chanting, chanting & more chanting

[1dumbquestion]

LL softball (I know wrong section but I thought I'd get more readers here) my local league (I'm UIC) wants to try and stop the girls from the constant chanting from the dugout. what it comes down to is that one team is kicking the crap out of all the others in this small town. the opposing managers/parents/players have nothing better to do but complain about the chanting/taunting. I really don't want to the board to write a local screwed up rule banning this (even thought it is annoying). I have suggested the other managers stop pitching to the top half of the line up, if they are going to lose anyway why not take the bats out of thier hand and see if they get the message. any ideas? thansk, 1

[Dragon29]

The only thing I think you can get involved in as an umpire is if the volume or pace of the chanting increases dramatically as the pitch is being delivered; in other words, if they're obviously modifying the chant in order to distract the pitcher - otherwise, leave it alone.

Disclaimer: I do not do much girls' softball and I find the incessant chanting really annoying after about an inning.

[Umpire in Chief]

I'd rather get a tooth drilled without novacaine than listen to the chanting. I have never done a single softball game but have done plenty of baseball on fields next to softball fields.

As much as I don't like it I think the chanting is part of softball. The parents need to get over it.

[ukce1861]

Coach a season, you'll become inoculated to it... Seriously, I've had pitchers complain about it (on my team) but it's only when they're struggling. Kind of like when a baseball pitcher is struggling, there's something wrong with the mound. As an umpire, unless another team complains, I let it go.

[softballcoach]

I don't mind it if/when I'm in the opposite coach's box from that dugout. Seriously, the only time I'll stop it from my team is when they increase the tempo and volume with the pitch, or when it's out of line/character.

[Rich Ives]

LL softball (I know wrong section but I thought I'd get more readers here) my local league (I'm UIC) wants to try and stop the girls from the constant chanting from the dugout. what it comes down to is that one team is kicking the crap out of all the others in this small town. the opposing managers/parents/players have nothing better to do but complain about the chanting/taunting. I really don't want to the board to write a local screwed up rule banning this (even thought it is annoying). I have suggested the other managers stop pitching to the top half of the line up, if they are going to lose anyway why not take the bats out of thier hand and see if they get the message. any ideas? thansk, 1

Chanting is part of softball (subconcious desire to be cheerleaders?).

Draw the line at taunting though.

[DirtyDawg]

I agree, chanting is a part of softball. It's kind of like the offenses version of, "hey batter, batter." You're going to see this all the way from Coach Pitch to the College level. They are going to chant, and a lot of time the parents are going to chant. Unless you can get the coaches to come to some sort of agreement on not chanting if one team is up by a lot, then you'll have to write a rule on the local level.

[Stan W.]

Chanting is part of softball (subconcious desire to be cheerleaders?).

Draw the line at taunting though.

And there it is...................You stop any taunting.........but chanting is not against the rules.......

The way to stop it is to HIT the ball........

[1dumbquestion]

Thanks all, I have done only one softball game... but that was plenty. The board is looking to me to advise them on "what to do" seems my response will be to live with it the season is almost over. 1

[JaxRolo]

I'd rather get a tooth drilled without novacaine than listen to the chanting. I have never done a single softball game but have done plenty of baseball on fields next to softball fields.

As much as I don't like it I think the chanting is part of softball. The parents need to get over it.

When I work softball I don't mind the chanting at all. Its part of the game.

BUT, It really annoys me when I am doing baseball and the field next to me has softball.

[DirtyDawg]

Ya'll should count yourselves lucky. The baseball fields near where I live are right next to a large drainage ditch (rural community), and the frogs there are so loud it puts most girls teams chattering to shame.

[boyinr]

I used to tell my team "if you don't want to listen to the other team chant, bury them in runs and they will stop". It really motivated this team to focus and play harder. So much so they had tee shirts made that read "Play hard and shut'em up".

It does get to you after a while no matter how you try to tune it out (think about the torture of heavy metal music on Manual Noriega). Sometime during the season you will slip up and find yourself quietly singing along. When that happens you know it is time for a break.

[Balk Hater]

I have been working 11u this season and a team I have had a number of times yells wear wear it but if they ever get plunked I won't let them walk

[DirtyDawg]

Sometime during the season you will slip up and find yourself quietly singing along. When that happens you know it is time for a break.

Sad part is this is the truest of statements.

[softballcoach]

I used to tell my team "if you don't want to listen to the other team chant, bury them in runs and they will stop". It really motivated this team to focus and play harder. So much so they had tee shirts made that read "Play hard and shut'em up".

It does get to you after a while no matter how you try to tune it out (think about the torture of heavy metal music on Manual Noriega). Sometime during the season you will slip up and find yourself quietly singing along. When that happens you know it is time for a break.

Hey YOU on TWO...

[ukce1861]

I work with a girl who coaches softball, as do I. One day, she called me over to her desk to show me something. I said, "Whadda you got?" On queue, we both went, "I got a team that's hotter than hot..." Our non-softball co-workers didn't really get it...:Horse:

[Big Red]

1dumbquestion,

As to your OP, and to what others have alluded, chanting is as much a part of softball as optic yellow 11" balls. Heck, if you watched any of the recent NCAA conference championship series over the last week, SEC in particular, you saw it all the way up to and including the championship game, i.e.--LSU v. Alabama.

I've done/do alot of softball and it doesn't bother me a bit...reckon I'm "inoculated." Matter of fact, sometimes I find it helps pass the time/break up the monotony w/ a good chuckle every now and then from stuff such as,

"Pitcher's got a wedgie! Go-wedgie, go-wedgie, go-wedgie go!"

Or better yet is when it's drowning out the complaints/whines of rat coaches/fans! Baseball types may cringe, but oh well.

Does your league really think that stopping chanting is going to improve a team's batting/fielding?!? What happens if they play teams from other leagues in tournaments and such where they do chant?

Sheesh, let it alone.

And the suggestion to managers not to pitch to multiple batters to "send them a message" about chanting....wrong. In effect, you're trying to penalize a team for nothing more than being a better team. If this is really that much of an issue, maybe they should take up parcheesi.

Now, as far as the taunting, I agree w/ what others have said...shut it down!

I've had teams yell/scream at the pitcher as she starts her delivery or at the batter w/ the pitch on the way, etc. I've found a simple warning to the coach/bench shuts that down w/o further problem, yet still allows the routine chanting.

[DirtyDawg]

I've done/do alot of softball and it doesn't bother me a bit...reckon I'm "inoculated."

I know the feeling. It's a lot like my radar detector. Everyone that gets in my truck notices there are a lot of times the thing just keeps going off and going off and they get upset when I don't mute it. I just simply look at them and tell them that I have heard it so much that I don't even notice it past the first second it starts to go off.

Just like the softball chants, you listen to them the first time through and after that you're pretty much back in your own little tunnel waiting on the next pitch.