Would love to throttle DD's Asst coach...

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Apr 26, 2015
704
43
or maybe we should drop the "t" from asst...

She is 12. She has been in a little hitting slump. She has been focusing hard on slapping and it has been a frustrating couple of weeks for her. We have been told it will be a couple steps back before she makes forward progress and not to get discouraged. Tonight she decided to hit (not slap) at practice. She was crushing the ball. Every hit was to the outfield with several nearing the fence (yes it was a short fence - but still). For a little 72 pounder that is pretty good. Especially for a girl who has been struggling at the plate. Her rear(t) coach told her she needed to stop trying to hit like that because she "can only do that once in 15 hits" and so it was "stupid" for her to try. Last year she was one of our best hitters, and had the best OBP of anyone on the team. I cannot stand this man. Given...she may never be a power over the fence hitter, but come on...a little encouragement can do wonders for 12 year old girls.
 
Last edited:

Greenmonsters

Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Feb 21, 2009
6,168
38
New England
or maybe we should drop the "t" from asst...

She is 12. She has been in a little hitting slump. She has been focusing hard on slapping and it has been a frustrating couple of weeks for her. We have been told it will be a couple steps back before she makes forward progress and not to get discouraged. Tonight she decided to hit (not slap) at practice. She was crushing the ball. Every hit was to the outfield with several nearing the fence (yes it was a short fence - but still). For a little 72 pounder that is pretty good. Especially for a girl who has been struggling at the plate. Her rear(t) coach told her she needed to stop trying to hit like that because she "can only do that once in 15 hits" and so it was "stupid" for her to try. Last year she was one of our best hitters, and had the best OBP of anyone on the team. I cannot stand this man. Given...she may never be a power over the fence hitter, but come on...a little encouragement can do wonders for 12 year old girls.

I thought that there was a universal rule that a double digit IQ was required to be an Asst Coach and am left wondering how this one slipped through the cracks. Little do fools like this realize that, for all the wrong reasons, they inadvertently are a source of motivation that drives players to excel and prove them wrong.

Good luck and patience to DD - the frustration and discouragement that often comes with that one step backwards is short lived and worth the sacrifice necessary to move forward and provide a solid foundation for future improvement and success!
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
The hardest batters to defend are "triple threats" - a fast girl who can slap, bunt or swing away. Even if the batter does not have HR power if she can occasionally take a full swing vs. slapping or bunting it keeps the OF honest. If the OF does creep in, hitting away could result in an extra base hit on what would have been a routine fly ball with the OF at normal depth.
 
Jun 12, 2015
3,848
83
I will never understand coaches who talk to girls this way. They need confidence, to know their coaches believe in them. When they feel that way they rise to the occasion more often than not. We've only been back with DD's old coach a month or so now, haven't even played in a tournament yet, and the difference in her attitude and performance is already extremely apparent. It's such an important relationship and too many coaches have no idea how to relate to the girls they should be building up, not tearing down.
 
Feb 15, 2016
273
18
or maybe we should drop the "t" from asst...

She is 12. She has been in a little hitting slump. She has been focusing hard on slapping and it has been a frustrating couple of weeks for her. We have been told it will be a couple steps back before she makes forward progress and not to get discouraged. Tonight she decided to hit (not slap) at practice. She was crushing the ball. Every hit was to the outfield with several nearing the fence (yes it was a short fence - but still). For a little 72 pounder that is pretty good. Especially for a girl who has been struggling at the plate. Her rear(t) coach told her she needed to stop trying to hit like that because she "can only do that once in 15 hits" and so it was "stupid" for her to try. Last year she was one of our best hitters, and had the best OBP of anyone on the team. I cannot stand this man. Given...she may never be a power over the fence hitter, but come on...a little encouragement can do wonders for 12 year old girls.

It is a great thing for your DD to learn that not every coach is very good or has something worthwhile to teach her. Sometimes she can learn a lot about what not to do from people. What this coach said was careless and shows that he doesn't understand how to coach and motivate kids. He certainly does not understand the sometimes frustrating process of developing a slapper. She needs those moments of success to fuel her confidence when she has been struggling with slapping. Good luck to your DD!
 
Apr 26, 2015
704
43
DD really likes her HC. He has always believed in her and encouraged her. I am kind of puzzled as to why he keeps this asst coach - except that HC gets a little star struck and asst coach played pro baseball and "knows everyone". Except that hasn't really been helpful. Everyone he knows and every girl he says he can get to come to the team runs away. Should be a sign right?!? I think this man thrives on making his own DD cry. She is a poor to average fielder but has the ability to knock the ball to the fence - only problem is - she rarely swings the bat. More often than not she goes down looking. I think she is scared. I don't think he likes DD because she plays the same 3 positions as his daughter and plays them all better. Plus he doesn't "believe" in lefty catchers. Thankfully HC is a "believer" and has made DD his primary catcher.
 
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Jun 27, 2011
5,089
0
North Carolina
She has been focusing hard on slapping ...

Maybe she should practice it on the assistant coach.

giphy.gif
 
Jun 12, 2015
3,848
83
I think this man thrives and making his own DD cry. She is a poor to average fielder but has the ability to knock the ball to the fence - only problem is - she rarely swings the bat. More often than not she goes down looking. I think she is scared.

Of course she is. The pressure gets to them and they learn not to take chances because they're so scared of screwing up. They freeze. I saw this a lot with my DD and many of her teammates last year. One tourney DD went down looking 5 times. She LOVES to hit. But the coaching slowly eroded her confidence and the knowledge that screw ups (striking out, errors) would probably be punished in some way only lead to more screw ups. They have to be allowed to try and fail, so they will try again and succeed. If they get yelled at or pulled or forced to run laps or whatever for every mistake, they will become paralyzed or play conservatively. No bueno.

Michael Jordan quote.jpg
 

marriard

Not lost - just no idea where I am
Oct 2, 2011
4,312
113
Florida
or maybe we should drop the "t" from asst...

She is 12. She has been in a little hitting slump. She has been focusing hard on slapping and it has been a frustrating couple of weeks for her. We have been told it will be a couple steps back before she makes forward progress and not to get discouraged. Tonight she decided to hit (not slap) at practice. She was crushing the ball. Every hit was to the outfield with several nearing the fence (yes it was a short fence - but still). For a little 72 pounder that is pretty good. Especially for a girl who has been struggling at the plate. Her rear(t) coach told her she needed to stop trying to hit like that because she "can only do that once in 15 hits" and so it was "stupid" for her to try. Last year she was one of our best hitters, and had the best OBP of anyone on the team. I cannot stand this man. Given...she may never be a power over the fence hitter, but come on...a little encouragement can do wonders for 12 year old girls.

The coach sounds like an idiot and clearly there is more to it (as you have additionally posted).... however are we talking about a player who is a rightie who is working to become a leftie slapper?

Because I have one of those.., lightning quick, .500+ when slaps, etc, etc.... Once we turned her around that was the end of hitting right handed. If she wants to hit regularly for power, then she has to learn to do it from the left side. She can hit hard right pretty well - but it she has been a sub .200 batter for every team she has played on before she came to us and we turned her around because she was fast and we knew we were going to have to rebuild her swing from the ground up anyway. She occasionally wants to go back to hit right handed, especially in drills where hitting leftie is still a challenge for her, but we wont let her - she is NEVER going to do it in a game - she is too good as a slapper already and we want her to spend all her time learning to add power slapping and regular hitting from the left side.

If you are going to turn around and slap, I firmly believe you go 100%. You are on the left side, you don't leave it. No switching mid-bat or mid-practice to the right side.

If she is just a leftie for regular hitting and slapping, then cool. You have an even bigger beef.
 

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