Knoxville Softball

[SoftballRox123]

I don't think people were forced to move, they chose to move so their kids could play, there is a difference. I am sure the girls who are not playing had fun too when they were on the team, they are just standing up for what is right. I think its speaks volumnes about the kids and what the are willing to not put up with. This problem has just now been brought to the attention of many people who knew about it a long time ago but were afraid to speak out. Afraid because the school and the administration turns a blind eye and just wants it to go away in its own time. I wish I had the guts to do what they are doing when my daughter played for Halls but I too was threatened and when I tried to speak out, my daughter was benched. If you feel this is the right way to handle all situations then go right ahead and let your daughter play and continue to support that program. I think alot of the parents of the players on the team now are just cowards and if that means shutting up because your child is getting to play I hope you can live with whatever comes. Just know it will not be so good down the road. Coach's should be role models for our kids and build them up not try to break them because it gives the coach power over the kids and their parents. I have learned that it takes all kinds and I know my daughter has learned some valuable life lessons that have made her stronger.

 

i agree with lhunley 100%.

[keemom]

I agree with Brites07! It takes courage to stand up for what is right, and many people now a days don't do that. Hats off to those players and parents who are doing the right thing!! Coach's SHOULD be role models and an example to their players. If a coach doesn't hold these qualities then I don't think they should be put in that position. And as I recall it was the coach that called Halls a JV team when he entered a preseason tournament.

 

Your exactly right. Most people are unwilling to risk standing up for what is right and the coach is not always right. I am not talking about playing time or coaching the players/games. I am talking about coaches who are inappropriate with language, belittling players and a variety of other inappropriate behaviors I have witnessed over the 9 years my daughter has played competitve sports. If more parents and administrators would demand coaches who have morals and respect for the girls fewer situations like this one would occur and our daughters could focus on becoming better ball players and enjoy proudly representing their schools.

[sftbllwtch01]

Your exactly right. Most people are unwilling to risk standing up for what is right and the coach is not always right. I am not talking about playing time or coaching the players/games. I am talking about coaches who are inappropriate with language, belittling players and a variety of other inappropriate behaviors I have witnessed over the 9 years my daughter has played competitve sports. If more parents and administrators would demand coaches who have morals and respect for the girls fewer situations like this one would occur and our daughters could focus on becoming better ball players and enjoy proudly representing their schools.

 

Unfortunately the Halls situation seems to have overwhelmed the softball community in Knoxville. I have to agree with Keemom though, more parents should stand up for what is right for their kids, no matter what the cost. Those parents who are so consumed with their child playing a sport that it blinds them to what their child is going through to play that sport, are falling "way" short of their parental responsibilities to raise them in a "healthy enviroment." Also, think about the message(s) you are sending your kids!

 

I don't know exactly what went on at Halls between the coach and the players/parents, but I could only guess. Last season I had the opportunity to watch Halls play. Both games they lost. What I heard coming from their dugout was out right ridiculous. It didn't just happen in one game, it was both. So it came as no surprise when I read all the above posts on the Halls situation. I have coached for many years and can honestly say it was one of the worse displays of bad behavior I have seen from a High School coach, or any other coach for that matter. Not only was his screaming and yelling offensive to everyone at the ballgame, his behavior was abusive. What I found unbelievable was that one of his worse "outburst" came after he made a poor coaching decision. In my opinion, the Halls coach has just "coached" to many years and has "outlived" his patience. My hats off to those parents who stood up to the situation!

 

For those of you parents who have children playing at Halls, trustingly the situation last year opened his eyes to what his behavior could cost him. Hopefully, you will have a better "environment" and season this year.

[Brites07]

NO...what did the coach do???if he did something illegal, thats one thing...but when parents are just mad because their child is taken out for a game or two..then dont you think thats a coward??i think that if your child deserves to play, then they will play..and how do you think the players now feel when they didnt do anything and they are getting the crap-when all the players want to do is PLAY!!!!so please just let it go people.

 

i know yal say justice is justice and yal feel sorry for the old players who left or quit..but how do u think the HALLS players feel right now when yal are puttin them down saying they are a JV team??i betcha they just wanna have fun and forget all the DRAMA!!!!from what i hear,all the talkin is just one-sided and people are just goin on hear-say.

 

There are things that alot of people on this thread don't know about. You hit the nail on the head with the hear-say comment. If you aren't involved and don't know the whole story you are just stirring the pot and causing drama! None of this is about playing time or the girls on the team now. It is about respect, honesty and intregity. Rules have been broken and if the kids were the ones breaking the rules then they would be punished. The problem is that some coaches are allowed to bend rules in order for them to suit their own needs with no consequences. Unfortunately it seems the girls have been pitted against each other for no reason other than to force them to take sides either with the coach ( who determines their fate on the high school team) or their parents( who are teaching them to stand up for what is right even when it gets tough!)

The comment about the JV team did come from the coach's mouth. Perfect example of disrespect for the current players. Why doesn'st someone ask the peolple involved to meet and discuss it like adults? instead of bashing everyone on an internet board?

[knoxvillesportsfan]

There are things that alot of people on this thread don't know about. You hit the nail on the head with the hear-say comment. If you aren't involved and don't know the whole story you are just stirring the pot and causing drama! None of this is about playing time or the girls on the team now. It is about respect, honesty and intregity. Rules have been broken and if the kids were the ones breaking the rules then they would be punished. The problem is that some coaches are allowed to bend rules in order for them to suit their own needs with no consequences. Unfortunately it seems the girls have been pitted against each other for no reason other than to force them to take sides either with the coach ( who determines their fate on the high school team) or their parents( who are teaching them to stand up for what is right even when it gets tough!)

The comment about the JV team did come from the coach's mouth. Perfect example of disrespect for the current players. Why doesn'st someone ask the peolple involved to meet and discuss it like adults? instead of bashing everyone on an internet board?

[DTT]

I'M REALLY TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT ALL THE GOSSIP OF HALLS. I CAME ON THIS SITE TO LEARN HOW WELL THE LOCAL TEAMS ARE PLAYING, AND ABOUT HOW WELL THE GIRLS ARE DOING. LET'S CHANGE THE SUBJECT. IT'S OVER!!!!!!! LET THE HALLS TEAM PLAY AND LEAVE IT ALONE.

[knoxvillesportsfan]

Halls lost to Central last night in a game that could have gone either way......I guess Central is no better than a JV team either. I realize that there are problems, all the talk has been one sided in favor of those bashing the program. Fact is, if you really want to know the problem, let the year play out. Seems like Halls could not get out of the district with all the all stars.......matter of fact, always seemed to finish behind powell, karns and central. Sure, some very tallented players have left. I do know all was fine until their slfessness and lack of team play came into focus. Want proof, anyone who has seen Halls play this year can see the direct improvement. And if they finish just behind powell, karns and central, then they certainly matched the performance of the "all stars". We can speculate and rag one another all day, but if the people on here really knew all they claim to know, why aren't they in the dugouts coaching. You can take a class offered by the county to be a non-faculty coach. There is a lack of good quality coaches around. If the experts on here would step up, maybe our local teams could compete with the Chattanooga area teams....

[knoxvillesportsfan]

There are things that alot of people on this thread don't know about. You hit the nail on the head with the hear-say comment. If you aren't involved and don't know the whole story you are just stirring the pot and causing drama! None of this is about playing time or the girls on the team now. It is about respect, honesty and intregity. Rules have been broken and if the kids were the ones breaking the rules then they would be punished. The problem is that some coaches are allowed to bend rules in order for them to suit their own needs with no consequences. Unfortunately it seems the girls have been pitted against each other for no reason other than to force them to take sides either with the coach ( who determines their fate on the high school team) or their parents( who are teaching them to stand up for what is right even when it gets tough!)

The comment about the JV team did come from the coach's mouth. Perfect example of disrespect for the current players. Why doesn'st someone ask the peolple involved to meet and discuss it like adults? instead of bashing everyone on an internet board?

That quote was made to a halls parent, and it referred to the youth of the team. Maybe we should check EVERYTHING out before we take things out on context

[lhunley]

There are things that alot of people on this thread don't know about. You hit the nail on the head with the hear-say comment. If you aren't involved and don't know the whole story you are just stirring the pot and causing drama! None of this is about playing time or the girls on the team now. It is about respect, honesty and intregity. Rules have been broken and if the kids were the ones breaking the rules then they would be punished. The problem is that some coaches are allowed to bend rules in order for them to suit their own needs with no consequences. Unfortunately it seems the girls have been pitted against each other for no reason other than to force them to take sides either with the coach ( who determines their fate on the high school team) or their parents( who are teaching them to stand up for what is right even when it gets tough!)

The comment about the JV team did come from the coach's mouth. Perfect example of disrespect for the current players. Why doesn'st someone ask the peolple involved to meet and discuss it like adults? instead of bashing everyone on an internet board?

[knoxvillesportsfan]

Unfortunately the Halls situation seems to have overwhelmed the softball community in Knoxville. I have to agree with Keemom though, more parents should stand up for what is right for their kids, no matter what the cost. Those parents who are so consumed with their child playing a sport that it blinds them to what their child is going through to play that sport, are falling "way" short of their parental responsibilities to raise them in a "healthy enviroment." Also, think about the message(s) you are sending your kids!

 

I don't know exactly what went on at Halls between the coach and the players/parents, but I could only guess. Last season I had the opportunity to watch Halls play. Both games they lost. What I heard coming from their dugout was out right ridiculous. It didn't just happen in one game, it was both. So it came as no surprise when I read all the above posts on the Halls situation. I have coached for many years and can honestly say it was one of the worse displays of bad behavior I have seen from a High School coach, or any other coach for that matter. Not only was his screaming and yelling offensive to everyone at the ballgame, his behavior was abusive. What I found unbelievable was that one of his worse "outburst" came after he made a poor coaching decision. In my opinion, the Halls coach has just "coached" to many years and has "outlived" his patience. My hats off to those parents who stood up to the situation!

 

For those of you parents who have children playing at Halls, trustingly the situation last year opened his eyes to what his behavior could cost him. Hopefully, you will have a better "environment" and season this year.

OUTBURST, have you ever seen some of the other coaches get mad and scream things......... Say what you want, the softball team at Halls will always be the winningest girls program at Halls. Too many kids have been exposed to Daddy ball where they can do as they please. There are issues with almost every coach in the district......... This effort was only brought together when CERTAIN parents did not get their way. No way the coach could do a good job when parets are telling kids to disobey his instructions, not to worry about the team, just focus on individual stats.

[knoxvillesportsfan]

There are things that alot of people on this thread don't know about. You hit the nail on the head with the hear-say comment. If you aren't involved and don't know the whole story you are just stirring the pot and causing drama! None of this is about playing time or the girls on the team now. It is about respect, honesty and intregity. Rules have been broken and if the kids were the ones breaking the rules then they would be punished. The problem is that some coaches are allowed to bend rules in order for them to suit their own needs with no consequences. Unfortunately it seems the girls have been pitted against each other for no reason other than to force them to take sides either with the coach ( who determines their fate on the high school team) or their parents( who are teaching them to stand up for what is right even when it gets tough!)

The comment about the JV team did come from the coach's mouth. Perfect example of disrespect for the current players. Why doesn'st someone ask the peolple involved to meet and discuss it like adults? instead of bashing everyone on an internet board?

It is very easy for the girls to take sides.....when one group is threatening the other with physical harm..............all you are doing with this behavior is giving the girls something to stand for, go ahead unite them, then maybe they can show the true meaning of team.....a group of people who work together to exceed the sum of their ablities. whatever that is, it must be better than under acheiving each year...........

[softballjabber]

Halls lost to Central last night in a game that could have gone either way......I guess Central is no better than a JV team either. I realize that there are problems, all the talk has been one sided in favor of those bashing the program. Fact is, if you really want to know the problem, let the year play out. Seems like Halls could not get out of the district with all the all stars.......matter of fact, always seemed to finish behind powell, karns and central. Sure, some very tallented players have left. I do know all was fine until their slfessness and lack of team play came into focus. Want proof, anyone who has seen Halls play this year can see the direct improvement. And if they finish just behind powell, karns and central, then they certainly matched the performance of the "all stars". We can speculate and rag one another all day, but if the people on here really knew all they claim to know, why aren't they in the dugouts coaching. You can take a class offered by the county to be a non-faculty coach. There is a lack of good quality coaches around. If the experts on here would step up, maybe our local teams could compete with the Chattanooga area teams....

 

kfs...you don't know anything if all you know is "all was fine until their slfessness and lack of team play came into focus."

 

Why did you have to say Central's program is no better than a JV team? What did Central do to you? I was at the game last night. Central showed nothing but class in their win.

 

The fact is, the kids and parents that left the Halls program only wanted what was best for the program--a coach that RESPECTS his players! I don't think it would have mattered if a new coach came in and they didn't win a single game, as long as the Coach respected the kids!

 

My daughter has played with and against some of the ex-players in the past. The young ladies that left the Halls team I know are not troublemakers. Never have been! These girls are fine young ladies.

 

My daughter has played for some of the "Daddys" as it was put in another thread. I wish these "Daddys" were still coaching. I would love for my kid to play for them again.

 

It's like Brites said..."it's about respect, honesty, and integrity." This Halls coach's idea of respect, honesty and integrity---well here's how it has been displayed in the past:

 

1. RESPECT--take 2 vans to a tournament, coach gets mad when the team doesn't perform well enough, coach takes one van home with only himself in it. Leaves "HIS TEAM" of girls to cram into the second van for the long ride home.

 

2. HONESTY--twin girls on the team, Halls up in a game by 9 runs. Coach wants more runs. Coach tells one twin, whom he apparently thought wasn't as good or as fast as the other; to change shirts with her "better" twin in the dugout and sends the better player back out.

 

3. INTEGRITY--same as above

 

--Ask him if he has (and why) already gotten a 2 game suspension so far this year? Let us know what you find out.

 

It sounds to me like the ones defending this coach are the ones who kids now get playing time, because the other kids aren't there anymore. Which is fine. I'm glad you're kid is getting playing time. I hope your daughter's team will get better.

 

Just remember, a leopard's spots won't change. He will treat your kids and this year's program, and every one there after, the same as he always has in the past. If that's how you want your kid treated, well that's fine for you.

 

I for one think your kid deserves better. And I don't even know you or your kid!

 

My advice, drive your kids to the game so you know they will have a ride home & don't let both your girls play if they are identical twins!

 

And before you ask, I don't even have a kid playing ball this year--and she never played for Halls! I'm just tried of seeing people bash these kids that left the Halls program and their families. That's why I chimed in!

 

good luck to you

Edited March 31, 2006 by softballjabber