Chip…does anyone associated with the team read this board?
Player, coaches, parents?
36 Replies
1y
Not sure about players. As with anything public like social media, you have to be able to ignore negativity (and consider the source) but it is nice to see positive comments of appreciation.
(In response to this post by WestEndHokie39)
1y
Or at least players and parents do.
I am somewhat guilty by association - someone will walk up and mention a comment that was on the board. My first advice to every parent I meet (if they ask about the stories/website that I write for) is to absolutely avoid the board after a loss and to recognize that most of the posters really do love VT sports. And I will also talk about the incredible generosity of the TSL community and the dollars they have given to the softball program. It still doesn’t remove the sting of some of the posters, but I also point out that “fans” is short for “fanatics.” 😂
(In response to this post by WestEndHokie39)
V
vtdwight
1y
Our softball team are great ambassadors of VT and I am proud of them. They deserve our full support and 95% of us on here do that but some idiots ruin it for everyone. I watch as many games as possible and will be rooting for them this weekend to win the regional! They have given the tech alumni along with wrestling the only consistent winning programs at Tech right now
(In response to this post by VTChip)
1y
adult and probably just shrugs it off, but practically every day the coaching staff and our pitchers are denigrated.
As you and others have said- the nature of message boards.
(In response to this post by VTChip)
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schubee
1y
it's actually possible to NOT post every single thought that comes to your head while watching a softball game ... or afterward.
(In response to this post by WestEndHokie39)
B
BEST2VT
1y
and reminder. Thank you!
(In response to this post by schubee)
Kinda the same culprits every time. Occasional outlier but mostly same
(In response to this post by WestEndHokie39)
1y
to be fired, the observations, suggestions and questions are mostly valid. But…
1) I was an assistant high school volleyball high school coach and an intramural softball coach at VT. The young women I dealt with sometimes had some serious things going on behind the scenes. Maybe found out their parents are getting divorced, or one of them got laid off. Sometimes horrible stuff like abuse. Some had bad cramps that were almost debilitating. I didn’t know the details with the high school team sometimes because the head coach was female and she held things in confidence. So personnel decisions will sometimes be a mystery.
2) Seriously, do you have to post about it consistently? You may be correct but could you cool your jets and throw some supportive posts in there?
3) The team has 40 wins and a top 20 ranking. They must be doing a lot of things right.
(In response to this post by HokieAllMyLife)
Some of the observations, suggestions and questions can be quite biting at
times also. The author of this reply has been guilty at times. I imagine it can be troubling for a parent to read at times. Chip has the right advice for them and I have shared the same with the parents I know - NEVER come here after a loss. Rarely come here after a victory. Maybe preseason. Maybe Fall Ball. During the season, just stay away. If you need to know something, just ask me. I'll fill you in. Trust me though, you really don't want to wade through the idiot muck. You can get stuck in it and lose a boot if you're not careful.
(In response to this post by WestEndHokie39)
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schubee
1y
(In response to this post by HokieAllMyLife)
1y
Scanning the softball board the last few days. I left because of the body shaming posts. I have a teen in remission from an eating disorder and live in fear daily of her reading or hearing something that triggers her. I can't be involved in something for fun that could trigger someone else's child, so I decided to leave the board. And I have missed being on the boards
** Edited by SWVAhokiegirl at 5/13/2025, 10:21:22 PM
** Edited by SWVAhokiegirl at 5/13/2025, 10:26:00 PM
** Edited by SWVAhokiegirl at 5/13/2025, 10:27:18 PM
(In response to this post by schubee)
1y
I try my best here to limit frustration to bad breaks, situational successes vs failures, etc
The players are always working and trying hard.
The ACC should be called out for what they did or rather didn’t do by not suspending the game vs Clemson
Pitt? We had a great 5 innings sandwiched between two of our worst 7 inning stretches all inside of about 26 hrs. That was just weird & happens
This team and Senior class deserved to host BUT that ship has sailed. Now they deserve a (hopefully extended) trip to Oklahoma
I hope they perform to their abilities and earn that trip this weekend
** Edited by hokiepro at 5/13/2025, 12:31:28 PM
** Edited by hokiepro at 5/13/2025, 3:11:39 PM
(In response to this post by WestEndHokie39)
1y
…sharing negative or hateful comments. However, when they play well and win, it’s crickets.
(In response to this post by VTChip)
1y
When we win…than what we see
The Stanford series and FSU win were absolutely thrilling wins to witness at TSP. These ladies provided a ton of fun moments
(In response to this post by atticus555)
Does not make it Bactine, though. Stuff can be hard to read sometimes
(In response to this post by La Gargola)
1y
Yes there are negative posters on every board. No doubt. And losing seems to bring out the worst in people.
But I like to think this board is primarily positive and not negative (although it has its moments).
(In response to this post by La Gargola)
I agree, and after last game I think that's the first time I remember the
"Fire Pete" posts coming out.
Win (by less than 8) or lose, there will always be criticism of Pete's decisions. Active discussion of the game (good or bad) is why we have a message board, not just to post "Go ____, great hit" over and over. I get that. I just can't recall anybody calling for Pete's head before that game. Anybody with half a brain and a level head would realize the overall good Pete has done, regardless of one decision or one game.
Now the football board on the other hand....haha.
(In response to this post by VTChip)
B
BEST2VT
1y
and the comradery. Fun ‘watching’ games and this team with you all!
(In response to this post by VTChip)
1y
Outside of that this board is pretty positive most of the time.
(In response to this post by VTChip)
G
GBOHokie
1y
Frustration. That said this team (and the last several years) are so easy to like. They have a great attitude. One of them said earlier in the year. We have fun but coach expects us to be professional on the field. They are exactly that. They have personality, they love each other, they play hard. Hard to be negative with that no matter how they are doing.
(In response to this post by VTChip)
1y
Comes from having a high performing team they may just follow in a cursory way until close to postseason WHEN it does get HARDER to win.
Projecting frustration over not winning a natty in our history when this team’s season ends…while maybe understandable…doesn’t help. I know I’ve been guilty of similar projections before but this team especially deserves support and appreciation; they’ve been GREAT
** Edited by hokiepro at 5/13/2025, 4:21:51 PM
(In response to this post by GBOHokie)
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schubee
1y
& if you're reading this ladies... LET'S GO!!!
** Edited by schubee at 5/13/2025, 11:38:43 AM
(In response to this post by VTChip)
1y
didn't take the time to spell his daughter's last name correctly. Pretty simple respectful thing to do.
(In response to this post by WestEndHokie39)
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schubee
1y
(In response to this post by laphroaig)
1y
(In response to this post by laphroaig)
1y
I have sometimes ran into recruits and families when they were visiting and many know about this message board. That can be a really good things as very, very few programs have a fan site like this dedicated to softball.
I just hope they also don't visit after a loss.
(In response to this post by atticus555)
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schubee
1y
(In response to this post by WestEndHokie39)