If you ever visit Lehigh Little League off Illick's Mill Road in Bethlehem, one of the first things you'll see is a humongous picture of its 2002 Major Boys team, managed by Sam Murray. That team won Pennsylvania's State Championship and ended its season just one win shy of a trip to the Little League World Series.How cool is that?
It's no fluke, either. Lehigh has consistently produced champions. Rival coaches and managers often speak of them in hushed, reverential terms. So I recently decided to watch the "Majors" (11 and 12 year-old boys) from Northwest and Lehigh when they met on the diamond in that yearly quest for a trip to Williamsport and The Little League World Series. I caught two of three games, one in late June and the other on Monday night.
Lehigh did emerge the victor, as expected. But what really surprised me was their very poor sportsmanship. Moments after taking that Little League pledge - "I will play fair" - it was sad to see these kids taunt and heckle the pitcher from their dugout during both games with all sorts of annoying and very loud noises. Instead of sounding like ball players, they brayed like asses, hoping to get to the pitcher. From time to time, they succeeded.
After Monday's first inning, I tried complaining from the stands to a field ump, but he just ignored me. I can't blame him. Why listen to a fat bleacher bum with a faded Iron Pigs hat? Northwest was complaining about something, too. It ended up with a very loud "Team Warning" for its trouble. And so the heckling continued. Throughout six innings, Lehigh's entire dugout made it their personal mission to distract the pitcher. Every one of those kids must be getting a tonsillectomy today. They all know now that they can heckle 11 and 12 year-olds and the grown-ups will smile and pat them on the head.
How cool is that?
Harry Shade, a thirty year coach of youth sports, makes this sad observation. "[Y]oung athletes are more likely to learn that winning is everything, that one should win at all costs and that humiliating an opponent is acceptable as long as it is not your child and/or team that is on the receiving end of the humiliation."
I don't blame the kids. I do blame Lehigh's coaches, who are supposed to be mentors and role-models. I do blame the umps, who are tolerating what obviously amounts to interference, especially at a Little League level. "Offensive interference is an act by the team at bat which interferes with, obstructs, impedes, hinders or confuses any fielder attempting to make a play." Finally, I blame Lehigh Little League officials. Whether they know it or not, kids that age don't appreciate the verbal and physical abuse that often accompanies a coach's desire to win. He can't live vicariously through those kids. It is little wonder that seventy per cent of all kids drop out of organized sports by age 13. As sportsmanship deteriorates, violence is just a baby step away.
How cool is that?
Not so cool. It's supposed to be a game, not military training.
And you didn't even begin to talk about the parents and what a problem a lot of them are!
ReplyDeleteThe Banker
Unfortunately I was not at the game to witness what you are describing. Since my son has been a part of Lehigh Little League for the past 6 years, I am more than a little shocked to hear about the behavior of the Lehigh team. I can honestley say that I have never, and I mean never seen behavior like that from any Lehigh Little League team. They take their sportsmanship very seriously, and if what you are describing is true, I'm sure it will be dealt with properly. That type of behavior has no place in youth sports. Going to my son's little league games has always been such a pleasure. I certainly hope this gets rectified.
ReplyDeleteSince Judge Giordano is on the Lehigh Little League Board of Directors, why don't you bring a copy of this story and slap it on his bench at the Courthouse.
ReplyDeleteTHEN RUN!
Jeff,
ReplyDeleteThis is the behavior I saw from the MAJOR boys (ages 11 & 12). I do not fault them. I do fault the coaches, umps and any league officials who have seen this.
My grandson's team (on a lower level) has scrimmaged Lehigh twice and the kids there, like the coaches, hae been class acts.
I was very surprised by what I saw.
Blue Coyote,
ReplyDeleteJudge Giordano is on the B/D? Did I mention I was talking about NorthCentral, not Lehigh? Yeah, I got them mixed up.
Bernie,
ReplyDeleteJust to make it clear, it was not Lehigh Little league. Is that correct? Like I said, I would be shocked to see that type of behavior from them. Emil Giordano was my son's coach for 4 of his six seasons with Lehigh, and he is a class act. A very class act. He would not tolerate that type of behavior in any way.
Jeff,
ReplyDeleteActually, it was the Lehigh Little League. I was screwing around w/ Blue Coyote. Sorry.
It was the 11 and 12 year old boys, known as trhe Majors Team. It came from the dugout. It came whenever Northwest took to the field. It did amoiunt to interference, although the umps did nothing. If not interference, it was poor sportsmanship that declines into things that are worse.
I noticed it on Monday night and on 6/28, the other time I saw the Majors play.
I did not notice that kind of behavior from the younger group when we scrimmaged them earlier this year. I did not notice that type of behavior whn I watched Lehigh's 9 & Under play in the Coplay Torney last weekend.
I'd agree that it is something that needs to be addressed. The boys are obviously being encouraged to do this by their coaches, and I find that type of encouragement inappropriate, especially in Little League.
I did not witness any inappropraite behavior anywhere else. The parents cheered their team, but I saw or heard nothing inappropriate.
Bernie,
ReplyDeleteWhats wrong with you? Winning isn't everything...... it's the only thing. lol
Its worst in JV football and HS football.
Just watch ten minutes of pre season practice. Heck you know how many football coaches teach their players that calling people Homos is a acceptable slam?
I mean really I can curse with the best of them. But I'll never insult gay men comparing them to the NY Jets.
And Bernie now you see why Yogi Berra has been such a long time critic of LL.
ReplyDeleteDear Bernie:
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your report. As a former President of a Little League, I know the attitudes you describe and the difficulty with getting coaches to train their players to be good sportsmen and women.
Usually, the problem rested with the coaches.
The responsibility for intergenerational transmission of social decorum is the responsibility of adults. Some children can learn the process on their own through observation, but mostly, it takes adults to start the process.
Best regards,
Michael Donovan
I saw the 11/12 year old Lehigh Little League team play Devon Strafford last night in the second round of the state playoffs. Your story could not be more accurate. The kids from Lehigh were continuously chanting to try and heckle the DS pitcher. It was non stop and very blantant. This is the responsibility of the coaches, the league and the league President for allowing these guys to coach the kids. It was classless and unsportsmanlike. At the end, DS prevailed as the classier team as their coach made sure his kids would not stoop to that level (I overheard him say into his dugout after a player said something "hey..we only cheer for our guys - do not act like them"). On top of that, DS won the game, so in the end, they let their game do the talking. I hope DS moves on - we should be proud to have our state be represented by a team who plays hard with class. What life lessons are these Lehigh kids learning? It was embarassing.
ReplyDeletepretty sad to see a 60yr old cry over this
ReplyDeleteI played for northwest little league and might have played in the game you are describing. That is if it happened in the summer of 2008. lehigh little league is a disgrace and a sorry excuse for a little league.
ReplyDelete41,
ReplyDeleteYour team played a great two games. But I know your coaches and manager would not tolerate you acting the way the Lehigh kids did.
Lehigh is a great group, too, with many fine players and coaches. I know Emil Giordano, who sits on the board. I know Sam Murray, who took a team to the world series. They are not like that.
It was a sad thing to see and i hope it does not present a picturew of things to come. If it does, that organization is in trouble.
My grandson is a gifted ball player and could have played for Lehigh this year. After what I saw, that will never happen. he will get his waiver and play for Northwestern.