"the Little League® International Tournament Committee has removed the Southeast Region from the 2017 Junior League Softball World Series for violation of Little League’s policies regarding unsportsmanlike conduct, inappropriate use of social media, and the high standard that Little League International holds for all its participants."
And

"Coach Chris Mardigian added that the photo was in response to the treatment Atlee players received from members of the Kirkland American team during their visit. Kirkland serves as the host city for the tournament."

The punishment is harsh but I don't think it's completely out of line. 12-14 year old kids shouldn't be doing stuff like this regardless of what age we live in. Unfortunately I think or hope they learned a valuable lesson.

---

"I think I've cracked the code. double letters are cheaters except for perfect squares (a, d, i, p and y). So Leddy isn't a cheater... "

Well, if you don't hold them to a standard, then you're telling them no one cares. The way to ensure that people car his to maintain the standard.

Is it really ok with you for 12 year old girls to be telling another softball team of 12 year old girls to fuck off?

---

Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)

They got it from somebody! Now who could that be.?..mom , dad? If they were boys would it be okay , right of passage , Oh thats my boy!

---

sometimes

Talk about being punished.

"The team Atlee beat in the semifinals, Kirkland American, will replace Atlee in the championship game"


https://www.si.com/more-sports/2017/08/05/atlee-softball-junior-league-world-series-dq

---

"Human existence is based upon two pillars: Compassion and knowledge. Compassion without knowledge is ineffective; Knowledge without compassion is inhuman." Victor Weisskopf.

I don't think it would be any better if it was a team of 12 year old boys, no.

---

Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)

It might have been wiser to suspend/expel the players in the picture. Seems a bit excessive to expel the entire team for the actions of a few bad apples.

Not sure the roster size of girls softball. Maybe they thought of expelling only the girls in the picture and that left the team with insufficient players do they just expelled the entire team.

this definitely adds to the strength of the case, for me. this wasn't just some players doing a bit of badassery during downtime - they were specifically directing this at another team, and were violating tournament rules.

it's just a baseball game. maybe they'll learn some bigger lessons about life.

-mike

---

____________________________________
https://lshtm.academia.edu/MikeCallaghan

http://howtobeswiss.blogspot.ch/

I would bet it has something to do with them being in uniform and within the field of play (dug out is included).

What would have happened if this was somewhere else, say a Chuck e Cheese, a Panera or at their hotel?

If they suspended the six girls in that picture, there would probably only be six girls left on the team.

It might have been wiser to suspend/expel the players in the picture. Seems a bit excessive to expel the entire team for the actions of a few bad apples.

---

This goes against the concept of 'team' in my opinion. You're wearing the uniform and your actions affect the whole. If the girls were doing this off site, EX: at home, and not in uniform, I'd agree with you. However, they did this in the dug out while representing. You win as a team and lose as one, too. The other girls not in the picture will, hopefully, set them straight.

---

---

---

Take a short break from ST and read my blog:
http://tri-banter.blogspot.com/

Probably white men. Might as well attempt double "ism" score. Sigh.

Guy has a role in creating bad outcome for woman. Go to explanation: Sexism.

A white person has a role creating bad outcome re. a black person. Go to explanation: Racism.

Newsflash. Men are mostly pretty agreeable folks. Maybe we could give them the benefit of the doubt, eh?

The assumption if "ism" makes me want to puke.

Re. the little league rules said don't post stupid pics of team flipping the bird on social media.

I'm sure the little girls all read the "little league social media rules" really carefully . Then a rep of the world little league federation gave them a brief that clearly defined "inappropriate" in the context of social media.

I bet no one at any level in the org had a clue what the heck the rules said about this. That someone got their panties in a wad over the pic, and that's when they pulled the rule book out to see what it said.

---

Books @ Amazon
"If only he had used his genius for niceness, instead of Evil." M. Smart

Statement from the President of Atlee Little League.


Jamie Batten, the president of Atlee Little League, released a statement late Saturday night about the softball team's disqualification due to an inappropriate Snapchat post.
"We are deeply disappointed this social media post did not reflect the core values of Little League International or Atlee Little League," he wrote. "We expect Little League International will take the time to fully investigate the matter, and we will comply with this investigation by providing all information about unpleasant interactions including the social media post and the time leading up to that event - not all of which were on the part of those on the Atlee softball team.
"We desire to protect all youth who are recipients of inappropriate behavior both on and off the field, as we take very seriously our charge to impart the value of good sportsmanship."
Batten said those involved in the post are requesting privacy at this time.
He continued: "These young athletes are part of Atlee Little League. As all young athletes are trained to do, they will brush themselves off after a loss, and try again - after having learned a most valuable lesson."

---

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers

Emery's Third Coast Triathlon | Tri Wisconsin Triathlon Team | Push Endurance | GLWR

Looks like there are 12 team members. 6 were in the picture. 1 took the picture. That makes 7 of 12 active participants. So, yeah, if they suspended only the active participants, there would be no members to field a team.

---

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers

Emery's Third Coast Triathlon | Tri Wisconsin Triathlon Team | Push Endurance | GLWR

Well, let's set aside the fact that ignorance of the rules is not a defense. Do you think it's not pretty reasonable to suspect, in a children's sport league, that there might be rules against conduct that might reflect poorly on the league, or rules against blatantly poor sportsmanship, or...in this day and age, pertaining to use of social media when it could reflect on the league? I mean, these all seem like pretty predictable things to be covered by the rule book of a little league organization.

---

Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)

Well said.

Participation in organizations like Little League is a privilege, not a right. Being able to compete for a national championship is a privilege, not a right. All that happened to these little bundles of joy was that a privilege was taken away when they blatantly abused the privilege. Youth sports are supposed to teach sportsmanship and teamwork. They are also supposed to teach kids how to win and how to lose, which will happen over and over and over in life. Disqualifying this team furthered several core purposes of this youth sport.

---

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers

Emery's Third Coast Triathlon | Tri Wisconsin Triathlon Team | Push Endurance | GLWR

Sure, I would be able to guess that there might be rules re. embarrassing pics in social media. But, I'm pretty sure that I learned that "after" I was 12. When I was their age, according to my father "I couldn't pour piss out of a boot if the instructions were under the heel."

---

Books @ Amazon
"If only he had used his genius for niceness, instead of Evil." M. Smart

Kids are more savvy about social media these days. However, when I was 12, I would have known that I and my teammates might have gotten in trouble if we all huddled together to give another team the finger, even though social media wasn't even a thing then.

These girls are old enough to give another team the finger, they're old enough to know they shouldn't, and to know that posting it on social media might get them in some trouble.

---

Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)

I would expect that what people do on their own time is none of anyone else's business. If a bunch of people who still watch reruns of Leave it to Beaver get triggered then so what; start living in the 21st century instead of the 1950s.

I would also like to know what the other team did that brought about this giant fuck you because it sounds like the officials did not do their jobs on the field.

Yeah, that's great, but that's not what happened here. These girls were in league uniforms at a league tournament on a league field. What they did is a reflection on the team and the league. Being on the team, in the league, and at the tournament are all privileges, not rights. Those privileges come with responsibilities. The fact that so many adults in the LR cannot see that is disturbing. It also helps explain the pathetic parenting that resulted in these little bundles of joy not understanding any of these simple concepts.

Actions have consequences. Lesson learned. (Hopefully ...)

---

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers

Emery's Third Coast Triathlon | Tri Wisconsin Triathlon Team | Push Endurance | GLWR

Totally agree w JSA on this. My daughters play volleyball - club and High School. If they did this on either the HS team or Club, they would be kicked off the team. They all sign 'conduct' agreements. They are representing their school/community/families/sport, etc. sports are all about sportsmanship and a great opportunity for them to learn many important life lessons.

These girls deserved to be booted from the tourney, at a minimum. Great life lesson, simple as that. They'll learn. Employers regularly check social media (including my company) and this single action could cost them a job opportunity. It's not about punishment, it's about understanding the effects of social media and basic conduct on their future.

When my sister was a teen she had a verbal altercation with a cop and got arrested. Her punishment was that she had to write a letter of apology to the cop.

It seemed an appropriate punishment and she learned her lesson.

---

Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb

And?

---

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers

Emery's Third Coast Triathlon | Tri Wisconsin Triathlon Team | Push Endurance | GLWR

Slowxe said that he didn't know of (paraphrasing) another way to have them learn their lesson other than DQ and I gave a possible example of an alternative.

---

Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb

Apples and hand grenades.

Playing in little league is a privilege, not a right. I hope these little bundles of joy learned a valuable lesson.

---

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers

Emery's Third Coast Triathlon | Tri Wisconsin Triathlon Team | Push Endurance | GLWR

I never said or even implied any different.


When I was that age the lesson I would have learned is "these people running this softball shit are fucking idiots. I quit. I'm just gonna smoke dope. Fuck this."

Hopefully these girls learn a different lesson than I would have.

---

Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb