Coaching Success: W/L or player development

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

Dec 6, 2010
139
0
Florida
Although I do believe if a coach is getting player improvement than w/l will reflect.
Just curious as to what defines as having coaching success.
Local team had lots of talent and lots of wins but I didn't see the player improvement.
What's everyone's opinion? Thanks
 

Greenmonsters

Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Feb 21, 2009
6,168
38
New England
The answer is age and experience based. At first its simply about how many want to keep playing and learning. Then it becomes about establishing solid fundamentals and individual development. And ultimately it becomes about teaching them how to make the most of what they have, both as individuals and as a team. Its only when you are a full-time paid professional that it becomes all about wins and losses.
 
Feb 17, 2014
7,152
113
Orlando, FL
For us as a showcase team it is largely determined by the players performance at the college level. Not just did we get them signed, but did they produce once they got there.
 
Oct 22, 2009
1,532
0
PA
For us as a showcase team it is largely determined by the players performance at the college level. Not just did we get them signed, but did they produce once they got there.

I would add that of those players who went on to college, how many continued through all 4 years. Many players quit when they get to college after their first or second year. While much of that is due to personal reasons, etc., it can also be a measure of how well these women were prepared by their TB teams to balance the academic and physical demands of playing in college.

As a 14U coach, I do not measure success on w/l, and tell my players up front if you want to win trophies, this is not the team for you. I measure success based on the number of players I develop to go on to play for the top Gold teams in the area. This fall, I will have 3 players move up to our organizations Gold team (one will be joining the team at Gold Nationals later this month). The best teams in our area are looking for players who love to play and are fearless and resilient. It does not matter who the opponent is, they are going to try to beat you. As a coach, if you are worried about w/l's and looking to win easy tournaments, you will not develop these types of players.
 
Jun 27, 2011
5,089
0
North Carolina
At first its simply about how many want to keep playing and learning.

I'll go a step further and say that this remains the #1 litmus test of success in both rec and travel ball at any level, from start to finish.

Kids have different reasons for playing, and those reasons may change based on age and skill level. For some, winning is more important. For others, they just want to play and get better. For all players, they want to be liked and respected by their coaches and teammates.

In any event, if a coach is providing what his/her particular group of players want and need, I believe it will show up in their desire to keep playing and learning.
 
Aug 12, 2014
644
43
The answer is age and experience based. At first its simply about how many want to keep playing and learning. Then it becomes about establishing solid fundamentals and individual development. And ultimately it becomes about teaching them how to make the most of what they have, both as individuals and as a team. Its only when you are a full-time paid professional that it becomes all about wins and losses.

Well said. The best comment I've heard is that the best indicator of a good youth coach is their players want to keep playing. Obviously it depends on age, talent, experience, etc. like you said. But I don't see anywhere until college where it's about W/L.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
For rec ball, I always tried to keep 2 primary goals in mind...Have fun. Get better. If one of them isn't happening, I have failed as a coach.

I think that winning isn't necessarily a primary goal, but shouldn't be ignored, either. Learning how to play with grit and determination - battling to win - is a part of developing as a player, and as a team. At the end, though, I applaud the effort more than the scoreboard.
 
May 13, 2015
13
1
NorCal
I have always viewed it as a bit of a balance. While winning is not the primary goal by any measure, most of the girls and their parents think that winning is more fun than losing. A good coach therefore has to be able to put their players in position to have an opportunity to win, through a combination of player development and selecting the proper level of competition. A team that wins all the time however is not necessarily an indication of a good coach, as it may just be a team that is not being sufficiently challenged to succeed against better competition.

My goal is to have all of the players improve through the course of the season, enjoy playing the game with their friends, and to learn how to win, and lose, as a team.
 
Feb 7, 2013
3,188
48
I don't look at player development and winning as being mutually exclusive. You work hard to improve and have passion for the sport and you will have success on the field. You also need to factor in the type of teams and tournaments you are playing in. I think its important for teams to challenge themselves by playing tough competition, but you don't want to lose every game you play, that's demoralizing even for the most team development focused teams. During the season, you should have a balance of teams that you play (some very tough, and some that you can beat at least some of the time). Getting some hardware occasionally is the exclamation mark on all of the hard work and dedication that led up to the success on the field.
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,481
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top