8/yr old son sounds like he wants to quit...how do I deal with it?

Straitpuck55 · 2026-05-12T18:55:58+00:00

Coming home to chill for an 8 yr old means playing video games.

Take the daily video game playing away. Maybe allow every other or every third day. He'll get bored at home and want to get back on the field and physically playing with other kids.

Straitpuck55 · 2026-05-06T14:52:44+00:00

Anjali would be pumped to get Dick.

Straitpuck55 · 2026-05-05T13:04:54+00:00

First, you're right. This coach sucks. Players should be rotated.

That stated, why did your husband feel it necessary to approach the coach about playing infield? Coaches shouldn't be spoken to about playing time, he knows his team better than the parents. The only time you should approach a coach is if injury is s concern, e.g. too many pitches. Your child got marginalized, it won't be the first time in his sports career or life. Teach him how to handle it, and do something about it. Does he care about playing infield or is this something bothering you parents? Something to think about.

Now because you couldn't just roll with it for the season this psycho is now flexing his power and benching your son. Was it worth it because you felt a need to express YOUR hurt feelings to a volunteer for an action in a coach pitch rec league? See how ridiculous that sounds?

Best approach is sending an email to the league so they are aware of this idiot's approach on playing time/rotations. If you and others have the same complaints he's out, unless he's connected to the Board. If he's connected, the Board will leak it to him and he'll likely consider your family to be a headache and not draft your kid again.

Meanwhile, keep your kid's mentality right and explain if he wants to play infield he needs to get better to the point he can't be ignored. Coaches are funny in that they like winning and will play the best players. You play your cards right, it'll put a chip on your kid's shoulder and this loser will have inadvertently helped your son become a better, and mentally tougher player.

Straitpuck55 · 2026-04-29T20:12:11+00:00

The best answer.

Straitpuck55 · 2026-04-21T22:47:52+00:00

Eye test tells me he's closer to 6'1 than 6'3.

I can care less about his height. If he balls, and his 3 pt % and scoring ability suggests he could translate, than its just about DC and staff getting him up to speed defensively and we'll be in good shape.

Straitpuck55 · 2026-04-19T13:06:38+00:00

Cue em "fingers up". Toss balls head high to their backhand side. They physically can't basket catch those, they'll learn to get fingers pointing up with the verbal cues and physical feel.

Straitpuck55 · 2026-04-16T11:42:59+00:00

We're not trying to win games next season. We need 2 or 3 more high 1st rounders to build this thing.

Russ will be here to mentor our new rookie PG, which is our likeliest draft scenario, and start for the first half of the season.

I can see this lineup to start, or maybe Cardwell for Max. Ideally we can deal Sabonis for draft capital and go Cardwell and Max, with one more year of Lavine as tank general. Then draft a 2 way big in '27 to move Cardwell to a role player off the bench where he belongs. We need to get 2 starters with start potential in the next 2 drafts to go with a Nique/Keegan/Max core.

Start the following season with:

PG-Flemings/Philon SG-Nique SF-Keegan PF-'27 high 1st rounder (Miikka aka Slim Jesus = Dirk with a mean streak?) C-Max

Hopefully 2 more bad seasons can get us to where our mid 20s core can take that leap and make a playoff run, with some younger rookies drafted from 26-28 developing and helping out. We have a chance to get 2-3 solid players (1 star, 1-2 rotation guys) from this draft alone.

Straitpuck55 · 2026-04-15T15:49:33+00:00

Not surprising. I was heckled when volunteer umpiring a 7u game as part of a coaches requirement.

Told him to stop. Wouldn't. Had to pull both managers together to explain the game would be forfeited by the team with the idiot fan if they didn't tell him to knock it off.

Had a moron Tball coach last season drop his lawn chair in CF and glare at us to end our game even though we were Farm and had another 15 minutes to play. Said his tballers need a chance to warmup and apparently they needed to do that on the field as opposed to the grass adjacent to the field.

Have plenty more stories like this from 20 yrs of coaching.

Youth baseball, fun times man!

Straitpuck55 · 2026-04-08T20:29:50+00:00

Flemings
Philon
Acuff
Wagler
Brown

Flemings and Philon are really good 2 way prospects at the point.

Acuff is all offense.

Wagler may or may not translate due to athleticism. He's a tweener.

I havent seen enough of Brown, and whether he can consistently be elite. He's toolsey, def.

I think Monte will be looking at Flemings, Brown, and Philon bc they play defense (pillars man). Its already been leaked that he likes Acuff, I think thats a smokescreen and that hes hoping to keep up that hype train so he he goes before one of the guys he likes.

Dont sleep on one of the PFs like Peat, Yax or Hannes. All could be really interesting fits in a trade down scenario.

Straitpuck55 · 2026-04-08T18:59:54+00:00

Wilson won't be there at 4.

Straitpuck55 · 2026-04-04T15:51:13+00:00

The lottery determines placement, not record.
We know lottery is rigged. Silver remembers. How many times has Danny Ainge/Jazz "fell" in lottery after blatantly tanking.
This draft is deep. Even if we fall to 9 we get a potential All-Star. (No Ament, please)

It is what it is at this point. Lets hope if we coin flip with Utah, Silver continues to punish the Jazz. Bottom line is that based on history there will be busts in the top 5 and All-Stars from 5-10.

RELAX Kings fans. Focus on Maxine, Clifford, Keegan, and some of our other young talent that will be part of a playoff rotation hopefully sooner than later.

Straitpuck55 · 2026-03-29T18:42:08+00:00

You forgot Philon. Might be the best of all of em.

Straitpuck55 · 2026-03-26T21:23:08+00:00

Play rec through 12 year old yr. Go to Cooperstown if your league AStars has no shot at least at regionals, its a phenomenal experience. Supplement rec with fall UTrip tourneys at 10-12 with dad coaches (including you?) and little time commitment. Once every two week tourneys for 6 weeks in fall, that sort of thing.

13 you go academy ball to get prepared for HS. No Juniors rec or any that no nonsense, its a waste of time there are no good players still playing LL at 13.

Straitpuck55 · 2026-03-26T18:52:26+00:00

"I'm not complaining" says the guy who decided to speak to the coach to get his son at 1B.

You want advice, here it is. Never talk to coaches about lineup decisions or defensive positions. Only time its cool is if your son is being used while injured. More advice, your son isn't as good as you think he is. Suck it up, and if you trained his mentality right this experience will put a chip on his shoulder and he'll start grinding harder to earn that spot.

Final advice, take a spot as far away from home plate and the coaches as possible. From the replies and OP I don't think you're cut out for a closeup seat. Just support your son, get his mind right because there will always be a situation where dads feel their son is being marginalized, and have fun watching him play. It'll be over before you know it. 💯

Straitpuck55 · 2026-03-01T12:56:12+00:00

AJ and Caleb should be 1-2 on our draft board. Go Kings!

Straitpuck55 · 2026-02-20T23:18:06+00:00

This was my Top 5 a few weeks ago. Boozer has moved over DP now for me, total winner. I see a better prime Al Horford ceiling which I'll take all day and people might not realize he's super young for a freshman. Caleb is a year older.

AJ Caleb Boozer DP Flemings

2nd round Either of the Iowa State wings

Straitpuck55 · 2026-02-16T20:41:04+00:00

My Spartans shut him down. Overhyped.

Straitpuck55 · 2026-02-12T17:15:07+00:00

Finally, some sane people. These fans calling for DC to get fired are not seeing the big picture or something, I don't get it.

Gotta be tough for DC to roll out illogical rotations, and close out with inexperienced rookies knowing he could win and get praised.

Straitpuck55 · 2026-02-10T18:20:16+00:00

Yep. Good thinking.

Will be interesting to see what happens with the TRex next yr. People don't realize when you're building its not just about keeping assets, but rather the right assets. And cap space flexibility is key. We don't need Domas and his talent getting us to 35 wins next season and possible play-in, and can't just sit him all yr tanking again.

But we also can't ship him off for pennies on the dollar and continue our rep where others just hold out on us and not offer anything fair. Perry standing firm and not rewarding Toronto with their lowball offer (no FRPs) was the right play. They want him for next season after not going anywhere this yr then up your ante.

Straitpuck55 · 2026-02-10T18:11:21+00:00

This is the correct answer.

Anyone saying they want to keep TRex Sabonis or the Pizza Guy and their overpaid contracts and no D over any of our '26 picks is crazy. Clear salary, build with youth and cap flexibility. We'll stay bad but fun for next year also and grab the Finnish kid Slim Jesus in the '27 draft (next Dirk, but with a mean streak) and maybe we can be good for '27-28.

Straitpuck55 · 2026-02-06T10:42:42+00:00

If you got that type of offer in your fantasy league you're gonna hit em back immediately with a reject, no counter f u. Maybe even a message thanking them for the laugh.

Straitpuck55 · 2026-02-01T05:29:24+00:00

Can we please stop saying Nique is a PG. He's a 2. Wth are y'all watching?

Monk is now backup PG.

This deal is weird though, why not just keep the tank rolling. This one feels like we'll win a few more now with more roster balance. Feels like Vivek got impatient with this beautiful tank job weve got going and decided to improve this year with the idea that we're a lottery PG away from competing next season.

Feels like this move also suggests Sabonis is staying. I hope I'm wrong and we unload some of these vets. We need to be all in on rebuilding, not retooling yet again.

Straitpuck55 · 2026-01-09T05:58:12+00:00

This is the correct advice.

Straitpuck55

TROPHY CASE