Good for you for stepping in and letting those coaches have it, volunteer! You know, I understand that sometimes you have to raise your voice, just so your players can hear you over all the noise of the game, but when you constantly yell, those kids just learn how to tune you out. My son had a coach for baseball that could be loud, but most of the time he was yelling positive "cheering you on" kinds of things, so that never bothered me. Raising your voice has its' place.

My daughter got a new experience yesterday: she brought home the simulator baby! She soon figured out that 7 pounds of baby can wear your arms out when you have to keep picking it up because it won't stop crying. I was disappointed that it didn't actually leave gooey, stinky messes in its' diapers or spit up down your back when you burped it. If you want kids to realize that they need to wait to have children, that's the way to discourage them!

Well, in my family, mom didn't allow sports cause you might get hurt. Well, she had an excuse for anything you wanted to join. In husbands family it's all about BASEBALLl. Nephew is a pitcher for the Citadel Military College in SC (I believe that I am his biggest fan - GO BULLDOGS!!). Anyway, when my son decided that in middle school he wants to play football, they all kind of went "Where did this come from???" Yes, he also plays baseball, pitcher southpaw, 1st and third bases and basketball, has done soccer, but not a favorite and also bowls in two summer and two winter leagues.

This town is very much a football town. The coach is very loud, I don't think he even realizes it. His sister was telling me the other day that all the kids complain to her that he yells alot. Like she can do anything about it! HA! Sometimes at pracitce the team is down on the field and parents are up in the parking lot waiting to pick the kids up from practice, and you can hear him perfectly, even just plain talking, across the football field, across the tennis courts, up the hill and into the parking lot. Not kidding! Son wants to be in track in the spring, but doesn't know if he wants to listen to the yelling. Same coach!

Had to laugh at game last night. Husband, who wasn't in favor of this football thing, was watching one of the bigger boys on our team just tackle the heck out of one of the other towns players during the game. Husband makes the point that he was glad he wasn't the other kid. I quickly point out the kid's name and that it is our elementary school's secretary's son and oh, by the way, at practice, he is the one who is always tackling our son. Only difference, in practice this boy then sticks out his hand and pulls our son up! HA! Of course, he out weighs our son by at least 70 pounds. Husband replies "Well, if he can go to practice and by tackled by him everyday I guess he really does have the heart for it!" I laughed and said "Yeah, now you know why he comes home black and blue from practice every day!"

I grew up in a town across the state line about 20 miles from here. The basketball coach back then was HORRIBLE!! To the kids when they lost, he was an awesome coach and probably the best that school has ever had. I guess that I just expect for them to be mentally tough and guess that I could see if they had been playing for a couple years through school, but I still think they should be able to enjoy their victory! I know that 7th grade hasn't lost a game in three years. But still!

Trust me, I have given coaches in the past an ear full when they are in the wrong. On one summer leagues a couple years ago I got into it during a game cause the assistant coach would scream at the kids if they did something wrong and the coach would just throw things and cuss. Now these were just 8 - 10 year olds. Son actually played on two leages of baseball that year. This team hadn't won any games and the coaches would get worse with every loss. We coached the other team in another league and our team was undefeated. I LOVED it that night, the coach was cussing and I was just sick of it and told them that their behavior in front of the kids was unacceptable. We went around for quite awhile during the game and when the assistance coach asked if I thought I could to better, I proudly replied "Yes, I can, as a matter of fact OUR team is undefeated!" Needless to say he shut up real quick and my son was on first base laughing.

See d, I think that we women use our advanced verbal skills to resolve issues(some men have that talent, like Shawn) ,and who of us doesn't have the proverbial "look that can kill".

I think that some of these coaches forget that these are LITTLE KIDS and that they are here because they want to have fun with their friends not because they have NFL aspirations. My son is a 6th grader, so the games are much more physical because of the sheer size of some of these kids, but he is having so much more fun this year, because he has a coaching team that works on the fundamentals and doesn't get all bent out of shape when things don't go well. It works too, because they beat a team on Saturday that has one of those yelling coaches and a very big ego. It was so sweet!

My 7 year old is in football. I have to laugh cause it is all the same "jocks" from HS that I didn't really get along with, now on the football field reliving their glories and treating the little guys like their some sort of heisman trophy seekers. Their dad loves this stuff but he is much more nurturing in his approach...but the other guys that stand there saying to 7 year olds "IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE HERE--GO HOME"...well heck--about 2/3s of them started heading toward their trucks and their game boys....half the time my guy only goes cause he wants the McFlurry he gets at the end of practice...but still--we see this as good leadership and team building skills. Not sure how I was EVER a good leader since football wasn't on my agenda -- maybe us girls know how to do things without getting knocked down on the ground so much...
d

Coaches like that disgust me. Let the kids relish the victory and then at the next practice work on the areas that let the other team score on you. No "chewing out".

I haven't noticed the bees here, but the mosquitos are vicious!

I discovered the cinnamon graham s'mores last week, CC. I was dying for a s'more and cinn was all we had. It was really good!!

I'll second the bee issue. Tried to clean the outside of my windows over the weekend and finally gave up, streaks and all, because the bees kept coming in the house. Imagine your 30 feet up hanging out of a window trying to clean the window and swat bees all at once ... yuck!
Daughter got stung by one last week, has slight allergy, so spent all week with a swollen hand ... I had 3 teachers call concerned about the situation even though I left a 'it's okay' note in the office. Wonderful to have teachers who are that concerned about the kids ... makes me smile.
Volunteer - my kids aren't into football (yet) but I think if I heard the coach was upset about the other getting points even though you won the game I'd turn the car around to give him a ear full. This couldn't be the story we always hear in the news about the coach who is over the top?