OK, major drama in the good county of Westchester.
This drama involves the 10U travel baseball program.
More directly, parents, coaches and administrators are all up in arms about a political circle jerk involving the choosing of teams and the head coach.
This should be a good one so please tune in and call in with your thoughts.
Tony, as a parent of your 8 or 9 yesr old son, how would you react to the following situation: The head coach sends a pinch hitter up to replace the son of one of the assistant coaches. The head coach has 14 kids to play and the asst. coach’s son has gotten more than his fair share of playing time in the 3 or 4 prior games. The asst. coach then starts insisting that his son not be replaced and when he is told no he storms off the field. Can you imagine what the kids and parents are thinking when they see this happen? Meanwhile, the poor kid who was sent up to pinch hit thinks that he caused a problem. A couple of games later the former asst. coach starts showing up at games. He doesn’t speak to anyone and only cheers for his son AND he never apologizes to anyone. At the end of the year, he suddenly speaks to the other parents and encourages them to provide feedback to the travel commissioner. The commissioner had been made aware of the behavior of the former asst. coach but he is a close friend we come to learn. Fast forward eight months, a terrific coach becomes available to coach our boys. Everyone is excited and thinks that he will be named head coach so others, who might have, don’t apply for the position. Apparently, only one person was aware that the rules had changed. That’s right the former asst. coach who walked out on the kids and he is named hed coach. When asked why this happened by several aghast parents, the commissioner says the decision is made, I’m not talking to you – you gambled and lost! Tony, how would you react so far?
I personally know there is more to the story than this but I will certainly admit that you have points here about the coach who left the team. This is the type of stuff that I want to discuss on the show tomorrow so please listen and call in.
As is always the case, there are truths and stretches on the truth from both sides of this argument.
I know most if not all the parties involved personally so this makes for a good story but emails are not the way to solve it.
I want intelligent debate on this topic and will welcome any and all callers that we can get to during the show.
Thanks so much for your thoughts and I look forward to speaking with you tomorrow.
I wouldn’t be displaying the Steelers to proudly these days. A topic for another day? Sports stars and their responsiblity as role models to our children.
All kidding aside this would indeed be a topic for the show. But in this case the Steelers are a poor example. The reason I love and always will love The Steelers is becuase of what a class organization they are; Arguably the classiest in all of sports. The Rooney family has instilled a Steelers history steeped in Tradition and Integrity. A great example; They knew long before the giants that Plaxico Burress was trouble waiting to happen and rather than wait for the inevitable, just got rid of him, a STAR. They might have slipped a little on the timing with Santonio Holmes but we still solved the problem rather than keep a problem player around simply because he is talented. As for Big Ben, since nothing formal has been actually been brought yet, I’ll give The Rooneys the benefit of the doubt and believe the accusations are false until I hear otherwise.
I am and always will be proud to wear the black and gold because The Rooneys and The Steelers are a phenomenal example for my kids and anyone else’s.
What amazes me is that teams like the jets and giants have no problem selling their souls to play for the now. Granted Plaxico helped get the giants a superbowl but more people remember him as the guy who got arrested and shot himself than a contributing factor to a superbowl win.
We will indeed talk about this on the show soon so thanks for the post. Hope to hear you on the show today. Should be a hot one!!
There are times, when as a parent you do need to step in to protect your children. I would like to think that there are certain resonable expectations you can demand from your son’s coaches. One might be fairness. Another might be intergrity. Another might be to not fight on the bench in front of the children with the head coach. Another might be to teach them how to play the game correctlty. Another might be to not quit in the middle of a season without speaking to them. On top of this, the higher ups of the league in question, put this man in charge the next season with the former head coach, whom he had the fight with in the fall season? Can’t make it up, right? As a parent of a player, what do YOU do? Please don’t tell me to take my son out of the program where we live. How much can you live with?
ok folks, the emails are running rampant and I have to let everyone know that if you have an opinion on this, you MUST call the show today. we air on AM 1230 WFAS and we start at noon. You can listen live by clicking the link at the top of the page or go to http://www.wfasam.com
How’s this for irony. I’m the head coach of my son’s in-house team at YAC. Go to Hunterbrook this morning and the field isn’t playable. I go home to see if the league is cancelling the games. An email comes across and lo and behold the games are on. I contact the commissioner of the majors division and he says meet me at the field and we’ll get it ready. I go to the field and tell him I can’t work on the fields. He calls the President of the club and the President gives him the OK for me to fix the fields. The Director of Baseball then shows up with three additional bags of Turface and asks me if we can get the field ready for the kids to play. I told him give me a half and hour and we will be good to go. The kids played and had a great time!! When it suits the needs of those in charge it’s always good!! By the way, our town never made it to the field in the morning. Must have had more important things to do.
Unfortunately this isn’t a problem that just popped up this year. Last summer, the sons of the president and vice president of the club both played travel baseball for other clubs. Why is the program good enough for our sons, but not theirs? Does the CEO of GM drive a Toyota?
In response to the issue of the coach who walked off the field – did one of the parents mention that this particular team had three assistant coaches?? Yes, he did make a mistake by not apologizing but when he spoke with one of the other assitants he was informed that the head coach made it clear that he would not take the assistant coach back. Yes, it was the walking off coaches kid that was taken out of the game but did they mention that he was in the on deck circle taking his warm up swings and the batter had two strikes on him? Did they tell you that he just caught three innings for the team in the middle of summer? Don’t you think that the kid should have at least gotten his intended at bat and then pulled out? Did they tell you that another assistant coach cursed on the field? When it was brought to his attention, and only his attention, he did not have the decency to respond to the parents? Through hearsay, we found out that he offered an apology to the children but not to the parent who heard him use his foul mouth. Did they tell you that the “friendship” between administrator and walking off coach is that of team parent and coach – he has other children.
This gripe started because of which kids were picked for this team and because that got out of hand the parents started questioning the coach. I think the parents should know that the “exemplary coach”, who had an opportunity to choose other kids did NOT choose any of their “spectacular” children. Why are they not at his throat?? He had the opportunity to pick them and did not want them!!!
I guess when we say it’s all for the kids we mean the “big kids”!!
Let Them Play! 
OK, major drama in the good county of Westchester.
This drama involves the 10U travel baseball program.
More directly, parents, coaches and administrators are all up in arms about a political circle jerk involving the choosing of teams and the head coach.
This should be a good one so please tune in and call in with your thoughts.
Best
Coach Tony
Should be interesting…
thanks, Loyal. Now be true to your name and listen in today and more importantly, CALL IN and let me know what you think.
Coach Tony
Tony, as a parent of your 8 or 9 yesr old son, how would you react to the following situation: The head coach sends a pinch hitter up to replace the son of one of the assistant coaches. The head coach has 14 kids to play and the asst. coach’s son has gotten more than his fair share of playing time in the 3 or 4 prior games. The asst. coach then starts insisting that his son not be replaced and when he is told no he storms off the field. Can you imagine what the kids and parents are thinking when they see this happen? Meanwhile, the poor kid who was sent up to pinch hit thinks that he caused a problem. A couple of games later the former asst. coach starts showing up at games. He doesn’t speak to anyone and only cheers for his son AND he never apologizes to anyone. At the end of the year, he suddenly speaks to the other parents and encourages them to provide feedback to the travel commissioner. The commissioner had been made aware of the behavior of the former asst. coach but he is a close friend we come to learn. Fast forward eight months, a terrific coach becomes available to coach our boys. Everyone is excited and thinks that he will be named head coach so others, who might have, don’t apply for the position. Apparently, only one person was aware that the rules had changed. That’s right the former asst. coach who walked out on the kids and he is named hed coach. When asked why this happened by several aghast parents, the commissioner says the decision is made, I’m not talking to you – you gambled and lost! Tony, how would you react so far?
I personally know there is more to the story than this but I will certainly admit that you have points here about the coach who left the team. This is the type of stuff that I want to discuss on the show tomorrow so please listen and call in.
As is always the case, there are truths and stretches on the truth from both sides of this argument.
I know most if not all the parties involved personally so this makes for a good story but emails are not the way to solve it.
I want intelligent debate on this topic and will welcome any and all callers that we can get to during the show.
Thanks so much for your thoughts and I look forward to speaking with you tomorrow.
Best
Coach Tony
Coach Tony,
I wouldn’t be displaying the Steelers to proudly these days. A topic for another day? Sports stars and their responsiblity as role models to our children.
Ok John. Now it’s personal. Prepare to die!!
All kidding aside this would indeed be a topic for the show. But in this case the Steelers are a poor example. The reason I love and always will love The Steelers is becuase of what a class organization they are; Arguably the classiest in all of sports. The Rooney family has instilled a Steelers history steeped in Tradition and Integrity. A great example; They knew long before the giants that Plaxico Burress was trouble waiting to happen and rather than wait for the inevitable, just got rid of him, a STAR. They might have slipped a little on the timing with Santonio Holmes but we still solved the problem rather than keep a problem player around simply because he is talented. As for Big Ben, since nothing formal has been actually been brought yet, I’ll give The Rooneys the benefit of the doubt and believe the accusations are false until I hear otherwise.
I am and always will be proud to wear the black and gold because The Rooneys and The Steelers are a phenomenal example for my kids and anyone else’s.
What amazes me is that teams like the jets and giants have no problem selling their souls to play for the now. Granted Plaxico helped get the giants a superbowl but more people remember him as the guy who got arrested and shot himself than a contributing factor to a superbowl win.
We will indeed talk about this on the show soon so thanks for the post. Hope to hear you on the show today. Should be a hot one!!
Coach Tony
I don’t know anyone or anything about this situation however, it sounds like this is all about the adults and NOTHING about the kids. What a shame.
Eric,
There are times, when as a parent you do need to step in to protect your children. I would like to think that there are certain resonable expectations you can demand from your son’s coaches. One might be fairness. Another might be intergrity. Another might be to not fight on the bench in front of the children with the head coach. Another might be to teach them how to play the game correctlty. Another might be to not quit in the middle of a season without speaking to them. On top of this, the higher ups of the league in question, put this man in charge the next season with the former head coach, whom he had the fight with in the fall season? Can’t make it up, right? As a parent of a player, what do YOU do? Please don’t tell me to take my son out of the program where we live. How much can you live with?
ok folks, the emails are running rampant and I have to let everyone know that if you have an opinion on this, you MUST call the show today. we air on AM 1230 WFAS and we start at noon. You can listen live by clicking the link at the top of the page or go to http://www.wfasam.com
The Studio line is 914-693-5700.
Looking forward to your insights,
Coach Tony
Tony,
How’s this for irony. I’m the head coach of my son’s in-house team at YAC. Go to Hunterbrook this morning and the field isn’t playable. I go home to see if the league is cancelling the games. An email comes across and lo and behold the games are on. I contact the commissioner of the majors division and he says meet me at the field and we’ll get it ready. I go to the field and tell him I can’t work on the fields. He calls the President of the club and the President gives him the OK for me to fix the fields. The Director of Baseball then shows up with three additional bags of Turface and asks me if we can get the field ready for the kids to play. I told him give me a half and hour and we will be good to go. The kids played and had a great time!! When it suits the needs of those in charge it’s always good!! By the way, our town never made it to the field in the morning. Must have had more important things to do.
Unfortunately this isn’t a problem that just popped up this year. Last summer, the sons of the president and vice president of the club both played travel baseball for other clubs. Why is the program good enough for our sons, but not theirs? Does the CEO of GM drive a Toyota?
i think that’s a great point. Hypocritical to say the least.
In response to the issue of the coach who walked off the field – did one of the parents mention that this particular team had three assistant coaches?? Yes, he did make a mistake by not apologizing but when he spoke with one of the other assitants he was informed that the head coach made it clear that he would not take the assistant coach back. Yes, it was the walking off coaches kid that was taken out of the game but did they mention that he was in the on deck circle taking his warm up swings and the batter had two strikes on him? Did they tell you that he just caught three innings for the team in the middle of summer? Don’t you think that the kid should have at least gotten his intended at bat and then pulled out? Did they tell you that another assistant coach cursed on the field? When it was brought to his attention, and only his attention, he did not have the decency to respond to the parents? Through hearsay, we found out that he offered an apology to the children but not to the parent who heard him use his foul mouth. Did they tell you that the “friendship” between administrator and walking off coach is that of team parent and coach – he has other children.
This gripe started because of which kids were picked for this team and because that got out of hand the parents started questioning the coach. I think the parents should know that the “exemplary coach”, who had an opportunity to choose other kids did NOT choose any of their “spectacular” children. Why are they not at his throat?? He had the opportunity to pick them and did not want them!!!
I guess when we say it’s all for the kids we mean the “big kids”!!
this sounds like griping and not informing. Not impressed. Hope to see you at the meeting.
Coach tony