The Wolves Lurking...

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. – Matthew 7:15 

Okay, so today’s rant is all about the use of scripture by people whose behavior does not follow suit.  These false prophets are particularly dangerous when they use scripture to get close to your children.  No, I’m not headed to the priest abuse scandal which slowly, but surely is getting cleaned up, but I am talking about youth baseball and the coaches that have no problem drinking three beers an inning while lecturing on the need for more prayer on the team.

You can not talk scripture and then again and again engage in the sinful behavior of gossip.  I know for me, if you have something to say, the right answer is you best come to my face and say it.  Otherwise, gossip is just idle and useless talk.  Actually, worse than being useless it is destructive.  It is used to try to proclaim your own position as superior without the benefit of fact.

Few things annoy me more than someone who will talk religion, but not practice it; a coach who will talk about teamwork, but complain his parents don’t trust the coach.  Congratulations coach…parents don’t trust you, unless they are related to you, because you used to talk about things being for the kids, but now all you talk about is people being there for you.  What?!?

Color me disappointed, but youth baseball is about teaching kids the fundamentals of how to play a game, not help you establish yourself as this, that, or the other type of coach.  The only coach you’ve established yourself as being is one who is so Hell bent on taking a team select which isn’t ready, that you are going to take your players and parents though Hell and end up breaking up the team.

You can’t complain that if only the kids do what we tell them, you would be successful.  Your job as a coach is to teach them how to do what you tell them and if you can’t do that, then you aren’t coaching.  You’re just wearing a uniform.  I get that teaching is a two part process…there has to be effort on both the teacher and the student, but if your students don’t make the effort to improve, how is promoting them without learning going to help?  Essentially you are sending them to high school without teaching them to read first.  Unfortunately, example is the best instructor.

When a coach complains about not having parents on board with his plans, but makes plans without the input of parents, he should not be surprised.  This is youth baseball and ultimately this is about making good decisions for our kids.  A coach who will make plans without the understanding of parents and without demonstrating a track history of being able to get it done so far is not likely to have much support.  The coach whose so desperately wants to take his team select, but hasn’t won a basic weekend tournament against rec teams, shouldn’t be supported.  Why would anyone get promoted to the majors without first playing successfully at AA ball?  Why would you make your team select when you have a core of three players who have select abilities and you have to find an excuse to get your other selected players onto a select roster?  Isn’t it better to be a little bit honest with your team and stick with what you can do, rather than what you want to do?  Isn’t it more Biblical to work in the trenches until the fields can be harvested?

An example…When the starting left fielder can’t stop a grounder that comes straight to him, much less a pop fly, there is an argument that you have at least a hole or two.  When your catching tandem does not move laterally to stop balls or get up for balls they don’t block, you might have more holes and empty promises of “progress” aren’t enough.  Some of us have seen this song and dance before.  If you can’t motivate kids to maintain basic discipline in a dugout, how can you expect them to work together on a baseball field?

Finally, if you are going to use scripture to try to make your case about faith and faith in a coach you are mistaken.  Scripture is pretty clear and teaches to put faith in God, not man, for he is surely fallen.  It is more than a little disappointing that you would not put your efforts into improving players rather than blindly hoping.  Unfortunately, when it comes to wolves in sheep's clothing the invariably end up around real wolves when they conduct themselves like this.  The reality is that once you take your team select, with your Biblical references and earnest prayers, the wolves who do not hide in sheep’s clothing will eat up your young players who are not ready for what is about to occur.  Instead of being the shepherd leading your flock, you will be delivering them into the teeth that may take them out of the game.