Baseball parents

My husband is coaching, yet again. This time he is coaching a six and seven year Coach Pitch team with a few people from this office. Who doesn't love the all-American sport of baseball? It's fun to watch the kids play because they aren't very good and they get distracted very easily. But they also get so excited anytime they get a hit, make it to a base or run across home plate. Very cute.

What is not so cute---their parents.

Some of the parents are fine and normal. There are a couple that are VERY annoying. One dad likes to yell at the kids and make them feel like crap when they do something wrong. And I feel like reminding him that they are young, have never played together before or at all and they are still learning. He'll even yell at other people's kids. That would not fly if I had kids on the team. Another parent almost got into a yelling match with the ref over a foul ball. Pointless! Some of the parents are even bribing their children with money to get on base or to get a hit. I think that takes away the whole point of good sportsmanship and the fun of the game.

On Friday night they had a game. I went with Charles to watch and show some support for the kids. I've been to a few games before this, but a one thing from this game is still bugging me. They were playing the #1 team in the league and actually pulled out a win! To better appreciate this, I should inform you that Charles' team was the worst or second to worst team in the league.

At one point, our team was in the field. Charles was out there with the kids in the outfield to help guide them. The ball was hit to the outfield and one of the kids got it. But then he froze. He wasn't sure where to throw it. Charles was telling him to throw it in the infield so they could call time. But the kid wasn't listening or whatever. One of the parents on the sidelines was yelling/swearing at Charles and calling him names because she thought he wasn't telling the kids what to do. It made me so mad! I really wanted to go over and hit her. Or at least say something. I just couldn't believe she would be rude enough to talk about my husband with me sitting right there and swear in front of a bunch of kids. I also couldn't believe she can not realize that these are 6 and 7 year old kids and they don't know what to do because they've never really played before so you can't blame the coaches and  our team was winning, by a good margin, so what's the point of yelling at anyone anyway?

I'm still mad and I've had the whole weekend to get over it.

One of the other coach's wives stopped coming to the games because she got fed up with the parents yelling at the coaches and talking badly about them and her husband. We decided we would sit on the other side and watch the games so we wouldn't have to listen to all the stupid parents.

So advice to all you parents out there...appreciate the coaches that volunteer their time, practice with your kids, be supportive and realize that it is just a game and they are there to have fun.