Ugly Youth Baseball Fight Caused by Adults?

Crazy Youth Parents and Coaches Series

The entire Yuba City Junior Varsity baseball team was suspended for an entire week following a massive brawl with rival Del Campo. The account of the fight was covered by advarsitysports.com

The ugly event allegedly started with a first base coach jawing with the pitcher of the Yuba City Honkers. The young pitcher lost his cool and threw a baseball at the coach. The ball missed the coach, so the player charged the coach and a brawl ensued. Check it out.



As if this event did not need anymore ugliness, at the end of the video you'll notice a foul mouthed mom (I assume it's a mom) walk on the field dropping F-bombs and giving a finger to the collective.

The school, not the commissioner of the section, imposed the penalty. His M.O. as he put it is to let the school police itself. I hope that stiffer and more specific penalties result after a full investigation.

The Main Point

I think that the first base coach of Del Campo should be fired if the accounts are true. A coach should never, ever address a youth player in this way.

The pitcher should be suspended for the entire season. This kid lost his cool and gave his school, with a great baseball reputation, a major black eye. Luckily the kid was not batting when the coach got under his skin, otherwise the young punk could be facing assault with a deadly weapon charges today.

Finally, the mom, who walked on the field, was not doing her son or herself any favors by going on to the field spewing profanities. I would bet that her behavior is the root cause to the issue.

Unfortunately, parents and coaches set the tone for kids. The parent and coach in this case set an ugly tone indeed.

Youth Sports: Be Patient Benchwarmers, Be Patient

Lessons from Michael Jordan, Tom Brady and the newest sensation Jeremy Lin

How many kids with talent are overlooked because the coach did not see their potential?
How many kids with talent are pigeon-holed in a position that is not right for them and thus never shine?
How many kids with talent sit on the bench because another player is blocking their path?
How many kids with talent quit because the are just not big or tall enough yet?
How many kids with talent simply give up because they lost hope, or lost confidence or lost their competitive edge sitting on the bench?

Then again, how many overlooked kids with talent bide their time, continue to work hard, keep a positive attitude, never give up and finally make it?

The coaches and the scouts are not always right.

Michael Jordan did not make the varsity team of his high school as a sophomore. The coach thought he was too short at 5' 11''. Jordan worked hard on the JV level and worked hard in the off season. He played the final two years on the varsity team and earned McDonald's All-American status. Of course, he went on to North Carolina and then to become one of the greatest NBA basketball players ever.

Would the world know who Michael Jordan is if he decided to concentrate on baseball after he did not make the varsity basketball team as a sophomore?

Tom Brady enrolled in Michigan and was 7th QB on the team depth chart. Brian Griese was the starting quarterback for during Brady's first two years. After Griese left for the pros, Brady had to battle the highly touted Drew Hensen for a starting spot. He won that battle and set a Michigan record for most completions. He also led his team to win 20 of the 25 games he started. Despite this success, he was only drafted in the 6th round (the second to last round) in the 2000 NFL draft, a year with an otherwise unimpressive group of quarterbacks. Brady went to the Patriots and backed up Drew Bledsoe until an injury to Bledsoe gave Brady a chance to shine.

Would the world know who Tom Brady is if he did not continue to fight for the starting spot at Michigan when the highly regarded Drew Hensen showed up or if Tom Brady decided that he did not have a legitimate opportunity as the #4 quaterback on the Patriots his rookie year. (It is rare for a team to keep four QBs). He never lost hope or confidence, he simply prepared for his opportunity.

Jeremy Lin, the sensational new point guard for the Knicks, led his HS team to a California state championships, but only two D1 programs were interested in him, Brown and Harvard. Brown and Harvard are not exactly basketball powerhouses. He went to Harvard and played four years. He became the first Ivy League player to amass more than 1,400 points, 450 rebounds, 400 assists and 200 steals,  yet no NBA team drafted him. He joined the 2010/11 Golden State Warriors as an undrafted invitee and saw limited action in 29 games. During the beginning of the 2011/12 season, he was stuck on the Knick's bench until injuries to several Knick players open up a playing opportunity. In Lin's first 4 games as a starter he averaged 27.4 points per game, no one in the history of basketball since the ABA - NBA merger has done that.

Would the world know who Jeremy Lin is if he decided to quit basketball and go to business school to get a MBA - a thought that crossed his mind?

The Main Point

Many talented kids quit when the circumstances become challenging. If your kid is thinking about quitting, then share these stories with them to help them persevere.

And if they do persevere, and never make it after it is all said and done - then the experience of trying and never giving up will payoff in another form - perhaps in business school.

Youth Sports: Coaching Lessons Taught By Toddlers?

I have a confession. I was a terrible coach for my first son. I was too competitive and uptight. Over time, I learned from my mistakes. I learned how to coach in a much more positive way. I learned from trainers. I learned from reading books and websites. But most importantly, I learned from the verbal and non verbal feedback I was getting from the kids. So when, Alan Stein approached me with an idea for a post "Coaching Lessons Taught By Toddlers", I was thrilled to include it on StatsDad.

Alan Stein is a social media influencer and the owner of Stronger Team. He is the Strength & Conditioning Coach for the DeMatha Catholic High School basketball program, and a performance consultant for Nike Basketball. Alan brings a wealth of valuable experience to his training arsenal after years of extensive work with elite high school, college, and NBA players. 

More importantly, Alan Stein is a father of twin boys. And those two boys have made Alan a better coach. 

Alan Stein - Strength & Conditioning Coach

I am the proud father of 20 month old twin boys, Luke & Jack (aka The Born Backcourt).  Being a father has brought more joy than I could have ever imagined.  It has also made me a better coach.

How has being the father of toddlers made me a better coach?  Simple – my sons, as young as they are, embody several qualities necessary to being a successful coach – and they remind me of these things every day:

1.   Toddlers are Persistent: they never quit. Ever. When they want something… to be fed, to be changed, or to have a new toy… they do not stop until they get what they want.   And they are relentless when learning a new skill (like walking, holding utensils, etc.).  They spend hours and hours practicing until they master it.

      How persistent are you as a coach? How relentless are you in your own development?

2.   Toddlers are Communicators: they speak their minds freely. Granted, it’s in the form of crying, grunting, laughing, and Gibberish... but they do communicate. And they are attentive listeners.  When Mickey Mouse or the Wiggles are talking, trust me, they are listening!

How effective is your communication with your players? How about with your assistants?

3.   Toddlers are Enthusiastic: they have a passion for everything they do! When they are happy, they bounce around and their faces light up the room. When they aren’t, they flail their limbs and scream like wild hyenas. But they put their heart and soul into every aspect of their lives.

How much enthusiasm do you have for coaching? Do you raise the level of those around you?

4.   Toddlers crave Structure: they are on a schedule.  They go to sleep at the same time every night, get up at the same time every day, and eat (and nap) at routine times.  They are very consistent.

      Do you have a daily routine? Do your practices have structure or are they haphazard?

5.   Toddlers are Uninhibited: they don’t care about looking cool. In fact, they don’t even know what cool is. They will (literally) crap their pants and just keep on

Youth Basketball: Learn From Jimmer Fredette

I watched my son's 8th grade team scrimmage last night. Everyone on his team was throwing up threes. Everyone, whether they were good at it or not. The other team worked the ball around, inside and out and beat them easily. The winning team opted for easy inside shots and only used open threes strategically to keep the defense honest.

The three point shot is a strategic shot. Jimmer Fredette is a three point sharpshooter, but there's so much more to his game.

Koran Godwin, author of Everyone Hates A Ball Hog But They All Love A Scorer and editor of Jumpstarthoops/Blog breaks down Jimmer Fredette's multi-faceted game. This is a must watch for any youth basketball player and coach.

As soon as I saw this video I sent the link to my son and daughter to study. My daughter, CC, especially loved it because she is known for her outside shooting.

CC shot a very respectable 7 for 19 (37%) from three point range during her 5th grade CYO season. What's remarkable about that is very few other players in the entire league even attempted a 3 pointer during the year. (Except for end of half or end of game desperation shots.) I saw at most 3 or 4 shots from other players the entire season. And what's even more remarkable is that my daughter is tiny. She weighs a mere 70 pounds. But when it comes to shooting, technique is more important than strength.

At the end of the season, CC was given the "Sharpshooter" award printed on a certificate. When she received the award, she smiled and commented, "Wow - that is the same award my AAU coach gave me after the 4th grade AAU season." She can shoot but there is much more to her game.

At what age should the three point shot come into play?

It all depends on the percentages. There's a reason 7 foot tall Shaq doesn't

Youth Basketball: Passing Down Traditions

When I was about eight years old, my dad bought a basketball hoop. The local handy man attached the white fiberglass backboard with its orange rim right on the front of our house. It was an eyesore for all passersby to see. I'm sure my mom hated it, but my dad, an accomplished college basketball player, considered a basketball hoop a necessity.

My dad and I used to play for hours. My dad taught me the basics of basketball and taught me how to play Around-the-World, H-O-R-S-E and 5-3-1. Over time my dad taught me modified versions of the games to make them more interesting. Eventually I would teach my kids these games and we would modify them further.

5-3-1 was my favorite game.

5-3-1 Basic Rules

5-3-1 is a game that can be played with 2 or more players. Although there were plenty of times I played the game by myself pitting my right hand versus my left hand.

Each player takes a turn shooting a set of three uncontested shots; a 5 point shot from 20 or more feet out, a 3 point shot from the foul line and a one point lay up. If the player makes all three, he or she records 9 points and goes again.

If the player misses any of the three shots, the player counts up his or her points and passes the ball to the next player. The players take turns shooting their set of shots until someone scores 21 points.

The winner has to score 21 points exactly. At the end of the game, a player may need to miss a shot on purpose to avoid going over 21. To make it interesting, each shot had to hit the backboard or rim to count. If the player missed entirely or made the shot, they would go back to zero. Harsh I know (See advanced rules #3)

5-3-1 Advanced Rules 

Here are some advanced rules - you can add any one, any combination or all four of these.

1) If a player misses all three uncontested shots - the player goes back to zero.

2) Add in rebounding. Instead of shooting the 3 point shot from the free throw line and the 1 point shot as a layup, the 3 pointer is shot from the place on the court where the shooter rebounds his 5 point shot and the 1 pointer is shot from the place the shooter rebounds the 3 point shot.  If the player makes the 5 point shot, the 3 pointer is taken from the foul line. If the 3 point shot is made, the player shots the 1 pointer as a layup.

3) Modify the penalty for going over 21. In the basic rules the penalty for going over 21 or shooting an air ball is harsh. The player who commits these errors reverts back to zero points. We modified the rule so that the games do not take forever. The modified penalty is to subtract the amount of points of the shot taken. For example if a player has 17 points a 5 point shot would put the player over 21. If the player made the 5 pointer by mistake or missed the rim / backboard completely they would lose 5 points and go back to 12. The same rule applies to 3 point shots and 1 point shots.

4) My son and I added a new twist to the game just the other day. We played 5-3-1 with the basic rules as described above, but instead of an uncontested layup for 1 point we allowed the other player to defend the basket. We also allowed the opponent to defend any 5 point or 3 point potential winning shots. So if the score a player had 17 points, the opponent could defend the 5 point shot, but could not defend the 3 point shot. The 1V1 element added new excitement to the game. He beat me 2 of 3 games.

The Main Point

My dad now 73

Several years ago, my dad gave me a generous gift of money. It was enough money to put up a basketball hoop in our side yard. It was the perfect use of his money.

There is a circle of life for sports. My dad passed on his knowledge of the game to me and I am teaching my kids. One day, my kids will be teaching my grandchildren. Luckily my dad passed on his basketball genes through me to my kids. I was not a great player. Hopefully they will get his height (6 ft. 5 in) too.

Great Basketball Players Skip A Generation

Youth Baseball: Cutting Players

The politics of select baseball drives me crazy.

Crazy Youth Sports Coach Series

Last night, I had a conversation with a frustrated dad regarding U11 select baseball. He is rightfully frustrated with the politics of baseball. Here is his story.

• His son played on a select baseball team last spring (Team A). 
• He told me that his son was a not a superstar, but was a good player on Team A.
• Team A did well in the lowest division of the AABC league. 
• After the season was over, the coach of Team A told the parents of the players that he was going to move the team up to the next competitive division. The parents approved of the move.
• The coach also told the parents that he was going to keep the team intact. 
• As such, Team A did not schedule a tryout.
• Both my friend and his son were happy with Team A, so they did not participate in tryouts for any other teams during the tryout period last summer (Late July - Early August).
• During the tryout period last year, another local team (Team B) discovered that several of their kids were unhappy and were going to leave the team.
• Team B's best 6 kids remained.
• The coach of Team B and the coach of Team A are friends. They decided to combine their teams.
• The coach of Team A sent my friend an email telling him that his son was cut. (What a coward)
• The cut came after the tryout season - so my friend's kid was left without a team and few if any options.
• The dad called every coach looking for a spot. The frustrating process took weeks.
• He has a lead on a team, but is concerned that his son will have to go back to recreational ball.
• He later found out that the remaining six kids from Team A were the sons of the coaches and assistant coaches, not necessarily the best 6 players.

The Main Point

Is this really surprising? College coaches jump teams and leave players in the lurch without suffering any consequences. On the contrary these "role model" college coaches benefit from reneging on their contracts with universities and breaking their promises to players and their families. The NCAA teaches our youth coaches that commitments do not matter.

The coach of Team A is an inconsiderate jerk and a coward. The leadership of the respected club he plays for should have intervened.

Youth Basketball: Big Dreams

My daughter is a 10 year old basketball player. Earlier this year, she heard about the amazing UCONN women's team and began watching them play on TV. She went to the UCONN women's basketball website to learn the names and heights of all of the players. At 4' 7' in 4th grade, she is worried that she will not be tall enough to play for UCONN. She was comforted to learn that there are some shorter girls playing for the team. Lorin Dixon is listed at 5' 4" and Bria Hartley is listed at 5' 7". Both of these UCONN players are shorter than the tallest girl (5' 9") on her 4th AAU team.

This past weekend, I took my daughter to see the UCONN girls play live versus in Cincinnati. My daughter could not wait to see Maya Moore (the best women's NCAA basketball player) and Tiffany Hayes in action up close. Neither disappointed. Maya scored 23 points and had 5 rebounds and 6 assists. Tiffany Hayes scored 16 with 5 rebounds and 5 assists. My daughter was grinning from ear to ear during the game as UCONN beat the University of Cincinnati by 35 points.

After the game, as we were driving from the stadium to the gym where she would play her games, my daughter CC reconfirmed that she wants to go to UCONN to play basketball.

Games 26 and 27



CC's 4th Grade AAU team ran into some very tough 5th graders in game one and lost big. Then they played a 6th grade team. They lost that game too but it was a close game. The coach plays older teams to prepare the team for the AAU championships. CC was the smallest on the court.  During the 6th grade game, CC was run over by a 6th grade girl as she was trying to complete a fastbreak. CC was lucky that her elbow did not get a fast break.  It turned black and blue and swollen, but she is ok. Undeterred and unintimidated, she went back into the game to play. She will have to be tough to play for UCONN. Those women play a very tough brand of basketball.

The Main Point

Let your kids dream big. Help them understand what it takes to get to the top. Dreaming big and working hard to make dreams happen will benefit my daughter even if she never suits up for UCONN.

Sports mom, JBMThinks, illustrated just how hard it is to earn a roster spot on a Division 1 college sport team in a recent post. Only 3% for HS basketball players will earn that distinction.

Youth Football: Parents Brawl

CBS news reported an ugly scene on a pee-wee football field in Texas. 

Crazy Youth Sports Parents Series

During a Pee-Wee football game in Texas, coaches and parents fought on the field and the sidelines as horrified young athletes watched. Passions run deep in youth sports in America and this is a prime example of how passion for sports leads to pathetic behavior.

The Main Point

In this video-cam in hand world, it is not a good idea to get into a fight at a youth sports event. The fight was appalling, but what I found most shocking is that no one faces any criminal consequences. Not even the guy in orange above who sucker punched the guy in blue. If America wants these things to stop prosecute the meatheads who fight at youth sports events. They have no gun and no drug zones around schools. They should create no fighting zones around youth sports facilities.

Youth Sports: Coaches Don't Compete With Your Players

Almighty Dad recently posted about parents competing with their kids. It is a good read and a good message for parents of athletes. The story about the dad of the track athlete could easily fit in my Crazy Youth Sports Parents Series. The kid in the story worked hard at the 880 and finally broke 2 minutes. After this great accomplishment, the dad reminded him that he did not best his high school time.

From Almighty Dad

The difference between success and failure is sometimes nothing more than one person’s momentary hesitation – the introduction of self doubt.  It’s at that moment that they get beaten and they fail.  Even momentary doubts are enough to give someone a serious handicap in life.  The difference between winning and losing is so slim that it becomes the little things that make the difference.  You, as a parent, should want your kids to be better than you, and your kids should not be stifled because of your own latent insecurities.

The Main Point

While I was reading the post Don't Compete With Your Kids, I was thinking that the same elements of the post could be written about coaches. I often wonder why coaches yell, intimidate and introduce self-doubt in their players. Self doubt perpetuates failure. It is that split second of hesitation before a jump shot, or a shot on goal, or the throw down to second that causes a failed execution. The best coaches help kids learn from their mistakes they do no dwell on them. The Almighty Dad post made me wonder if certain coaches undermine their players to make their almost forgotten little league career seem better. Who knows?

Parents heed Almighty Dad's advice and coaches take the lesson to heart too.

Youth Baseball: Not a Perfect Game, but a Perfect Teaching Moment

Armando Galarraga was a surprise Rookie of the Year candidate in 2008 posting a 13-7 record with a 3.73 ERA. His career started out just perfectly.

Galarraga's star faded after a disappointing 2009 sophomore campaign, when Galarraga fell to 6-10 with a 5.64 ERA. In March, Galarraga was relegated to the Tiger's minors after a disappointing spring training.

Galarraga was recently promoted to the Tiger's starting rotation again. Yesterday, he took the mound and was absolutely perfect. Unfortunately umpire Jim Joyce was not. On what should have been the last play of a perfect game, Jim Joyce wrongly called the 27th hitter safe at first. The perfect game was erased from the record books. Although there have been two perfect games pitched this year, there have only been 20 perfect games in the entire history of Major League Baseball, so Jim Joyce's blown call was historic.

Did Armando Galarraga get upset, yell and cry about the injustice? Did he pick up the first base bag and throw it like the childish Lou Piniella? Did he spit in the face of the umpire like Roberto Alomar? No, he smiled in disbelief and went back to the mound and recorded the final out.

Jim Joyce, who looks like a steal worker, cried as he apologized to Galarraga, to the Tiger fans and to the game he loves, baseball.

Today, the day after the blown call, Jim Joyce took the field and the Tiger fans were gracious. Armando Galarraga took the line-up card to Jim Joyce and shook his hand. Jim had tears in his eyes again. All was forgiven. All was forgotten, expect how Galarraga and Joyce handled the unfortunate situation perfectly.

The Main Point

The non-perfect game was more perfect than a perfect game. It provided the perfect teaching moment for dads, moms and coaches alike. The are ups and downs in baseball as Gallaraga's short career illustrates, but Gallaraga did not take an up moment, winning a game with a 1 hitter, and make it into a down moment. And in the process he gained the respect of baseball fans world wide, more so than if he had pitched a perfect game. His star has never been brighter.

Craig Heimbuch wrote a convincing post on the teaching moment Galarraga gave the baseball world on ManoftheHouse.com

The Best Role Model for Kids is an Active Parent

This week in Augusta, Georgia, Augusta National chairman Billy Payne expressed his disappointment with Tiger Woods.

In his annual media address prior to the opening round of the Master's, Payne acknowledged the greatness of Woods, the four time Green Jacket winner, but then went on to criticize Tiger rather harshly.

"We are not unaware of the significance of this week to a very special player, Tiger Woods," Payne said. "A man who in a brief 13 years clearly and emphatically proclaimed and proved his game to be worthy of the likes of Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. As he ascended in our ranking of the world's great golfers, he became an example to our kids that success is directly attributable to hard work and effort. But as he now says himself, he forgot in the process to remember that with fame and fortune comes responsibility, not invisibility. It is not simply the degree of his conduct that is so egregious here. It is the fact that he disappointed all of us, and more importantly, our kids and our grandkids. Our hero did not live up to the expectations of the role model we saw for our children."

For the record, I have always appreciated Tiger Woods for his work ethic, his competitiveness and for his commitment to excellence, but I never liked him. The intensity that makes him great was a turn off to me. The perfectly controlled, scripted and boring interviews, the yelling at fans or photographers for making noise, the use of profanity that accompanied some bad shots and the ignoring of fellow players showed me that he was not someone to totally revere.

My childhood hero growing up was Charlie Hustle (Pete Rose). Yep my childhood hero was an amphetamine popping, gambling addict, liar.

I also revered the great Roger Clemens. Yep, the one and only ex-future-hall-of-fame pitcher who took steroids, threw his own wife under the steriod bus and lied to congress to save his reputation.

I decided that the best role model for my kids is a dead role model. They can never disappoint you. Lou Gehrig, the Iron Horse, is the player I talk to my son about most. I never saw Lou Gehrig play, but I have read a lot about his legendary commitment to the game.


The Main Point:

I guess kids need heroes to emulate. Sports superstars show what is possible with hard work and dedication, but many fall short of hero status. Be your son's or daughter's hero by never saying no when they want to have a catch or shoot hoops. And make sure that you are in the stands to make eye contact with them when they do something special on the field or when they fail.

Throw Lefty or Righty or Both

ESPN Sportscenter recently ran a story about Pat Venditte, an ambidextrous baseball pitcher who plays in the New York Yankee farm system. Pat's dad noticed that his son was ambidextrous at he age of 3 and immediately worked with his son to hone this God given talent. See video below.

Great basketball players are encouraged to use both hands to dribble and shoot. Great soccer players are encouraged to use both feet to dribble and shoot. Great lacrosse players use both arms to catch, throw and shoot.  My daughter uses with both hands and feet constantly.                                                                            

These players were not born with a special talent like Pat Venditte. So why don't more baseball players develop the skill to throw with both arms? There is Major League proof that it can be done.

Billy Wagner, the flame throwing southpaw (lefthander) pitcher for the Atlanta Braves was born a natural righty. Billy Wagner broke his right arm twice when he was a kid, but instead of giving up baseball, he practiced throwing fastballs against a barn wall with his left arm. He practiced and practiced. The practice paid off.

He made his high school team and was named the 1990 Baseball Player of the Year. He then went to Ferrum Collage in Virginia and set the single season NCAA records for strikeouts per nine innings with and amazing 19.1 in 1992. Wagner was then selected in the first round of the June 1993 Major League Baseball draft by the Houston Astros. He has had a long and productive 15 year and counting MLB career as one of the best closers in baseball.

So this natural righty, with a relatively slight frame for a pitcher, dominates Major League hitters with his left arm and a 100 mph fastball.

The Billy Wagner story about overcoming adversity and hardwork should be shared with kids who have dreams of playing in HS, College or even in the MLB.