friends) that he thought my daughter was not a good player. I pulled her out of the organization and placed her on a club team. It was way more expensive, but I didn't agree with his opinion of my daughter. She is now 15, plays on a premier club team that was hand picked by coaches who I don't know or had any inside relationship with and she made her High School's JV team which is an accomplishment in and of itself considering the Varsity team are two time State Champions. In hindsight; he did me a huge favor. I'm more than capable of coaching competitive level soccer, but realized that I would never be able to place teams into a level of competition to prepare themselves for High School due to his philosophy. His own daughter didn't make the High School team and plays a different sport altogether. The problem with youth sports (especially at the rec level) is there is too much focus on winning rather than teaching the sport. I found a club program that focused on individual skill development and didn't worry about winning. Encouraged her to take risks without fear of being reprimanded for failure or benched. I would walk away and find a team with a coach who understands the sport and is focused on fundamentals and not winning. Your son will surpass others in the long run.

[Godzilla]

I'm coaching 7 year old boys soccer this year and sadly I'm not surprised from what I see in the league and parents.

[Adam West]

I also wanted to add that I know the emotions you are experiencing. I was beyond p.o'd. Here I had dedicated a lot of my time and my own money in the soccer program only to find out that this soccer director was not responding to my phone calls or emails and telling other parents that my daughter was not a good soccer player. Again, get him into an organization that focuses their energies on player development and love of the game and not on winning/losing. Give it a few years and I guarantee he will far surpass most if not all of the players on his current team.

[EMCE Hammer]

I am coaching soccer now and may end up coaching 'coach pitch' soon. I'm sad for you.....but not surprised. Is there a possibility of putting your son on a different team in the same league? For my son, it's about being with his friends as much as it is actually playing. Sounds to me like you got paired with some bosom buddies and you're the odd guy out.

[UnderdogDJLSW]

Sounds rough. My son turns 7 this June, but really has no baseball skills at this point, so he wants to start T-ball first. The coaches I talked to here were very understanding and told me that they understand that the kids first learning the basics are not there to compete. How they talked to me and set us up for the league sounds completely opposite of the story you just told.

[Adam West]

Bottom line is that your son is on the younger side. there is a HUGE difference just in a year. I am a big believer giving your son a chance to play but at his age group unless he is a phenom. Find a good coach who is willing to develop individual skills over wins. I do know there are exceptions to the rule but it is always best to play your son/daughter in their appropriate age group. Do what's right for you and your son and don't worry about all of the distractions. Also, be positive. Focus on everything they did right rather than what they did wrong. My daughter is very critical of her performance so I have made a point to give her positive feedback (meaning the things I saw her perform in a game that was right).