Really?

I just left a modified baseball game in which the coach is carrying 18 young adolescents for 11 field positions.  Because youth sports have morphed into the professional realm, in this case Major League Baseball, said coach often includes a designated hitter in his line up.  Or maybe he is just cleverly "starting" an additional guy each game.  (He is my brother after all.)

While watching the action, I actually heard a parent say, "he better not sit the bench again today AND only DH."  And only DH?  What kid wouldn't want to hit and not play the field?  Any kid that has ever sat through a modified baseball game, that's who.  The action moves pretty slow.  Those 7 innings could (and will) take hours.  The only two guaranteed to be busy are the pitcher and catcher.  Unless of course there is a concession stand with hot pretzels and nachos and purple and blue freeze pops.  But I digress...

Back to "only DHing".  I'm sure the poor left fielder her kid is hitting for each inning would eagerly switch spots!  Or the pitcher whose arm is about to fall off!  Or the other 6 kids that are actually sitting the bench!  Put me in coach, I'm ready to play!

This is the underlying problem with youth sports:  ignorant parents.  They don't understand that every kid can't start every game.  That every kid might not play every position.  That in a high school game, every kid is not going to play.  And that maybe they should leave their ignorance buried quietly in their small mind and permit the coach to develop game strategy.

Ignorant parent wisely decided to sit far away from the coach and the bench.  "(Her) mouth might get (her) in trouble."  Do you think? 

A word of advice to ignorant parents:  you never know but the coach's sister might be listening!  And will blog about it... Play Ball!