As a former asst coach for the program I think it's high time parents are justified with their assumptions. Yes, we are told by head coach to discourage your little Johnny from being on the team. Yes, when your kid has missed a day of school from being sick, we lie and tell your kid that they were going to start that game. Yes, we have already been told who is on the team before tryouts. Yes, we give false hope to kids that have some serious potential only to shut them down. I'm done with them. I've been done. I'll never mimick their program. Oh, and when you read that LB is a tobacco free zone...we don't observe that and neither do most of the kids. Not proud either, but done.

Sounds just like any other program in the area.

Sounds like someone is bitter.

Jody Rutherford is a terrible coach and only cares about himself and not the players

Rutherford can't and won't look a parent in the eye. Just talks in circles. If he hasn't acknowledged your kid before 9th grade, don't bother sending your boy to tryouts. He will just suck you for money from the camps. Trust me. Think of all the money you will save on tobacco if you stay away.

How many times are you going to post? We get it, you feel your son got the shaft. Boo hoo hoo. Cry a river.

Perhaps he just wasn't as good as the other players. That's not the coaches fault. Braddock is a huge school so there is a lot of competition. Perhaps you should have taken that into account when you moved here from your small town where everyone gets to play.

What is it with baseball and bitter parents?

I personally know Mark Luther and Jody Rutherford and have served as an assistant at two competing programs; both run programs that compete for regional titles every year because they are able to weed out problem parents early and get down to coaching baseball to committed kids.

You the fat bench coach?

I don't think parents give a shit anymore. Really. Why does it always have to be "bitter parents." I'm sure it's coaches that write that shit. Trying to deflect from the real issues.

Here's how you make the LB baseball team. Pay lots of money and attend all the Rutherford (cough-cough) baseball camps. Then participate in all the illegal off-season practices. And finally, have your son become Joe-Joe's gopher. Presto-digito, you're on the team. Rutherford is such a dull tool, but since his teams manage to win game everyone gives him a free pass.

We live in a different world now. People think that because in the classroom it's all results based now that that sentiment has been extended to the sports fields. It simply hasn't. Here's the thing...

T-Ball programs start at age 7 and Babe Ruth ball goes to age 15. That's 9 seasons of baseball (double that if your child plays Fall ball). This is the time for you and yor child to develop your child's game because everyone gets to play a minimum amount of time.If upon reaching 9th grade (age 16) and your child has skills his or her high school will put him on the team. If they can hit, run, field and throw they will make the team.

There's three kinds of athletes in this world...those that can wake up, take a dump and go and hit homeruns, those that have to work real hard and those who weren't given any talent and no matter how hard they work, they're never going to see the turf of a HS field.

The notion that a child with skills whose parents don't send them to a coach sponsored camp or make donations will not make the team is absurd.

Remember "Field of Dreams"? Well, if your kid can play...they make the team. That's how it works, folks. If they didn't make the team, it's because there is someone else in front of them who's better.

Nolan Ryan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We live in a different world now. People think
> that because in the classroom it's all results
> based now that that sentiment has been extended to
> the sports fields. It simply hasn't. Here's the
> thing...
>
> T-Ball programs start at age 7 and Babe Ruth ball
> goes to age 15. That's 9 seasons of baseball
> (double that if your child plays Fall ball). This
> is the time for you and yor child to develop your
> child's game because everyone gets to play a
> minimum amount of time.If upon reaching 9th grade
> (age 16) and your child has skills his or her high
> school will put him on the team. If they can hit,
> run, field and throw they will make the team.
>
> There's three kinds of athletes in this
> world...those that can wake up, take a dump and go
> and hit homeruns, those that have to work real
> hard and those who weren't given any talent and no
> matter how hard they work, they're never going to
> see the turf of a HS field.
>
> The notion that a child with skills whose parents
> don't send them to a coach sponsored camp or make
> donations will not make the team is absurd.
>
> Remember "Field of Dreams"? Well, if your kid can
> play...they make the team. That's how it works,
> folks. If they didn't make the team, it's because
> there is someone else in front of them who's
> better.

Let us know if you ever take off those rose colored glasses. I've seen plenty of so-so players make the team ahead of better players over the years. It happens. It isn't fair, but that's the way life is. If you're a parent that has a clue, you try and play the game to gain the favor of the coaches, and you get your kid the best training you can manage, but even if you do all that, it's no guarantee, and it's no guarantee that if your kid makes the team they'll do more than sit on the bench 90% of the time.

Again, that's just life. Being bitter and nasty about it serves no purpose. Accepting the cards as they've been dealt makes it a lot easier to swallow.

And getting onto LB's teams has ALWAYS been extremely difficult. There aren't a lot of slots for a lot of potential prospects, it's the price you pay for going there. This isn't some tiny little school where they'll take the players that are only pretty good. They take who they want on the team. Sometimes that means the best player, sometimes it doesn't, but if you look at the end of year results for LB last year, they had some of the best players in the county. My guess is they're doing something right.

They have a lot of wealthy parents more than willing to shell out for weekly or even daily private lessons to make sure they make the team. And yeah, many of them shell that cash out to the coaches that run the programs on the side.

LB isn't alone in that though. There are other examples here in the county as well.

You still have to Pay To Play. Attend the coaches' camps. Your kid might learn a few pointers. And your coach gets a new set of wheels. It's a win-win in my book.

Shadow Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nolan Ryan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > We live in a different world now. People think
> > that because in the classroom it's all results
> > based now that that sentiment has been extended
> to
> > the sports fields. It simply hasn't. Here's the
> > thing...
> >
> > T-Ball programs start at age 7 and Babe Ruth
> ball
> > goes to age 15. That's 9 seasons of baseball
> > (double that if your child plays Fall ball).
> This
> > is the time for you and yor child to develop
> your
> > child's game because everyone gets to play a
> > minimum amount of time.If upon reaching 9th
> grade
> > (age 16) and your child has skills his or her
> high
> > school will put him on the team. If they can
> hit,
> > run, field and throw they will make the team.
> >
> > There's three kinds of athletes in this
> > world...those that can wake up, take a dump and
> go
> > and hit homeruns, those that have to work real
> > hard and those who weren't given any talent and
> no
> > matter how hard they work, they're never going
> to
> > see the turf of a HS field.
> >
> > The notion that a child with skills whose
> parents
> > don't send them to a coach sponsored camp or
> make
> > donations will not make the team is absurd.
> >
> > Remember "Field of Dreams"? Well, if your kid
> can
> > play...they make the team. That's how it works,
> > folks. If they didn't make the team, it's
> because
> > there is someone else in front of them who's
> > better.
>
> Let us know if you ever take off those rose
> colored glasses. I've seen plenty of so-so
> players make the team ahead of better players over
> the years. It happens. It isn't fair, but that's
> the way life is. If you're a parent that has a
> clue, you try and play the game to gain the favor
> of the coaches, and you get your kid the best
> training you can manage, but even if you do all
> that, it's no guarantee, and it's no guarantee
> that if your kid makes the team they'll do more
> than sit on the bench 90% of the time.
>
> Again, that's just life. Being bitter and nasty
> about it serves no purpose. Accepting the cards
> as they've been dealt makes it a lot easier to
> swallow.
>
> And getting onto LB's teams has ALWAYS been
> extremely difficult. There aren't a lot of slots
> for a lot of potential prospects, it's the price
> you pay for going there. This isn't some tiny
> little school where they'll take the players that
> are only pretty good. They take who they want on
> the team. Sometimes that means the best player,
> sometimes it doesn't, but if you look at the end
> of year results for LB last year, they had some of
> the best players in the county. My guess is
> they're doing something right.
>
> They have a lot of wealthy parents more than
> willing to shell out for weekly or even daily
> private lessons to make sure they make the team.
> And yeah, many of them shell that cash out to the
> coaches that run the programs on the side.
>
> LB isn't alone in that though. There are other
> examples here in the county as well.

I respect your opinion but I still disagree.

If your son is the next Pujols or Verlander such that their HS could win state...they'll be on the squad. The notion that Fatty Arbuckle makes the roster over a superstar because of finances is ridiculous.

You said LB has some of the best players in the country so they must be doing something right...and I completely agree with that. However, which is it? Either you pay to buy influence to get on that team or they've got a roster based on talent. You're not being consistent in your remarks.

This crap written to benefit the coaches is from within LB athletic dept. They know damn well that kids hitting homeruns were benched for other players. C'mon!

It seems there are a few unhappy parents here about what went on with their kids. I would say to these parents before smearing someone to take off the "dad goggles" so too speak and really try and make an objective assessment of your child. I know everyone likes to think their kid will be the next pro athlete but sadly very few will. It can be hard to have an objective assessment of someone that you care about as a parent. All of the top programs want to win and want to do it with the best 9 they can put on the field at any time. You child may be better at some things then some of the kids that start, but they may be better at other things that fit the style of the team better.

For example one player can be a better hitter at a certain position but if the other player is better defensively especially at a position that places a premium on defense that kid may start over your child. I never played for the coaches in question but know some players who did and havent herd many complaints about the coaches in question.

I will just add this, it is possible some of the kids kept to fill out the roster were kept over being liked more by the coaches, that can happen. But for a top notch program that always puts out very competitive teams that wouldnt happen if the the best players were being consistently black balled like what some are saying.

I can never understand WTF the coaches are saying with all the dip packed in their GD lip!!!

baseball sucks

soco Baseball > LB Baseball

Shhhhhhh SoCo.... LB can't handle the truth.

AHH Fairfax County High School sports programs I see nothing has changed from the 70's

C'mon Man! Everybody knows that at LB baseball, you have to PAY To PLAY.

There's no other way.

As a former player for a team that played against Lake Braddock and is only a few miles away, I have tremendous respect for the program. I've heard a lot of crap about Jody and the program in general. The bottom line is, whatever he does works. He's not doing anything illegal and he's cranking out top-notch teams. I played with a ton of LB kids in Little League who tried out for the team and did not make it. I also played with and against a lot of those kids in travel and showcase ball. I'm not playing for a D1 school so I think I have some weight in this. LB plays great baseball and just because some people do not appreciate how the team is selected says nothing about the quality of the program. Some of the best players I have ever played against were on LB's baseball team. Stop hating on a successful program. Whatever they do works.

I've seen Rutherford at local bars hitting on young girls.. as a married man. great role model.

because LB baseball just won the state championship! So corrupt, playing favorites, cutting great travel ball players, can't imagine how he could win states...

Sounds like girls basketball Is any team on the up and up

I saw Rutherford giving Griel a blowjob in the locker room.

As a former player for Jody I can tell you how he really is. He chooses his teams prior to tryouts, benches players who do not attend his camps, and is not afraid to embarrass his own players on the field.

I once witnessed him pull a senior player from the outfield because he did not rob a home run in a Regional Championship game. How could he possibly expect that player to make a catch that would be eligible for SC Top 10? Also he once pulled a pitcher from the middle of a count because the pitcher did not throw the ball on a pick off to second. I know personally how this man victimizes his players and plays favorites.

He may be blessed with the amazing talent that runs through LB but who couldn't teach these teams to win? Jody has no honor and is a man who easily goes back on his word.

Also, who in God's name would choose Paul Agner as an assistant coach!? The man knows nothing about baseball and even less about pitching! He didn't even make his high school baseball team back in the day! (Also LB)

Lake Braddock's baseball program has many bright and talented stars. It is too bad that the team image is tarnished by a Coach with little moral integrity.

Yeppers, lots of issues within Lake Braddock athletics and just not baseball.

Which sport should we address and discuss? Probably stems from the DSA attitude and focus - needless to say you just have to do a Google search and find the issues with FBALL, GBBALL, GLAX, BLAX, BBALL, etc .....so many glaring examples of where there was limited to no accountability on the coaching staff. Mark Martino must accept responsibility - who else?

True, could be worse - could be at Woodson and have their sad state of everything.

As in all sports coaches have a good idea of who is trying out for the team before tryouts. How do they know you might ask? Well first all the kids from last year's team and all the kids from tryouts the previous year. Also camps and coaches talk and watch summer/fall games The best players will make the team. You don't have to go to camps. You will be a new face and probably behind kids on a talent level but if you are good enough you will make the team. Parents think their kids are entitled to make the team just bc they attend camps and spent money.

as for the stories you mention they are fabricated and not true.

AD ruins sports at LB

Everything about Lake Braddock sucks
Sports
Admins
Kids
Parents
All douchbags

All Jody's good at is fighting parents and getting shut down by under age girls

JR resigned...to spend more time with the kids. Whatchu talking bout Willis? Dave Thomas doesn't have any more sons to pupil-place on the roster?