Little League Baseball Parents?

[ssramage]

Question for this with kids/grandkids currently or recently having played little league baseball.

How are your local leagues structuring games? (Ex. Game time allotment, # of innings, combo?)

Our local league is based off a time allotment of 75 minutes, regardless of # of innings played. As a coach/parent, a time clock adds an element to the game that I'm not in favor of. Curious how other leagues are managing game flow.

 

[HoCoLion91]

A couple of reasons.
1. Multiple games scheduled on the same field. 1st game starts at 4pm, next at 5:30 pm or something like that. All teams get a schedule at the beginning of season with location and time game starts. They have to control the length of the time of each game for an accurate schedule.
2. Its very hard for little league to get 3 outs in an inning. I've seen games last for several hours if they dont have a time limit. They usually let each team bat through the line up then swap sides, that way every player gets at least 1 at bat each game.

 

[Raylander]

Theys just kids..

 

[Duff]

Not little league but softball here. Every organization we have played with has a time limit. Most common is no inning to start after 70 or 75 minutes.

As someone else said, no way to keep a schedule if it was played by innings. I’ve seen 4 innings games that would take 3hours to complete

 

[ssramage]

Thanks for the feedback. Totally understand the time constraints of the league based on limited field slots available. What's changed since we were kids though?

I'm coaching in the 10U league for the first time this year and as a coach I've noticed a few things that just complicate the game with the time clock.

1. Coaches manipulate the clock vs just letting kids play the game. For example, last night I had an opposing coach slow rolling kids to the plate, spending extra time talking to them in the batters box, and purposefully not getting the on deck batter ready, so that he could run the time clock down.

2. Every team runs 12-13 players. We bat everyone. Typically out of those 12-13, you have 6 or so that are hitters. The other 6-7 are going to struggle more often than not. It slows the pace of game down tremendously.

Seems like most people I've talked to in other leagues have all gone to strict time limits. There's got to be a more efficient way to keep the integrity of the game.

 

[naildrvr]

Coaches manipulate the clock vs just letting kids play the game. For example, last night I had an opposing coach slow rolling kids to the plate, spending extra time talking to them in the batters box, and purposefully not getting the on deck batter ready, so that he could run the time clock down.

Welcome to ball life. This is one of the very reasons that I absolutely hate baseball and softball. Not because of the game or the kids, but because of selfish coaches. I had just about as soon to take a good hard kick in the back side as I had to go and watch a ball game. A lot of the coaches are so selfish that they suck the life out of the game and won't let the kids be kids and enjoy their time on the field. The situation that you described above makes me believe that he is a travel ball coach or maybe has a kid on a travel team. My daughter has been playing travel softball for 9 years and I have seen this very action countless times on the field. And although I don't like the attitudes and the ways of the majority of the coaches, I still go and watch my kids play and encourage them to do their very best. My daughter plays HS and travel softball, I have two boys in baseball, and a boy in t-ball. I have had to constantly remind myself to be patient and that season would be over shortly.

 

[ssramage]

Welcome to ball life. This is one of the very reasons that I absolutely hate baseball and softball. Not because of the game or the kids, but because of selfish coaches. I had just about as soon to take a good hard kick in the back side as I had to go and watch a ball game. A lot of the coaches are so selfish that they suck the life out of the game and won't let the kids be kids and enjoy their time on the field. The situation that you described above makes me believe that he is a travel ball coach or maybe has a kid on a travel team. My daughter has been playing travel softball for 9 years and I have seen this very action countless times on the field. And although I don't like the attitudes and the ways of the majority of the coaches, I still go and watch my kids play and encourage them to do their very best. My daughter plays HS and travel softball, I have two boys in baseball, and a boy in t-ball. I have had to constantly remind myself to be patient and that season would be over shortly.

His son does play travel ball. I've had a run in with this coach as a parent before, but it's not just him.

I stepped into coaching this league this year because I wanted to focus on the fundamentals and letting kids learn baseball. We've had a ton of progress, but I haven't focused on the wins/losses. I've focused on the players. My goal is to get as much baseball into a 75 minute time cap as possible and to let the kids play.

Same coach last night told 3 of his players not to swing the bat at all. He hasn't let them swing the bat in a game all season.

Good kids that love the game are losing the fire for it because of guys like this. It's really unfortunate.

 

[dwhee87]

5-yr old grandson plays t-ball. Coach had them start practicing 3x per week in Feb. Season started two weeks ago.

Had them set up for double-header scrimmage games every sat or and sun....including Easter sun.

DIL pulled him out last week and said she was done. Finally. Crazy to try to put 5-yr olds through that.

Guess I can't help with the OP question....just venting.

 

[Duff]

Welcome to ball life. This is one of the very reasons that I absolutely hate baseball and softball. Not because of the game or the kids, but because of selfish coaches. I had just about as soon to take a good hard kick in the back side as I had to go and watch a ball game. A lot of the coaches are so selfish that they suck the life out of the game and won't let the kids be kids and enjoy their time on the field. The situation that you described above makes me believe that he is a travel ball coach or maybe has a kid on a travel team. My daughter has been playing travel softball for 9 years and I have seen this very action countless times on the field. And although I don't like the attitudes and the ways of the majority of the coaches, I still go and watch my kids play and encourage them to do their very best. My daughter plays HS and travel softball, I have two boys in baseball, and a boy in t-ball. I have had to constantly remind myself to be patient and that season would be over shortly.

That is not cool at all. What you are doing is the right thing Steven. Let those kids learn how to play the game.

My travel team ran into the time limit deal twice last weekend. We were winning both games. As far as I will go is telling my girls to make the pitcher throw a strike before you swing. After a strike, it’s time to hit.

I’ve had coaches call time and talk to their hitters, call time to talk to the umpire, call time to take sunglasses to an outfielder, fake injuries …. It’s crazy what some folks will do

 

[GT90]

I stepped into coaching this league this year because I wanted to focus on the fundamentals and letting kids learn baseball. We've had a ton of progress, but I haven't focused on the wins/losses. I've focused on the players.

Good for you. I coached my two boys from T-ball into travel ball for almost 10 years. Youth baseball (especially at the rec level) needs more coaches with your mindset. Fundamentals and have fun. Positive attitudes from the coaching staff will roll down to the team.

My best memories were not the wins. They were ones where a parent came up to me and thanked me for spending a little extra time with his/her child and that child made a jump in talent and became a better hitter or fielder.

If the players are smiling and the parents are appreciative, you are doing it right.

 

[HermanMerman]

We have 90 minute games, and we can’t start another inning if 75 minutes have passed. They also have a 5 run limit per inning. For the first five games, the coaches pitched the first three innings and then the kids came in. After the kids started pitching the entire game, the games hardly get out of the second inning… they just aren’t ready to pitch yet.

 

[LTZ25]

I will add this , if you are the umpire or a coach of a timed game , then get the teams on and off the field between innings , it does not have to take 7 to 8 minutes the swap sides , there are no advertisement to run .

 

[HermanMerman]

I will add this , if you are the umpire or a coach of a timed game , then get the teams on and off the field between innings , it does not have to take 7 to 8 minutes the swap sides , there are no advertisement to run .

It takes some coordination in the dugout. Kids leave their gloves in random places, get their hats mixed up, and the catcher never knows how to put his gear on.