Rec Trouble

Coach did not coach so a few dads got involved.

It is such a mess.

DD is trying to survive

They are trying but do not know the players.

DD is Ok, they are trying to change her swing before the game and how she pitches.

I think she hit it to the fence with her no stride to annoy him for telling her she could not hit.

It is just a mess.

I feel for you. Sounds just like our all star experience. Head coach doesn't know rules, how to use Dp/flex, how to motivate players, game strategy.... On and on. Assistant coaches are good but it's not enough. It's daddy ball. Or should I say - loser ball.

Tell DD to hold firm to what she knows is right and look to you for guidance where she might learn something by trying something new. Although, I'm a big believer: if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I hope for her, the team moral will be good and look for the silver lining.

I do not tell DD a damn thing once we get to the game, she is what she is.

It annoys me they want to change her and other players at game timè

quincy said:

It annoys me they want to change her and other players at game timè

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This!!!!!!!! Bugs the living day lights out of me. Best of luck.

quincy said:

I do not tell DD a damn thing once we get to the game, she is what she is.

It annoys me they want to change her and other players at game timè

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Yup, I have a girl on our team her swing looks horrible, but she hits the ball and is producing..... why try and fix it!!!!

I know the quality of REC league ball varies around the country, but my DD started her softball career in a Church REC league program and if a person had a pulse they were qualified to coach....parents need to understand early on that if their DD is going to perform at a high level they need to get involved, unless their DD is a top 0.1% athlete. Carpooling your DD to an hour practice with 15 other girls twice a week and playing a game or two on Saturday is NOT going to get it done. Get off your cell phone, log off your computer, leave work on time, clear your calendar on Saturdays and get involved in your kids lives, no matter what their endeavor. NO ONE is in a hospital bed about to breath their last breath thinking to themselves...."I wish I had worked more"!

I coach rec, and my thoughts on this are:

In rec, you're going to have coaches who aren't great at teaching the finer points of the skills. I am one of them, which is why I know this. However, I also know that if someone hits or pitches well, you don't mess with them.

I believe practice is for coaching and games are for playing. Even with a player who isn't very good or is struggling, you don't try to change things at games. They have enough to think about without trying to do something new.

If there weren't dads and moms stepping up to coach, there wouldn't be rec leagues. As the OP said, the coaches are trying. If you have concerns, talk to them. Comments I'm receptive to are things like "this is how I (or her private coach) is teaching her and it seems to be working." I want to give players a consistent message, especially if they are hitting the ball to the fence.

No doubt there is some kid on the team struggling, and the coaches are ignoring that kid in order to "help" your DD.

A rec coach's job is to teach basic fundamentals. If a player already know the basic fundamentals, you work with other kids. (You let the "good" players bat and field at practice, but you don't dedicate any individual time for those kids.)

If you work with a "bad" player for 15 minutes at each practice, you can have a meaningful impact on the child's enjoyment of the game.

CoachKevin said:

Yup, I have a girl on our team her swing looks horrible, but she hits the ball and is producing..... why try and fix it!!!!

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Coach - PLEASE tell me this was sarcasm...

Not sure what level we are talking about but have to assume it's younger girls.

You fix her swing because you are trying to improve her, because the best 10U player will probably not be the best 14U play or the best HS player.
That doesn't mean you try to fix it on game day - but that is what practice is for.

If the coaches can't coach and your sure he doesn't know what he's talking about - then take it with a grain of salt have your dd say "Thank you, I'll try" and just move along
But just because a kid can hit 10U pitching with a bad swing doesn't mean it shouldn't be fixed.

At the 14U and 16U level the hardest girls to work with are the ones that have always been successful with bad habits - The big strong girls who could all throw and hit with BAD mechanics - They get to 14U and girls who were smaller and weaker start blowing by them because they were forced to work on their weaknesses and got better.

So you are mad that the coach is trying to coach your daughter? Who cares if it's before the game during the game or after the game?

Last time I checked Rec coaches aren't getting paid. Rule #1 is never criticize a volunteer coach.