Parent coaches

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JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
Completely off topic and unfair corlay.

So who makes a better coach, some aging parent, usually dad, in the stands who never played a day in his life? Someone who understands it, simply, what, from watching videos and sitting in the stands, snarking like sports talk radio? Anyone can do that....boy I think everyone should sign up to coach any sport they see.

When does that former player get a chance, when the dads are 80 and still holding on, having to control everything because "they know better"? When does 'she' get to learn her game? Give me a break, they know the game, but you show no respect for them. No one says this sort of thing in baseball, which my boys are in... They let the recent players coach all ages. And the comment about age groups is silly. In fact, the only teams they will give a former player or a female for that matter is 8u and 10u..... Read the stats, only about 20 percent of TB coaches are women, and it goes down as the ages go up. But it's changing, and the former players are taking over.

I did not want to hijack Doug's riseball thread, so I thought I would start a new one....

The reason there are more parent coaches than former player coaches is $$$! I have coached, or helped coach, my DD's TB team since 8U rec ball. I have never been paid a dime, and it probably cost me more money to coach than other parents because the coaching staff would routinely buy equipment or help "scholarship" players who's parents were struggling. I would not trade my time coaching for anything, but how many former college players are going to spend that much time and effort with ZERO compensation? And when a team plays TB who is going to pay the former college players travel expenses - hotels, mileage, food?
 
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Jul 16, 2013
4,659
113
Pennsylvania
I agree completely. If anyone knows a former player in PA that is interested in coaching a travel team, please have that person PM me. I would be glad to discuss the possibility and will help her/him along in any way that I can. I am not opposed to a former player coaching. Just don't know of any that are willing to do it for free.
 
Jun 18, 2010
2,624
38
Just don't know of any that are willing to do it for free.

Exactly, there doesn't exist a pool of ex female softball players who are are just waiting for an opening to coach a rec or TB team for free. The reason I got into coaching was my DDs first Tee Ball team didn't have a coach and nobody wanted to step up. The Secret Society Of Dads (SSOD) who's mission it is to keep former female players from coaching does not exist.
 
Feb 17, 2014
7,152
113
Orlando, FL
The first rule of SSOD is.... :)

The posted quoted by the OP is a prime example of misguided rhetoric on how things should be, with zero regard to the forces and circumstances that determine the way things are. It is one persons vision for softball nirvana and well removed from reality. They have an agenda based on a fantasy, and are blind to the realities around them. Regularly pontificating on matters based on their delusional views, making outlandish statements which are impossible to substantiate.

Sadly, most college players are done after they play their last game. They want to move on. Those remaining stay involved, but unfortunately just like the rest of the population most are not well suited to coach softball or anything else. The premise that because you played the game you are somehow qualified to coach is ludicrous. Just because I eat most my meals in restaurants, does not make me a chef.
 
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Feb 7, 2013
3,188
48
Completely agree with you guys. Without parents, especially the dads, there would be no softball (or any other sports for that matter) being played at any level because its all volunteers until you get to competitive travel, MS/HS, and college.

With that said, I wish there were more female coaches in softball, whether its former players and/or moms. And all things equal, I prefer female coaches (e.g. pitching coach) when given the opportunity because they can relate differently with girls and they can add valuable insight since they actually played fastpitch.
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
Sadly, most college players are done after they play their last game. They want to move on. Those remaining stay involved, but unfortunately just like the rest of the population most are not well suited to coach softball or anything else. The premise that because you played the game you are somehow qualified to coach is ludicrous. Just because I eat most my meals in restaurants, does not make me a chef.

Have you ever noticed that most high level coaches - NBA, NFL, MLB, NCAA D1 football/basketball, ect were not superstar players?

"No coach has ever won a game by what he knows; it's what his players know that counts." ~ Bear Bryant
 
Jul 19, 2014
2,390
48
Madison, WI
Completely agree with you guys. Without parents, especially the dads, there would be no softball (or any other sports for that matter) being played at any level because its all volunteers until you get to competitive travel, MS/HS, and college.

With that said, I wish there were more female coaches in softball, whether its former players and/or moms. And all things equal, I prefer female coaches (e.g. pitching coach) when given the opportunity because they can relate differently with girls and they can add valuable insight since they actually played fastpitch.


My DDs have had some excellent parent coaches, both male and female. The HC for DD #3's TB team is a woman who has coached DD #1 in rec ball and DD #3 in both rec ball and TB. She was also a long-term substitute teacher for DD #2. DD #1 and DD #3 say she is an excellent coach, while DD #2 says she is an excellent teacher.
 
Dec 23, 2009
791
0
San Diego
The rec league where DD started guarantees a team to any woman who wants to manage...has done so for years...but with very few exceptions, all they hear at signups from the moms is crickets...

I had two former NCAA D2 champs as coaches for my former travel team. It was great for both the adults and the players. But their own college coach told me (when I asked if there were any of her players that may be interested in coaching a 16U travel team) that these 2 were the only ones on her recent team that she felt would make good coaches. So being a college player, while helpful, is not an automatic qualification to be a coach.

Bucket Dad for life...and proud of it...:cool:
 
Aug 29, 2011
2,581
83
NorCal
This will be my dd's 3rd year as an assistant coaching a TB team. She has never been paid. I believe others in that organization are being paid. The wife and I support her efforts because she wants to be an elementary teacher and so, she is working with young girls. We hope that helps on her resume. To be sure, it a big expense for my wife and I as we have to pay for the gas for her to drive back and forth as well as receiving the phone call for us to stop by and drop off money. LOL!

Riseball, that first paragraph did me in for the day. I'll have to get out the Webster to try to figure out what you said. LOL!

cannonball I think it is totally awesome what your DD is doing but I also think she's in the vast minority of all former players.
 

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