Attitude

I'm just a lowly 5th year rec coach, long time baseball player, and bucket dad. The teams I have coached until now have all been full of nice girls who sing their cheers and congratulate or commiserate with their teammates. This 12U fall ball rec team I have (full of pool players for the most part) is nothing like my earlier teams. Our 1st games were yesterday, and they played pretty well, but they refused to cheer (if one girl started a cheer, nobody joined in). We made a nice base running play to plate 2 runs, and when one of my assistants tried to get the dugout up, one of the girls said, “Who cares?”

It kind of kept me awake last night, wondering where the disconnect is. I think it might be because most of the girls do not know each other, and maybe aren’t comfortable around each other yet (we’ve only had 2 practices and the double header). I'm sure it's partly the coaching staff setting a poor example (a little too negative/overly critical), and I will be talking to my AC's about that.

What do you guys think? And do you have some suggestions on team building things I can do?

Ray

Disclaimer, I've been a rec coach too so............

Coaches must lead by example, ALL OF THEM. The rec level is usually full of first time players, shy players, players with lower confidence, some who don't understand game etiquette. The persons in authority ( coaches ), from day one, should be vocally cheering and acknowledging individual achievements in a fashion to encourage teammates to join in. Those younger......more timid girls feed off the level of excitement/emotions that surround them. If the dugout is quiet, negative, boring...........that's what your gonna keep having.

You say you're practicing? I didn't know ANY softball cheers when we started, had to print some off and we practiced them as a group at the end of a normal physical practice. Coaches and players ( sometimes parents and siblings ) would all join in, kinda breaks the ice.

Ideally, if you have positive, enthusiastic coaches who are enjoying themselves and stimulating the players' minds, they'll respond to that. My goal for them would be that they learn the game and enjoy it. Of course, keep in mind that the personalities of each team are different. If I think they're enjoying themselves and learning, I don't care if they do group cheers. That's not necessarily the pulse of every team.

DD's team has moved past cheers. They now chatter. Way more better.

My experience as a rec coach is that the girls stop using the cheers and move onto chatter @ 12U, this happens a little faster if you have any TB girls on the team. In rec I really try to keep a positive atmosphere at practices and in the dug out. At that age many of the girls are just one bad season away from not playing anymore. I judge my success as a rec coach by how many of the girls come back the next season, and want to play the game.

I try to play a game at the end of practices. One of my favorite's is bunting for dollars. We put out three buckets and have the girls try to place a bunt in one of the buckets we go thru the line three times. I pay a dollar for every bunt put into a bucket. Give them lots of encouragement. The idea is to have the girls leave at the end of practice after a fun event.

Thanks for the input, guys! I was thinking the same thing about cheers vs chatter, and I'll be going over that with the girls at practice. Maybe they feel cheering is too "little kid"-ish?

I have reached out to my ACs about our approach, emphasizing the positive attitudes at all times, and making games fun. Don't know if I can afford to pay them (how might that affect their NCAA eligibility?), but I like the idea of that bunt game!

Ray

Woody. Please explain "One of my favorite's is bunting for dollars. We put out three buckets and have the girls try to place a bunt in one of the buckets we go thru the line three times. I pay a dollar for every bunt put into a bucket." Who pitches the ball. How do you place the buckets? This sounds great! Get the girl wanting to bunt! Love it!

Be happy they aren't doing the cheers - that drives me bonkers Encourage the chatter as others have said by having the coaches model it.

sbcowboy: I pitch the ball underhand from about 20 feet. We use three 5 gallon buckets, one about 10 feet down first base line, another 10 feet down 3rd base line, and one in the middle about 5 feet in front of the catcher. lay the buckets on there side open towards home plate. I give a dollar for every ball they can bunt into the bucket. At 10U rec it usually costs me 2 or 3 dollars after 3 rounds. At 12U rec 5 or 6 dollars at the start of the season, by the end of the season you have to switch to another award as it can get a little spendy. I made the mistake of playing this game with my middle DD's 10U TB team and it cost me 12 dollars. By the 3rd round the girls usually start cheering each other on and start to form that bond in competition that is so important at game time.

A game I used to play with the kids I called Last Girl Standing.

All the kids grab a bat, helmet and stand in line one at a time they enter the batter’s box get one pitch and (according to age contact or a solid hit) if they make contact they get back in line if you miss grab a glove and go to the field. I pitch from about 30 feet and I’m a decent pitcher and usually throw a hittable pitch. The second round it has to be a fair ball, third round it has to make the outfield and finally round it has to a base hit. The last girl standing gets a prize.

I always tried to combine practice with competition between the players.