Monday, September 27, 2010

Everybody was kung-fu fighting . . .rant


Did I mention Peanut's volleyball season started up again?! Did I ever mention I have a bit of an attitude?

This past Saturday was her first "official" game. Now by official I mean with a referee, wearing YMCA jerseys, group chants & bringing snacks.

She is on the "recreational" team until she turns 11. I did this for a few reasons but mostly because I want to make sure she truly enjoys it before she gets pushed too hard by coaches & or parents.

So enter Saturday.  Playing against a non-YMCA team. Now the rules of play were set up at the beginning of the season YMCA & non alike.

The only rule that is different than real play is on the serve. The girl serving can pretty much stand in the middle of the court to serve, if she needs to.

The coach for the other team [even though his team was doing the same] --yells -[I mean] yells out. "This is ridiculous. These girls should be stepping back!"

Now I'm a firm believer in tone. One's tone & the way one goes about speaking can make all the difference.

This guy. His tone sucks. Pretty sure he has one tone and it's freaking loud. The ref went on to explain that the rules were established prior, blah, blah, blah but if the girls felt comfortable--to take a step back.

He continues to gripe. A huff here. Eye roll there. Touchdown arms here. Etc.

Anyway. Game over. We win. Change sides.

Now the pita & I get a front row seat w/coach crazy pants.

First up our best server & local neighborhood friend [over hand too] "k". She aces it. I rise to my feet. Clapping. Woooo hooo-ing! Yelling, "yay K! Way to go!!".

Coach crabby[CC]: ya because she's cheating. She's a cheater. [loud].

Me: excuse me?

CC: you guys cheat.

Pita: ya know, she's new to this overhand serve.

CC: like I care.

Me: really?! [I hate mean people especially mean & obnoxious ones. I feel my face getting red, hands shaking, I'm mad. - doesn't take me long . . . reactive? me? never? always.]

[enter the pitas seat belt arm - you know the same arm your mom threw over your lap years ago?! ]


Pita: em, chill out.

 Me: no.

 CC: ya, listen to him.

[the Pita didn't like THAT -so he stands up. Now he's not a small dude. 6'9" 275. Coach Crazy Pants [Idiot] was maybe 5'11" 160 soaking wet.]
CC:[to the pita]: sit down!

me: [thinking --- can the pita go to jail if he smacks him? Who cares, hit him hard!]

CC: [again] sit down!

Pita: don't talk to us. Seriously. not a word.



It just got worse from there . . . .
Now that "high road" I was looking for last week Matty-O . . . . I was searching hard . . . like REALLY, REALLY hard to find it. I was [silently] hoping the Pita wouldn't find it though. Someone needed to stick it to the man, right?!
Meanwhile, our team was down 9 to 0. We kept cheering like we always do.

Game over. We win. 25-18.

And I felt really good for having found the high road.

So good, in fact, I showed Coach Crazy Pants where he TOO could find the "high road" while scratching my face [PITA style] as we exited.

47 comments:

Quinton J said...

hahahaha...Sometimes the "high road" hurts them more than the smack. I beleive that to be the case in this situation.

Quinton J said...

…Also I love how “bringing snacks” is one of the determining factors in determining an official game.

Laurie said...

Gotta love your "high road" face scratch! Volleyball sounds like fun... maybe we should branch out from soccer.

Marlene said...

That must have taken a lot of restraint. I hope Coach A$$hole didn't ruin the fun for these girls.

Anonymous said...

I played in a couple different Y Volleyball leagues as a young adult. Amazing how serious some people get when there is nothing at stake.

Matty O said...

OK... I knew the pita was a big dude. Hence the reason the hair on my arms was standing up awaiting the description of him issuing a ROYAL beating.

Sometimes the high road is not worth traveling ;)

I will commend you both though since it was in front of a lot of impressionable faces that you were responsible people. Would love to have seen Pita standing there looking down on the small man syndrome of their coach. That... that is Priceless.

Thought of you while running on some trails this weekend. Anxious to read your 50 recap. I won't lie when I said to myself, I think I want to do that too.

misszippy said...

Hee, hee. Love the way you handled it and I know it had to be hard! So sick of the wackos invading kids sports. Love that your team won on top of it all!

Emz said...

Matty-O --- you and H come and run it with me. PLEASE - I'll pay your entry!! [not joking] COME ON!! You know you want to!!

Jamoosh - seriously. Loved your comment "nothing at stake". ;)so true.

Marlene: no way. day made. They rocked.

Karine said...

While the Volleyball exchange may have brought back a few memories of your Dad's restraint at past volleyball games, the picture of the Pita and you in the NZ frame brought back happier memories.

Evolving Through Running said...

Have to say this post made me a little sad. Not with regards to how you handled coach jackass (commendable restraint), but with regards to the fact that the situation arose at all. I've seen guys (and ladies) like him too many times both as one of the kids out there playing, and as an adult watching my own kids play. It only takes one person to ruin a game, ruin a day, and possibly turn a kid off from a sport entirely. Sad state of affairs.

That being said ... SO glad your team won. That really had to make him burn.

Pam @ herbieontherun.com said...

"High road" is not in this redneck girl's vocabulary. I probably wouldn't have been as classy as you were.

Emz said...

ETR - agreed 100%. It WAS sad.
I could go on and on as to how this effected his team.
It did present a great opportunity [for us] to talk to the girls, however.

What's unfortunate [too] is that his team has since been kicked out of the league. It was out of control. Even more so than this post alludes to.

Just didn't see it coming at the "recreational" level.

Rae said...

It would have been hard for me to keep my mouth shut! Just reading this I wanted to tell CC off!

Patrick Mahoney said...

F that guy. You KNOW he sucked at sports when he was younger and this is his weird way at trying to gain some glory. How big of him using 10 year old's to try and do it. Forget the glory, homie, it ain't coming.

KovasP said...

Had I known free 50s were available, I'd have made plans sooner. :) Sorry about my poor behavior at the game.

Karen R said...

I vote for the smack down! :)

But seriously, you guys set a good example for the kids by not letting CC escalate the situation. Way to go!

Jenny said...

It's really sad that some people can become so overly obsessed with their children's sports. I'm glad you took the hight road, even with the PITA face scratch! Good for you.

Run on.

Andrew Opala said...

Hi-road - shmy-road.

Take names and start kicking a**!

Laura said...

I so could not be part of this...I would have been letting my potty mouth fly.
Hence why I don't have kids. :)

Unknown said...

It's a good thing I don't have kids!! I probably would have said "What the F@$* is wrong with you? You crazy mother f&*%^&# a$$hole! This is kids volleyball! get a grip, psycho!"

Whew, it felt good just typing that!

Unknown said...

X2 on what Kate said - that is what I would have done!! Personally I've never driven on that mythical high road people talk about.

Hey, is there an approved snack list that needs to be followed by the parents? Those always crack me up!

Emz said...

Jeff- let's hope not. I brought Halloween candy. No joke.

Matty O said...

Yeah... so I don't have enough water carrying capacity to run with you... sorry charlie :)

That and I have a surprise race that H and I are gonna slip in before our marathon hahaha (I think you can understand Ms. I race a marathon mere weeks before pure insanity).

Jon said...

That coach needs some therapy...its just a kids game!

Molly said...

ohhhh my...my kid just started soccer and I'm so not looking forward to jerks like that. I like your exit, and awesome that they won!

Rad Runner said...

When I go to my lil sis's (16 years old) lacrosse games or cross country meets, Im a yeller... it gets ugly!
I totally channeled my inner EMz, while running in a batrillion degree weather!!!!!!!!

Adrienne said...

That's too bad the coach ruins it for the girls. Nice example.

I coached my son's basketball team last year and ended up in center court going nose to nose with the opposing team's coach because he taught his players to clothesline the opposite team as they run by. Don't mess with mama bears. We will take you down.

Emz said...

Adrienne-you go mama bear!!

Seriously, there has to be middle ground. Kids NEED to know someone has their back. That's a must for me. It's not about proving the "adult" wrong but heck, if I can do that at the same time..... Why not. ;)

Shellyrm ~ just a country runner said...

Don't they say, there one in every crowd? I wish "they'd" all get a standard uniform so you could recongize them before you want to beat the snot out of them for setting a bad example for the kids!

ShutUpandRun said...

The cream always rises to the top, my friend. Well played. Now if Pita could come over here and whip a couple of mom's asses (not mine of course), that would be great.

DRog said...

shoulda STUCK HIM!

but now you have me wondering if MY TONE WITH MY KIDS ISNT WORKING and if instead I could just "take the high road" with them?


-Derek

Jill said...

Way to take that high road...totally love it!!!

Anonymous said...

emz- you've been reading my blog long enough to know how much I despise mean people. the high road, is the only road, as far as I'm concerened. good job, chica.
xo

Unknown said...

What a dousche bag! And from what I've read, I'm surprised that Peanut didn't get involved. :)

Anne said...

I was getting angry just reading this...these disrespectful people really get to me. You did the best, though very difficult, thing by taking the high road. A great lesson for the kids.

jymmebe said...

So glad to know that I've got a little sister (and a pita-in-law) that will watch my back whenever I need it. Kudos to you both!

Btw, I would have given $50 to see that in person!!! :)

Char said...

What a loser that guy was! Didn't he understand the modified rules of the game? I've met a few like him on the sides of soccer pitches and they get me riled up too.

Erika said...

we have all run into coaches like him! SIGH! Glad you found the high road:)

Unknown said...

TONE IS everything, I totally agree!!

I like your(face scratching)style. Very appropriate in this case!!

ConcreteNCoffee said...

The one-finger face scratch... you definitely showed more restraint than I could have!

I think I would have been like, "Really dude? Because YOU look like YOU'RE such a stellar athlete."

heather said...

I feel bad for his team. Coaches like that can ruin kids with sports. What a loser. Glad Peanut and her teammates have a good support system!

Carrie said...

AWESOME!!!! I know we are suppose to show by example to our kids, but they also need to know not to put up with abuse from JERKS!!! I'd have your back!!

Big Daddy Diesel said...

People like that "coach" really, really irk me, this is a rec league FOR NICE YEAR OLDS!!! They are just learning the fundatmentals of the game!!!! GEEZZZ!!! OHHHHH I AM FIRED UP!!!

You two have more composure then I do.

Silly Girl Running said...

Hahaha! You sure know how to kick some serious ass! :)

Sarah said...

That guy needs some Xanax or something.

Kelly Leigh said...

I kinda wish pita would have not taken the high road. Bummer. This kind of reminds me of a "discussion" nick and I had last night with a restaurant manager over a browned oxidized avocado they served me. Yes. it got that intense.

The Boring Runner said...

OH MY LORD. I would have went balistic. BALISTIC

Good for you for staying at least a little bit calm