Did you catch Rick Reilly’s latest article? Turns out a softball coach in Minnesota gets ripped pretty hard by Reilly for enforcing a ‘fine print’ rule (players can’t high five the player who hit the winning home run until AFTER she touches home plate) and stealing a victory on a technicality.
We here at Chalk Talk will let the big boys pass judgement, but present the case for discussion. Did the coach miss the opportunity to pass a valuable lesson to her players that winning may not be all that really matters? Did she miss the point of the game itself?
Maybe we’ll pass a little judgement. The article can be found here.
Says Reilly: I hate this kind of crap. There’s nothing cheaper than using some tiny, unconnected technicality to rob somebody of her rightful moment of glory, won fair and square. It’s the cheapest thing in sports: an adult pencil-whipping some kid because she can.
Coach Brent
4 Responses to “Don’t Just Coach For The ‘W’”
By Brian Foote on Sep 9, 2009 | Reply
Of course she blew it. That coach will be black-listed forever and should be. Ridiculous!
By Bill Glenn on Oct 29, 2009 | Reply
I agree with the coach who is enforcing the rule. In this country, if we don’t believe the rule (or law) is fair we legislate to have it changed, we should not teach the kids to break the rule (however ridiculous it may seem) because because we disagree. This is an opportunity to teach kids a great lesson, to take the proper avenues to discuss and change rules or laws.
By Marshall Neal on Dec 7, 2009 | Reply
“I agree with her…”? In reading the article the refs and opposing coach was wrong – not incorrect – but wrong. The rules were NOT followed, but adminstered incorrectly. There is sportsmanship – and there is a need to teach and enforce sportsmanship in competition, especially for our youth. And – it would start with our professionals… We play sports and thrive on the passion it invokes in us… To stifle the passion is leveling the playing field – sorry but there is a winner and a loser. The win should be exhalted – but the loser should be recognized for having played the game and given their all. High 5 – play the game – dont use the rules to decide the game in a well played contest.
By Mona Younes on Dec 19, 2009 | Reply
One of the great morals we often fail to teach our kids, is just because you can legally do the wrong thing, doesn’t mean you should. And regarding the case in question, the rule actually states that the offending team should get a warning first, not an out, so the whiner coach wasn’t even entitled to her ill-gotten gain, making her nit-picking tattle even cheaper.