I would like to share some thoughts with you, too. I honestly believe that these ideas will help to make sports more fun for your son, more enjoyable for you, and a heck of a lot easier on those people who volunteer their time and skills.
Work with your son. There really is little more satisfying than going out a few evenings a week and playing ball with your kids. This gives quality time, and helps your son improve his skills. Some day, your son will look back fondly on the summer evenings spent playing catch with mom and dad.
Get involved in your local League. CUB League is run on a volunteer basis, and we can use all the help we can get. Anything you can do to pitch in will make the League run more smoothly, and will help all the kids, from helping out at practice, to scorekeeping or field preparation. If your child sees that CUB League is that important to you, he will learn that it is important to the kids, too. In the past I have helped out with field prep, scorekeeping, and umpiring; in addition to making it a satisfying experience for me, I was able to teach my son some of the things that others (umpires!) look for in a game. Some people worry that they are not qualified. Even coaches and players make mistakes...the point is to learn and to have fun, and to teach kids that you care.
Different coaches have different philosophies. Some believe in having players play all positions, some want players to become good at one. Some coaches place more emphasis on winning (and I can tell you, from experience, that players have more fun when they are winning). It is IMPORTANT to remember that your son's coach is not being paid, he is working for the love of the game and the kids. Let him be the coach! Don't argue and criticize if you think your child is being treated unfairly (as parents, it is natural to be very protective, but most coaches aren't discriminating). If you think there is a problem, discuss it with the coach AWAY from the ball field; chances are that you will see his point of view. The important thing is not to make an issue in front of the players; along with baseball, they are learning to work as a team and to respect authority and experience...work not to ruin this teaching.
Show up for the games AND the practices. In today's busy world it is sometimes hard to juggle schedules, but this is your child! I cannot begin to tell stories of kids I've seen who never tried to excel at baseball, and invariably these kids were dropped off at practices and picked up afterwards, without the parent(s) ever watching a single practice. It's only a couple of times a week, a couple of months out of the year. The most irritating are the parents who don't ever watch practice (and, therefore, never understand the coach's philosophy), but will question a coaches decision during the game.
Respect the rules! This is what the kids should be learning. If you don't agree with an umpires call, keep it to yourself. If there is a team rule that bothers you, well, it's their team...not yours. If you think there is a serious problem, take it up with the coach or a League official on your own time, not your childs'. Rule of thumb: during practice or games, don't speak unless spoken to (except, of course, to cheer on ALL the kids).
Don't create pressure. Just about every parent dreams of his son becoming a major league star, but they are only children. Don't expect more than they can deliver. Give positive encouragement, and be there when they need you. Besides, often a child in early years will lack certain skills, and blossom later on. Don't fight nature, or the kids.
No one likes to lose, but the nature of a team sport is that one team will always lose. Teach your child that he didn't lose, the team lost. And they lost to a team that just happened to play better that day. There is always next time, and the important thing is to learn from the defeats. It's okay to analyze why someone lost, and how they can do better next time. It's never okay to place blame.
Have Fun!!!!! CUB League should be a positive experience for everyone: kids, coaches, support staff, and parents. Winning is nice, but losing is inevitable. Being a star is fun, but being a bench player is just as important. Take the opportunity to enjoy your childs' childhood, and to teach some important life lessons.
I can't stress this enough: VOLUNTEER...we need you. One of the biggest irritants I see is those who will not give their time, but are quick to criticize. If you can't be part of the solution, don't be part of the problem. If you think that something needs to be changed, get involved so that you can change it.
One of the most frustrating things for a coach is to have a parent come up after the season and say,"great season, but you kept doing something that bothered me..." A coach cannot change problems if he doesn't know the problems exist. Most coaches welcome input.