ERA

Titans Miss The Mark... /blink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":blink:" border="0" alt="blink.gif" />

Horrible call. Making an accusation such as this without specific details is lame. You shouldn't throw things like this on a forum without specifics. Certainly, you can pontificate about your schools program but to make charges like these including thanking the umpire after the game is a cheap shot. The burden of proof is on you! Again, I'm sure CHS4life will post here today and give the details of this game. I listen to their games most evenings. He shares all the info including details about MrNoitall and his posts while looking for him at their games. Proof that they are avid CoachT fans and concerned about getting the "real story" to the fans. I'm not aware of any other school with as much live coverage for their softball program. Proof that they are proud of their team and their standing in the community and I'm sure as concerned about how their character is portrayed amongst their peers here on CoachT. Sounds like this tourny was as exciting as advertised.

I believe CHS4life will straighten this out. He has his fingers on the pulse of Coffee County and does a good job bringing forth information about every detail of their tournaments. Personally, I would be surprised of any partisan tactics displayed at this tournament given it's past reputation and all the media press along with radio coverage it has received.

If it was a blind draw, there is no argument period. Everyone will have to get over it. If my memory serves me right (must admit it's slipp'n a little), it was blind draw in the past. A win is a win.

Were the brackets drawn from a hat or assigned?

I believe we know who wears the pants in that family.............. and the dress..... /rolleyes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":rolleyes:" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" />

This explains alot!!! /roflol.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":roflol:" border="0" alt="roflol.gif" />

Coaches take notice. This is how you address negativity.....HEAD ON! No excuses, just the facts. Some people can't handle the truth then hide or run away from it and would rather SPIN it. JB tells it like it is. There is only one face when you deal with Jeff. Not two like others I have dealt with or known. I measure leaders by who I would want to go to battle with.

The best answer I can give you is to have a meeting with the coach and tell him what and how your approach to calling her pitches are made. If he's receptive, you've gained some ground. Otherwise, just let the coaches do their jobs. Or you can keep her out of high school ball and only play travel ball. Take it from a dad who has raised two pitchers. It's not easy being dad and coach. At some point, the girls have to figure out how to get on with their game without dad and usually the sooner the better. I know it's hard but there's very few options at this point. Hope it all works out. /cool.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="B)" border="0" alt="cool.gif" />

You no doubt did not read my post at all. Your lambasting rant is senseless. All kids need confidence. You can't preach to them that they have to have it all the time, you have to show them how to get it. You are agreeing with me but instead read something that is not there. Kids need to be shown their successes. The CONFIDENCE is learned through actions. It can be mentioned as long as it is positive. But if you have a team spiraling and you continually say that they lack it, or need it, your not helping the situation other than digging the hole deeper. Good grief! Get a grip.

The softball forum is loaded with "confidence". Well, maybe in ways not conducive to self worth. Looking back through the threads, particularly, one or two of them, the word "confidence" is used close to thirty times while mostly in a negative way. Negative way pertains to "an excuse" rather than complimentary. The word is as powerful and dangerous as a two edge sword. Just bringing the word to attention can cause an immediate negative effect. A player may not even realize they have a lack of it until someone tells them. At that point, they can teeter either way. It should be used behind the scenes when talking about a player or players unless there is a positive point to make about it. Hearing about it from your coach, reading about it in the paper or website and hearing it on the radio can create a long spiral into oblivion. You either have control of the players or you don't. Slinging it around about a problem in front of them can create a quicksand that no player can recover from. In my many years coaching batting and pitching, I have never once used that word in front of a player. Using it in the form "All you need is confidence" brings attention to the negative. Typically, it's a word meant for the parents or coach. These are young kids. Their experiences are few and their emotions are many. Don't give them a reason to fail. It is better to have them focus on their successes and to believe that there is a little tweak here, or a little tweak there that will lift them up over the top. Confidence, is in the mind of the beholder. It can't be preached, it has to be instilled. Give your players confidence by your actions and leadership, not by reminding them daily that they have none. /wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />

You are not stepping on toes. It's called DEBATE! I don't get offended but you obviously have been offended by a non teacher coach that's causing you to blast them. Again, you didn't read all my post. You still claim it should be required to have a degree which I agree in some and maybe most cases that's a good thing but you can't wave your wand over ALL available positions as you seem to be trying to do. I've known MANY educated idiots that couldn't teach their way out of pre-school. Might I remind you that the teachers union protects idiots too. If you haven't been watching the news lately, seems that every teacher and coach arrested for violating kids are grads with the paper you insist they have. It's funny that you bring this up since you seem to admire the position of teacher so much....just as I do. But, did you know that many of the reasons non faculty coaches are hired is because it takes someone, usually young and willing to coach. Now, given the ideal a teacher coach position becomes available, just where do you think they will find someone willing to take that position. The teachers union protects the undesirables and what you wind up with are little to no positions available for a young or new teacher to take over an athletic program. Non faculty have no protection and can be booted on a moments notice. They call that kind of hire "leveraged". He or she must produce results not just in wins but also in sticking to the schools standards. By this hypothesis alone, you go to the root of the problem and protest against the teachers union protection of non productive teachers. Maybe then, your school can hire a new young coach willing to sacrifice his every waking hour after school to produce the ideal coach you deserve. Think about it. If your school had a tremendous coach with an outstanding winning record that the town supported and he left, do you think just anyone would step into that situation working after school every day till 7 or 8pm just for the practices, gets buses lined up to go to away games and not return till 11pm on a school night??? Then, he or she goes home and works preparing tests, grades papers and has his next day curriculum to prepare at middle age to near retirement? Not to mention taking ALL your weekends going to tournaments travelling halfway across the state. Yeah, ideals are just that....Ideals! Try to put yourself in the principals or superintendants position and fill that position in a city, much less a small town. Those kind of teacher coaches are falling out of the trees to take that position.....yeah right! /cool.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="B)" border="0" alt="cool.gif" /> The moral to this story: "If you have a great coach that's also a good teacher willing to put in the hours, you better take care of them!"

DAVID LIPSCOMB 2008 Schedule Add Game Date Opponent Result Mon Mar. 10 http://../inside/game.cfm?eventid=202762 Greenbrier L 0-11 Tue Mar. 11 http://../inside/game.cfm?eventid=204947 Martin Luther King D W 10-0 Thu Mar. 13 http://../inside/game.cfm?eventid=204948 Columbia Academy W 8-7 Fri Mar. 21 http://../inside/game.cfm?eventid=204949 Sycamore N MTSCA L 2-4 Fri Mar. 21 http://../inside/game.cfm?eventid=204950 Oakland N MTSCA L 2-8 Sat Mar. 22 http://../inside/game.cfm?eventid=204951 Spring Hill N MTSCA W 4-3 Sat Mar. 22 http://../inside/game.cfm?eventid=210472 Warren Co. N MTSCA W 4-2 Sat Mar. 22 http://../inside/game.cfm?eventid=210473 Greenbrier N MTSCA L 3-5 Tue Mar. 25 http://../inside/game.cfm?eventid=204953 at East Literature D W 13-0 Thu Mar. 27 http://../inside/game.cfm?eventid=204955 at Pearl Cohn D W 16-0 Looks like you didn't do your homework. Lipscomb wins are not against good power rated teams. I'll stick with my assessment. More funny than accurate. /cool.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="B)" border="0" alt="cool.gif" />

He's stating the team will lose, not that anyone's character is in question. Some of you may be offended but he is within the guidelines. Either ignore or keep comments civil. /cool.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="B)" border="0" alt="cool.gif" />

Watch the name calling. It will get you banned from the website.

You have to lighten up and enjoy the entertainment. He's far more funny than accurate. Actually, he reminds me of myself in ways. I love to agitate but I don't usually take his approach in the sports forum. I save it for the open forum. There is a line. He gets close to it but knows where to stop. To some though, the line gets the best of them and they finally cross it. Hopefully, this will not be the case. There are young people on here that need positive reinforcement but THAT'S not always the way the real world works. As I told my two daughters when they played. If you want to shut them up, dig deeper and bring your A game. That usually does the trick. Besides, in some cases, what better motivation? I used it on my own girls rampantly! /cool.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="B)" border="0" alt="cool.gif" />

Louie, your claim in a nutshell is, if I may paraphrase, "anyone without a teaching certificate should not be coaching a school program." This is a ridiculous claim. With that kind of closed minded thought process, every person in that situation has been judged, in one broad stroke of a brush. The hours that it takes to compete especially at the level Coffee County has historically played are tremendous. Doing it as a non faculty member is even a bigger burden to your own personal schedule. You have to love it and there's no question that ALL non faculty coaches do! That is something that I cannot say about ALL "Faculty" coaches. Stating that you should have a college education to coach at high school is unfounded. A coaches job is to create a winning team. It should be a "BALANCED" effort consisting of most all life lesson teachings. Neither all faculty or all non faculty are fully qualifed to coach a team. Each should be judged on their own merit. Coaching is a team effort if you haven't noticed. The coaches responsibility is to coach the team to the best of his abilities. He or she does not have time to address every personal drama for each player or family. That is where the parents are "supposed" to do THEIR job. Things don't always go according to plan. The parent is supposed to guide their child through those rough times and keep their heads on straight. A coach can only do so much. Quite frankly, the majority of the problems are the parents, not the players. Without parental cooperation, the team will fail. It is of utmost importance that ALL parents act their age and keep their emotions in check and see to it that the team DOES NOT HAVE ANY DISTRACTIONS!!! Distractions are the biggest reasons for bringing a team down. "Loose Lips Sinks Ships" should be every parents motto. Winning is a sacrifice. Time, money and effort are expensive. You get out of the game what you put into it. Most importantly, the feeder systems cannot be neglected and the time that this takes alone is more than most high school teacher/coaches will do. In general, I believe a school system that is not closed minded and will entertain the idea of a non faculty coach and base their decision on an "INDIVIDUALS" qualifications, desires and morals a breath of fresh air. Just as in the game, not all players are athletes and neither are all coaching applicants coaches. It's becomes the job of the superintendant to fit the "BEST" person into that position with what he has and what he or she believes to be the ideal direction for the program. Filling that position with any piece of paper carrying teacher could be as disasterous as having some engineers I've known over the years to build a bridge! Remember Galloping Gerdy?

3 to 1 Coffee final

Great post. Expected nothing less from the people of Dickson County.

In other words, everyone should exercise their right to post but if you do not agree with what is being said you are wrong. Noone was being torn down or hammered into dust. Awful thin skin by some on here. I agree that it is a great accomplishment. I would say show em what you got against the better teams and make them eat their words. Your interpretation of my post stating when others disagree is "Wrong" as you put it, is nothing short putting words in my mouth that I didn't say. I call it like I see it. Thin skinned....far from it but apparently that is "your" perception. I say post all you want however you desire. All I asked was for Cascade11 not to stop posting when idle jealousies or negativity arises in a thread. Negative posts are what they are. If you post them, prepare to be judged by them just as positive posts are. You see, there are athletes at all different levels on this message board. From intense competitor to a recreationalist. There is a place for all of them here not just the obsessive compulsives. That's how I see it. Let's take the two teams that were defeated Huntland and Community. Some people would wonder why even have a team if they are that bad. My take is that they love the game and there are plenty more that want to play at that level. It's not a bad thing. It's simply a different priority. You just have to be smart enough to recognize it. You'll notice the same thing in travel ball. There are teams that just don't have what it takes to compete at the upper level. You'll see players leave to go to more competitive teams while others sit still and complain about it. I always found it easier to not fight city hall when you've butted your head against the wall for too long. Just find a place where others have the same ideals as you. Teams evolve over time. I know for a fact that Huntland in the past, had several terrific teams for a town of that size. Change comes slower for small towns and usually occurs when things fall into their laps rather than trying to change it themselves stemming from a good coach moves into the area or a great athlete. Cascade has travelled the same path. Just a few years ago, they had a very good team and were tough competitors. Fortunately, there are some parents that want that back and are trying to change it. The coach is doing a great job turning that program around. Each and every accomplishment is something to build on. You take what you are dealt and make the BEST of it. That's how great programs get started. Just to set the record straight, my oldest daughter was one of the worse pitchers you would have ever seen when she was twelve to fourteen years old. Simply horrible. She was so bad that Club K gave up on her. She would not accept defeat and continued to work, even at my beckoning to find something else to do. By her fifteen year old season, she was developing into a formiddable opponent. By her sixteenth birthday, she was pitching in the state tournament at Chattanooga. The rest is history and a compelling one indeed. For those of you that think you don't have what it takes, rest assure that anything is possible. Greatness is not born, it is made. Good luck to all of you this season. Anything is possible if you want it bad enough as my oldest proved to me. ERA

I rest my case. /cool.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="B)" border="0" alt="cool.gif" />

It's anyones perrogative and right to post their opinion on these boards and they should exercise that right. However, you will find people some people that would rather cut others down rather than build them up. It's just a fact of life, an unfortunate and disturbing fact indeed. Your act of kindness has been hammered into dust. DO NOT let the nay sayers cramp your kindness. This board needs more people to post as you do. The remarkable accomplishment by that young lady should be given it's due and not trivialized by jealous drivel. Thumbs up to you Cascade11! /wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />

Leigha Carter has been going to former Riverdale Warrior, now pitching coach Falon Catalano. She is currently in Florida at a tournament with Riverdale so I just texted (if that's a word) her the info. Falon is also assistant coach to the Riverdale Warrior softball team. Congrats to Leigha on her accomplishment. Falon has told me about the Cascade pitcher and about how well she had been doing prior to the season but I wasn't sure of the name.

Which pitching coach does she use?

The dark areas in the pictures above show the coverage you get using field prep absorbant. The first picture is coverage for 1/2 ton. The second is 1 ton. At $580 a ton (80 bags), the decision to use it is crucial to the success of the tournament and profits. Multiply that by X amount of fields. It's essentially too costly to use until the rains are done. Also, as someone who has many of hours in field duty, a well known basic principal is to not dig, rake or work a field in any way if more rain is coming. The fields have to be left slick to allow most of the water to RUN OFF rather than soaking into a raked up field. No work can be started until the rain is gone. I would assume that the Hendersonville organizers were highly aware that more storms were coming and opted not to work them until after the final rains. Like I said, it's not a perfect science but if ANYONE knows how to work the fields and get them ready, it's the Hendersonville people. That's why this tournament has always been a top seller in tickets and enjoyment in the past.