Kids can’t have fun anymore. The Atlee junior league softball team from Mechanicsville, Virginia, Snapchatted themselves flipping the bird. That, by itself, isn’t too bad.
Evidently, though, those middle fingers were aimed at one of their previous opponents. It came in response to a game against the Kirkland, Washington team at the Junior League World Series. The tournament, funny enough, is being hosted by the Kirkland team.
Supposedly, Kirkland was stealing Atlee’s signs during a game between the two. That transgression even got a player and coach from Kirkland’s team thrown out. These players shouldn’t have gotten involved. They should’ve done what every little league does. Let the dads come on the field and fight each other.
Instead, the Atlee team snapped their response.
Once the photo came out, Atlee manager Scott Currie tried to do damage control. He had the team delete the photo immediately and made them apologize to the entire Kirkland team in person. I would laugh my ass off if the Atlee Little League team then snapped out a photo of every single team member and coach flipping off the camera. I’m sure these Atlee team members totally meant their apologies too.
That act of contrition didn’t help.
The Little League head office, in the most newsworthy event that’s ever happened in their existence, dropped the hammer. They explained:
After discovering a recent inappropriate social media post involving members of Atlee Little League’s Junior League Softball tournament team, 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.
League officials then banned the whole Atlee team from the tournament. Ironically, the officials then had Kirkland sub in for Atlee in the championship game. Kirland lost 7-1 to USA Central.
That doesn’t make much sense. You wouldn’t ban an NFL team from playing just because one player gets popped.
Those teens learned a really great lesson from this. Not about sportsmanship. About narcs and how they’re everywhere.
Chuck — you are a large part of the problem — condoning unsportsmanlike and bad behavior. First these girls received poor parenting (situation normal in USA)… then they receive poor coaching (tried to make it better and go away AFTER infraction) and now they are receiving poor media coverage from clearly a person with poor character.
Girls deserved to learn a life lesson. Only thing worse than a poor loser is a poor winner.
Wow. Condoning, poor parenting and poor coaching? Could you get anymore judgmental, Chris? Bet the coach/parent took the pic too, huh?