Update, appropriate considering the other thread:
1st lets get Aiden out of the way... He's strugglin'. Stepping in the hole by about 6-8 inches on every swing, looking at too many strikes, filled with anxiety (that he won't make the team in the spring). Playing fine in the field and has been hit and miss pitching. His head is a mess (we're only 2 sessions into therapy but the kid is filled with self-doubt and no matter what I say to try to lift him up I'm just lying - the therapist gave us a sheet on self-esteem issues and this is one of them, the inability to think people complimenting are telling the truth). Most importantly he has given every reason this season especially in practices for the coach's not to trust him.
The coaches don't trust him so he's not getting reps at any positions outside of LF & RF usually and he's batting bottom of the lineup. The season ends this weekend so we're hoping for a miraculous connection in the games this weekend leaving him something to build upon.
Now to the league, holy shit.
So the head of the competitive division is a guy named CT. Our coach of 11uA is TJ. TJ has a 9yo son that would play on CT's team (the A team) except that TJ doesn't like the style of coaching of the head coach nor his assistant coaches so TJ has to take the kid to another league nearby so that another coach will coach him and TJ will help out, assist when called upon. Well CT ain't havin' it.
CT harbors a vendetta right away and insinuates that TJ shouldn't coach 11u here if his youngest is over on 9u somewhere else even with him assisting a different Head Coach. The board doesn't have an issue with it, just CT.
This past weekend CT's youngest is playing as a guest player on a team and is catching when CT and his team show up. They decide to sit behind the backstop and talk/razz/heckle TJ3 to the point where one of CT's Assistant Coaches tells the kids to stop to which CT says something to the effect of, "I'm done taking the high road and being good. Go ahead boys and do what you want." This doesn't sit well with a bunch of papers that know about the vendetta.
Now, let me describe TJ. HE's passionate, loves the kids, loves baseball and can be justicey. When an ump makes a bad call TJ can sometimes be animated. No cursing, just animated and sometimes can get under umpire's skin. The parents love him for the most part although dad's that want to coach can disagree with him at times. For example, a parent this fall was having his injured kid 'run poles' and TJ was upset because the kid was hurt. So we had all of the kids run with the injured kid. Apparently, texts were exchanged later wherein the parent expressed frustration that TJ intervened in his disciplining of his son.
Anyways, about a month ago TJ was ejected from a game and I defended his actions when the board asked me about it in that the umpire was really bad (it happens) BUT when TJ tried to avoid tension with the umpire the umpire would seek it out by walking to our dugout, one time into our dugout, always pressing TJ looking for more instead of walking away. Regardless it wasn't a good look but nonetheless not the end of the world.
Well, this past weekend TJ was ejected by the worst umpire, who is known as a bad umpire, for being a bad umpire. The umpire did the following:
After directing coaches to call for time wouldn't grant time
Wouldn't confer with the other umpire when ask to get help
Missed an obvious Balk that would've scored our runner from 3rd
Called a player out for stepping on home plate to bunt with a runner on 3rd suicide squeeze (it was close on the replay - too close to call IMO)(same runner)
Called a ball fair when it was foul clearly (allowed other team to score)(was overturned by other umpire)
all of which went against us. In the meantime during the suicide squeeze 'out' TJ was so upset he left the field to get the Tourney director who witnessed it all. On the way, the umpire explained to the inquiring Asst coach what the call was and TJ, approaching the tourney director called out "Show me the footprint!" since the plate was dirty. The umpire pointed at a footprint (our player had touched home when he came and scored before being returned to 3rd) and yelled, "You're out of here... don't even come back to this field!" The tourney director, adjacent to TJ, called the Head Umpire on the phone and received permission to reinstate TJ. Then after the game, we learned that that particular umpire was so bad they suspended him for a month.
So CT learns of this and texts me for my opinion which I give to him that night via text and his final insinuation is that TJ did something wrong "and needs to be held accountable." I texted him back that I disagreed with his arbitrary insinuation amid what I considered incredible evidence by the tourney dir. and head ump that TJ was justified somewhat, that TJ was solely to blame. Then I called him out on his vendetta. He lost it via text eventually telling me to mind my own business.
I took it to the President who apparently knows it all and sees through the cloud of crap. They know what he's doing.... but wait there's more.
He begins to collect info to try and lay the groundwork to get TJ fired. HE has his wife text a mom from the team that she knows from church to try to get dirt. Of course, they come to me and I tell them what is going on and instead they write an effusive missive supporting TJ. Then, because CT, said that the parents who left for another league (the pole runnin' dad and another kid who's step-dad is the actual coach of the team at the other league) spoke to him about bad things with TJ, I got the mom who's husband is the coach at the other league to write a great missive about TJ supporting him wholely and explaining that they left so that the family could be together more and that's all.
Then I got copies of behind the scenes text messages CT has written about kids (8 & 9yo) stating things like, "Well kiddo is going to play for me or not at all," type stuff. The guy is bad bad bad and he's a board member and person in a position of authority.
HE came to the board meeting Tuesday looking amend the bylaws to try to get TJ fired but instead the board told him that the bylaws will be reviewed by a subcommittee for possible changes after the spring season. Who's on the subcommittee thus far? X, Y, & CT... "Anyone else want on?" I raised my hand for sure and you could here his exhale.
He's really shown a bad side of himself and we'll see if he keeps his position on the board. Luckily all of the coach positions including TJ, for the spring were passed via vote today so he's not going anywhere but this guy CT will be doing his damnedest to try and do bad stuff to him I presume.
