leading by example? cheating by adults

Ok, its time for a rant. I've been quiet for a LONG time now and the events of today have led me to this soap box that I now stand upon. I am disturbed with my peers.

As teachers we are role models by defintion and there are a great deal many teachers who really do a disservice to the profession with the stupid stuff they do. Today I was a witness to the actions of a peer of mine that makes me shake my head and hope that a child of mine will never see a role model like this.

I am a coach at my school. I coach volleyball in the fall and co-ed softball in the spring. The last two days have been filled with 5 games for my boys and girls as they played through the season ending tournament. Friday was a good day for us, the kids were loose, the bats were dominant and the defense was good. Our first game saw us winning 14-2. I know it sounds like the score was kinda high but my kids were just hitting base hit after base hit. Also, the rules of our league require that if you score 8 runs in a half an inning, you switch to defense (regardless of # of outs).

Our next game was a loss and my kids were determined to come back with a win. Once again we had an excellent game and scored 18 runs to their 2. Nothing personal but their kids were horrible at defense and couldn't get us out. Some days...

So today we meant the same team in the quarterfinals. I know that the coach wanted to get back (he even said so) for the lop-sided loss from the previous day. A win for his team put him in the final while the loser would go on to the consolation game. And here is where it gets ugly and we see the all-too-familiar instance of a grown-up doing something for their kid when they should let the kid stand on their own.

We were up 6-3 in the bottom of the second. After some fielding errors, they had the bases loaded with 2 outs. According to their line-up, their weakest hitter was due up to bat. I wasn't following the game close enough and didn't notice that the wrong batter came up. The scorekeeper was clueless and didn't figure out what was wrong either (and not keeping an accurate sheet to begin with). The coach sends up a different hitter (not telling anyone) and this person hits a double, scoring two runs to make it 6-5. We get the next batter out and end the inning.

We come up next and put up the goose egg, still 6-5 (we are visiting team and batting in the top of the inning). Then the same player that finished the previous inning comes up to bat again. After he hits the first pitch and gets on base, I protest.

"This is the same kid that just finished the last inning. He can't be up twice in a row!"
Other coach, "Sorry, I made a mistake in my batting order. He went up to bat when she should have gone so I didn't want him batting twice so I just switched them in the order."
"You can't just switch your batting order. That's illegal."
"It was just a mistake. Sorry. Its not like we got anything out of it."
"You scored two runs, how can you say that?"
"Well, what can I say. I'm sorry."
Umpire, "Well, let's play ball!"

WTF!!!!

I argued for a while but to no avail. The ump didn't say anything because as he would say later, he was waiting for the scorekeeper to say something. The clueless gentleman didn't know what to say, so he said nothing. Score two runs for the opposition. We would later go on to lose the game 8-7 and not advance to the championship game.


My kids were denied the chance to play in the championship game because the coach from the other school didn't stand up for good sportsmanship and either (a) admit his mistake and take the runs off the board or (b) not pull the switch in the first place. In the previous day when my players made mistakes, I took runs off the scoreboard because of the honesty that I have and pointed the mistakes so that we would play in fairness. I was a good sportsman and showed my kids what we do when we are wrong. We admit the wrong and lose the benefit that we achieved from that.

But this guy wanted revenge. I heard him talking with his players as I was standing at the 3rd base coach position and he wanted to get us and get us good. I quote, "I want this bad. I want this for what happened yesterday." Is it my fault that his kids sucked yesterday and couldn't catch a fly ball to share their collective asses? I even took away runs! It could have been worse!

This team would go on to win the championship game. My team would go on to win the consolation game. Its no consolation, that's for sure.

What really irks me is that this guy is a member of my profession! Ya know, a profession where we are supposed to teach by example, play fair, and make our kids dig deep to win or lose on their own. He and his kids know that they won by cheating. Is this a lesson we want kids to learn? Too late, they already have.

I feel as though their is a bright spot out of this and it comes from within me. I went back to my team and showed them how to be gracious losers. I didn't involve them in the whole debate and I let them feel the pain of losing; they know nothing of the controversy. I didn't want them to be bitter from the loss and bitter towards a coach/teacher. I was the good sportsman. I taught the right lesson even though it burns me up beyond all belief. My kids should have had the chance to play to be champions.

And they are.

In my heart I know they are champions.