How winning is done:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6E8cDw4EHMA 

Apply the following text to baseball and consider the message content the next time you visit the ball park.

"Football is one of our great American games. It is the duty and responsibility of each of us to see that it is kept in its proper perspective, and that it is protected. We should see that it is used to attain the objectives that mean so much to our way of life.

We feel that the spectator can be most influential and instrumental in helping to achieve these objectives, if he will develop the right attitudes. May we suggest a few?

First, and foremost among these attitudes that must be developed, is the realization that in football there must be a winner and a loser (excepting the occasional tie). The fan who recognizes this principle gets a great deal more enjoyment from the game than one who becomes irritated, aggravated, and rambunctious when "his" team loses. We would never minimize the importance of winning, but it is very unfair to the coach, the player, and the school when the fan forgets it is impossible to "repudiate the law of mathematics"--i.e., there must be a winner and a loser.

It is important that each of us develop the art of appreciating great plays made by the opposition. We should always give our opponents credit, rather than criticize our team when the opposition makes a great play. We believe perfection in the execution of a great play in football is to be admired and appreciated, just as we appreciate and admire the work of a great artist in any field.

The spectator should remember the football players are just human beings. They perform at times under great pressure, and they, as all other earthly inhabitants, are likely to make mistakes. It behooves all of us to remember, "To err is human, to forgive, divine."

Finally, we should always keep uppermost in mind that football, with all its glamour, glitter, thrills and chills, plus everything that makes it great, has one thing more important than all of these combined--that is, the boy who plays it."

Robert L. "Bobby" Dodd
Head Coach and Athletic Director
Georgia Institute of Technology
1954

Tips for Being a Good Baseball Parent

Perhaps you have heard some horror stories about the overbearing parents and coaches. A good baseball experience for your child begins with us: the parents of each player. It is up to each of us to make being a youth more enjoyable, and to make baseball season a greater learning experience for the kids. After all, no matter how much we enjoy it too, Baseball is for the kids.

The Board of Directors would like to share a few thoughts on how to make this a better learning experience for you too. We believe that these ideas will help to make the next few months more fun for your children, more enjoyable for you, and allot easier on those people who volunteer their time and skills.

Please remember when wishing to discuss something with the Baseball Board, it is best to put it in writing. We have over 1300 kids that play at MYA, and remembering everything that has been discussed is next to impossible. Check the contact page for the necessary information. Calls should not be placed after 9PM.

We hope these ideas can help!!

Work with your child.
There really is little more satisfying than going out at least a few evenings a week and playing ball with your kids. This gives them quality time, and helps your child improve his/her skills (and, trust me, the better your child can play, the more she/he will enjoy the Baseball experience!). Some day, your child will look back fondly on the spring evenings spent playing catch with mom and/or dad.

Get involved with MYA.
The program is run on a volunteer basis, and we can use all the help we can get. Anything you can do will help all the kids, from helping out at registration or tryouts, to scorekeeping or field preparation, to umpiring. If your child sees that Baseball is that important to you, he/she will learn that it is important to the kids, too. Amongst the board members are those that have helped out contributing with field prep, scheduling, scorekeeping, equipment and uniform management, and fund raising. Everyone can find a place to help.

Different coaches have different philosophies. Some believe in having players play all the positions. Some want players to become good at one. Some coaches place more emphasis on winning. It is IMPORTANT to remember that your child’s coach is not being paid, he is working for the love of the game and the kids. Let him be the coach!

As a coach don’t get focused on winning as being the only way to have fun. If you can’t enjoy the game without winning you are missing out on some of the best things about coaching. One of the most rewarding experiences possible is to take a player with little baseball skill, no confidence in himself, and help him develop over the course of the season to the point he looks forward to his turns at bat because he knows he can succeed. That player who came to practice with his head hanging, now stands tall with pride and a big smile on his face.Take the opportunity to enjoy your child’s’ childhood, and to teach some important life lessons!

Losing is a normal result of competition—help your child learn to accept it. No one likes to lose, but the nature of a team sport is that one team always loses. Teach your child that he/she didn’t lose, the team lost. And they lost to a team that just happened to play better that day. There is always next time, and the important thing is to learn from the defeats. One of life’s most interesting truisms is that we learn more in failure than in success. It’s okay to analyze why your team lost, and how they can do better next time. It’s never okay to place blame!

Have Fun!
Baseball should be a positive experience for everyone: kids, coaches, support staff, and parents. Winning is nice, but losing is inevitable.

Don’t argue in front of the kids and criticize in the background if you think your child is being treated unfairly.
As parents, it is natural to be very protective, but most coaches aren’t discriminating. If you think there is a problem, discuss it with the coach AWAY from the ball field; chances are that you will see his point of view. The important thing is not to make an issue in front of the players; along with baseball, they are learning to work as a team and to respect authority and experience...work not to ruin this teaching.

Show up for the games AND the practices.
In today’s busy world it is sometimes hard to juggle schedules, but this is your child! We’ve seen many who never tried to excel at baseball, and invariably these kids were dropped off at practices and picked up afterwards, without the parent(s) ever watching a single practice. It’s only a couple of times a week, a couple of months out of the year! The most irritating are the parents who don’t ever watch practice (and, therefore, never understand the coaches philosophy), but will question a coaches decision during the game. Most people wouldn’t dare to not show up for work and still tell the boss what’s wrong with the company, but they will turn around and do just that with their child’s’ coach.

Respect the rules.
This is one of the most important things the kids should be learning. If you don’t agree with an umpires call, keep it to yourself. You did not buy a ticket and with it a right to complain. If there is a team rule that bothers you, well, it’s their team...not yours. If you think there is a serious problem, take it up with the coach or a League official on your own time, not your child’s’. Rule of thumb: during practice or games, cheer on ALL the kids.

Don't create pressure.
Just about every father/mother dreams of his son becoming a major league star, but they are only children and deserve to enjoy the game as children. Don’t expect more than they can deliver. Give positive encouragement, and be there when they need you. Besides, often a child in early years will lack certain skills, and blossom later on.

Don’t panic if your child is injured.
Although baseball is considered a ‘non-contact’ sport, there are occasions when players collide, or non-contact injuries occur. We are all concerned about our children’s safety, but if your child suffers an injury, remember: kids are able to sustain a lot more than adults; and, coaches are probably familiar with the usual baseball injuries. Let the coach handle the situation. Do make sure your coach has your childs current health information.

The program only gets better if you volunteer. We can’t stress this enough: VOLUNTEER...we need you. One of the biggest irritants we see is those who will not give their time, but are quick to criticize. If you can’t be part of the solution, don’t be part of the problem. If you think that something needs to be changed, get involved so that you can change it.

Good Luck to all teams at MYA and have a "Fan"tastic Season!