Belgrade Softball

As a parent of a Laurel softball player, I am offended that the Belgrade softball coach would state that the Laurel team chanted "face" after beating his team. Then interpreted it as "in your face" as reported by Will Holden of the Bozeman Daily Chronicle is just ludicrous. I was 10 feet from the girls when they said "State" in reference to their confirmed birth to the state tournament after Tuesday win. It was the same cheer they have said all year. Their goal all year has been to get to state. These young ladies and their coaching staff have conducted themselves in a very respectful manner to all their opponents all season and to have a disgruntled coach make such a derogatory comment is very upsetting to all involved. To bad the Belgrade coach doesn’t hold himself to the same standards of conduct that this fine group of high school girls do. Way to go Laurel!
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posted on Wed, May 20, 2009 08:24 PM
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So sorry you're offended. byEd. May 20, 2009 (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
I guess we just have to take the word of an unbiased parent over that of the Belgrade coach. If you have a complaint, take it to the school. If he was truly in error, why not give him the benefit of the doubt, since you were 10' from them and he was across the field.

Why would the team you have just beaten not consider it a taunt and offensive for your team to be bragging about their accomplishment while they are in the process of assimilating their loss. No doubt the Belgrade girls played their hardest and gave it their best, also. For the opposing team to be reveling in their success as they are contemplating the end of their season might be offensive, too. For that matter, it might be easily interpreted that your submitting this post is nothing more than bragging about something in which you receive vicarious pleasure and just as offensive as you claim the coach to have been.

Just out of curiosity, I'd like to know how many of the girls were as upset as you claim to be...before someone told them they should be upset.

Congratulations to the girls of Laurel. To the whiny parents, assuming there are more than you, show some class. You joined this forum just so you could complain about something as insignificant as a coach who has just ended his season misunderstanding something your girls were screaming? That's sad.
RE: So sorry you're offended. bymlo1528 May 21, 2009 (0 votes) (report abuse)
It was ONE word spoken by the team. It wasn't as if they were chanting. Unfortunately the Laurel girls did not laugh it off and took if very personally. In Laurel we are very fortunate to have a coaching staff that would never tolerate such behavior and lead by example.
RE: So sorry you're offended. byEd. May 21, 2009 (0 votes) (report abuse)
"Unfortunately the Laurel girls did not laugh it off and took if very personally." So, apparently the Belgrade people are not the only ones who might take things personally.

"In Laurel we are very fortunate to have a coaching staff that would never tolerate such behavior and lead by example." I'd hold off on that declaration, if I were you. Somebody allowed, even encouraged, them to participate in behavior that offended someone.
Sportsmanship byArt May 21, 2009 (2 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
After reading the article I'd have to agree there wasn't very good sportsmanship. To Laurel, if indeed they did taunt. But also on the part of the Belgrade coach to make this an issue for the newspaper. If in fact he was wrong on what was said and there was no taunting, the Laurel coach should thank the Belgrade coach for giving his or her team a little extra motivation should they meet again.
What's with the Chronicle for publishing an article about a local team not taking a loss very well?
Having been there, and done that, I think kids handle this sort of thing a lot better than parents and maybe coaches. I'll bet the Laurel kids laughed after reading the article, leaving the parents to stew about it.
RE: Sportsmanship byEd. May 21, 2009 (0 votes) (report abuse)
A+, Art. It's a shame kids look to adults to learn how to "not get along." A good reminder for me to re-evaluate, again, the lessons mine are learning from me.
More than one bybozonative May 26, 2009 (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
person from Belgrade heard what the coach heard--as such, he responded accordingly. As a parent, you should be teaching sportsmanlike conduct and not attacking a coach for a single incident. I can guarantee that if you heard what he and others heard from an opposing team--you would be upset. And sadly, you come here and not only rage about his comment but you quite blatantly attack him--nice conduct you are modeling. BTW, I know that coach--he has been my daughter's teaching for two different grades--once by luck and once by choice--and he is an outstanding teacher and a wonderful coach!!
Re: more than one..... byArt May 26, 2009 (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
The purpose of taunting or trash talking another team is to get their goat. Assuming that is what Laurel was doing, they accomplished their goal. At least as far as the Belgrade coach goes.
Sportsmanship is not about responding "accordingly" or in like fashion, when another teams behavior is crude or rude. It's about rising above that and holding your head high. And about setting an example and a standard.
Having said that does not mean the Belgrade coach is a bad guy or a bad coach.
It's a coach's instinct to protect his players. His goat was just gotten in the heat of the moment. My main fault finding is with the newspaper for what seemed like more coverage of the incident than the game.
Bozenative, I'd much rather be reading about what a great game some player had than about some negative incident that didn't deserve ink.