| SOFTBALL TIPS |
|
|
|
| SITE STUFF |
|
|
|
|
ARCHIVES
|
| • |
June 26, 2005 |
| • |
July 03, 2005 |
| • |
July 10, 2005 |
| • |
July 17, 2005 |
| • |
July 24, 2005 |
| • |
July 31, 2005 |
| • |
August 07, 2005 |
| • |
August 14, 2005 |
| • |
August 21, 2005 |
| • |
August 28, 2005 |
| • |
September 11, 2005 |
| • |
October 02, 2005 |
| • |
October 09, 2005 |
| • |
October 23, 2005 |
| • |
October 30, 2005 |
| • |
November 06, 2005 |
| • |
November 13, 2005 |
| • |
December 04, 2005 |
| • |
December 18, 2005 |
| • |
December 25, 2005 |
| • |
January 08, 2006 |
| • |
January 15, 2006 |
| • |
January 29, 2006 |
| • |
February 05, 2006 |
| • |
February 12, 2006 |
| • |
February 19, 2006 |
| • |
February 26, 2006 |
| • |
March 05, 2006 |
| • |
March 12, 2006 |
| • |
March 19, 2006 |
| • |
March 26, 2006 |
| • |
April 02, 2006 |
| • |
April 09, 2006 |
| • |
April 16, 2006 |
| • |
April 23, 2006 |
| • |
April 30, 2006 |
| • |
May 07, 2006 |
| • |
May 14, 2006 |
| • |
May 21, 2006 |
| • |
May 28, 2006 |
| • |
June 04, 2006 |
| • |
June 11, 2006 |
| • |
June 18, 2006 |
| • |
June 25, 2006 |
| • |
July 09, 2006 |
| • |
July 16, 2006 |
| • |
July 23, 2006 |
| • |
July 30, 2006 |
| • |
August 13, 2006 |
| • |
August 20, 2006 |
| • |
September 03, 2006 |
| • |
September 10, 2006 |
| • |
September 17, 2006 |
| • |
September 24, 2006 |
| • |
October 01, 2006 |
| • |
October 08, 2006 |
| • |
October 15, 2006 |
| • |
October 22, 2006 |
| • |
November 12, 2006 |
| • |
November 26, 2006 |
| • |
December 31, 2006 |
| • |
January 14, 2007 |
| • |
January 21, 2007 |
| • |
January 28, 2007 |
| • |
February 04, 2007 |
| • |
February 11, 2007 |
| • |
February 18, 2007 |
| • |
February 25, 2007 |
| • |
March 04, 2007 |
| • |
March 11, 2007 |
| • |
March 18, 2007 |
| • |
April 01, 2007 |
| • |
April 08, 2007 |
| • |
April 15, 2007 |
| • |
April 22, 2007 |
| • |
April 29, 2007 |
| • |
May 06, 2007 |
| • |
May 13, 2007 |
| • |
May 20, 2007 |
| • |
May 27, 2007 |
| • |
June 03, 2007 |
| • |
June 10, 2007 |
| • |
June 17, 2007 |
| • |
June 24, 2007 |
| • |
July 01, 2007 |
| • |
July 22, 2007 |
| • |
July 29, 2007 |
| • |
August 12, 2007 |
| • |
August 19, 2007 |
| • |
September 02, 2007 |
| • |
September 16, 2007 |
| • |
September 30, 2007 |
| • |
October 07, 2007 |
| • |
October 14, 2007 |
| • |
October 21, 2007 |
| • |
November 04, 2007 |
| • |
November 18, 2007 |
| • |
November 25, 2007 |
| • |
December 02, 2007 |
| • |
December 09, 2007 |
| • |
December 16, 2007 |
| • |
January 13, 2008 |
| • |
February 17, 2008 |
| • |
February 24, 2008 |
| • |
March 02, 2008 |
| • |
March 09, 2008 |
| • |
March 30, 2008 |
| • |
April 06, 2008 |
| • |
April 13, 2008 |
| • |
April 20, 2008 |
| • |
April 27, 2008 |
| • |
May 04, 2008 |
| • |
May 11, 2008 |
| • |
May 18, 2008 |
| • |
May 25, 2008 |
| • |
June 01, 2008 |
| • |
June 15, 2008 |
| • |
June 22, 2008 |
| • |
June 29, 2008 |
| • |
July 06, 2008 |
| • |
July 13, 2008 |
| • |
July 20, 2008 |
| • |
August 03, 2008 |
| • |
August 10, 2008 |
| • |
August 17, 2008 |
| • |
August 24, 2008 |
| • |
August 31, 2008 |
| • |
September 07, 2008 |
| • |
September 14, 2008 |
| • |
September 21, 2008 |
| • |
September 28, 2008 |
| • |
October 05, 2008 |
| • |
October 12, 2008 |
| • |
October 19, 2008 |
| • |
October 26, 2008 |
| • |
November 02, 2008 |
| • |
November 09, 2008 |
| • |
November 16, 2008 |
| • |
November 30, 2008 |
| • |
December 07, 2008 |
| • |
December 21, 2008 |
| • |
December 28, 2008 |
| • |
February 15, 2009 |
| • |
February 22, 2009 |
| • |
April 12, 2009 |
| • |
April 19, 2009 |
| • |
April 26, 2009 |
| • |
May 03, 2009 |
| • |
May 10, 2009 |
| • |
May 17, 2009 |
| • |
May 24, 2009 |
| • |
May 31, 2009 |
| • |
June 07, 2009 |
| • |
June 14, 2009 |
| • |
June 21, 2009 |
| • |
July 05, 2009 |
|
|
| SOFTBALL LINKS |
|
|
|
Just For Fun
by Dave
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Recently, at a softball game, a girl suffered an injury while pitching. She was struck in the hand by a line drive. She could not continue pitching. The hand was swollen, black and blue, and looked as if it might be broken, possibly in several places. The girl had to come out of defensive line-up but due to the rules under which this game was played, the team was forced to either bat her or take an out when her position came around. They chose to send her up to bat while holding the bat in one hand. What do you think about that?
Before you answer, consider that this was not some sort of big time college or professional game. This was not a national competition. This was a USSSA sanctioned 10U game. It was for a state title and probably a bid to nationals. But we're talking 10U here. Really! I mean it!!
To round out your understanding of this event, the pitcher and other players on the opposing team were upset to the point of tears with the prospect of having to pitch and play against a girl bandaged and obviously hurt. The opposing team objected to the umpires. They consulted with the UIC and tournament director. Ultimately the conclusion arrived at was there was no relevant rule and the decision was entirely up to the coaches of the team with the hurt girl. She batted against a pitcher wiping tears out of her eyes. The outcome is unimportant.
That's what I thought you'd say!
My reactions are as follows:
1) As a parent, I would never allow my child to suffer through that. I'd probably never again allow the team's coaches the privilege of working with my kid. I might consider legal or other action to make sure the coaches never worked with children again.
2) As a coach, I'd never ask a kid to do something like that. Instead, I would feel it my duty to have the parent take the kid for immediate medical attention. I don't have the expertise to have an opinion on what sort of damage might be done but it does occur to me that perhaps permanent nerve damage could result from severe swelling. While we provide legal protections to volunteer coaches acting within a degree of normal, prudent person, (I believe this transcends that and I know how I would vote on a jury if a case like this ever came before me. The coach would lose his house!
3) As a person who has coached softball and been involved with a few organizations, I wonder how this could possibly enhance the particular team's, coach's, and org's reputation. If this, in and of itself, does not reduce the number and quality of kids who show up at tryouts, there is something seriously wrong with our community.
4) As an outsider of the teams and the tournament - I wasn't there and am going only by witness accounts - I am ashamed that anyone in the youth softball world would have a kid bat under these circumstances. I'd like 5 minutes with the guy who made this decision. But, while I feel strongly about promoting the sport, I think this event provides the impetus for certain rule changes which I'm going to get to shortly.
5) Finally, as a person interested in the game and its rules, I believe umpires should be given "reasonable man/woman" rights to determine whether they believe a player should or should not be allowed to continue in a game. At the very least, there ought to be some reasonable guidelines beyond mere "blood" rules. Tournament directors ought to be able to say, "no, this kid cannot continue."
It does not matter to me that the kids on the opposing team did not want to play against this girl. It does not matter to me that the pitcher was crying at the prospect of having to pitch against her. It matters some but is not dispositive that these were 10s. They could just as easily been 12s, 14s, 16s. I am still against the girl being put up to bat. At some age and level of competition, I suppose my opinion changes - it has to.
Had this been the NPF championship game, I think you have to let the batter bat. Ditto for the WCWS. Between say 16U and the WCWS, I'm less certain. I suppose a kid should be allowed to continue at the state high school champiopnship game under these circumstances. I expect that most professional, college and high school teams would never find themselves in this circumtsance. Their rosters are larger. But I am clear that this shouldn't be allowed to happen at USSSA 10U games, even the national championship.
Our society has certain norms of behavior which are applicable under legal applications. For instance, if a child is allowed to eat such a horrendous diet that they attain a level of obesity which is abhorent to most of us, that child can be removed from the custody of his or her parents. Similarly, severe manutrition is considered parental child abuse. There are norms of behaviors in terms of punitive acts which may be applied. Exceed those and you'll have to answer to a judge.
Within the sports world, there are similar norms of behavior which, if exceeded, could result in criminal prosecution. These are generally reflective of societal norms. If a parent refused to get a child medical attention for an injury like this, I suspect they could be brought up on child abuse charges absent certain over-riding and extreme conditions. This case does not qualify for the types of conditions. This case is clearly abusive. It must result in some sort of action by USSSA and other sanctioning bodies because, al0ong with being an embarrassment to the coach, the team, and the org, it has to be an embarrassment to USSSA because it cewrtainly is an embarrassment to the softball community at large.
USSSA and all the other bodies must give some sort of authority to tournament directors, UICs, and/or the umps themselves to say, "no, that kid cannot play under these circumstances."Labels: rules, youth tournament teams
 
|
|
|
