High School Coaches

00fpdaddy said:

Nice coach, but have been told by parents (current and past), dont even come close of raising an issue with any issues related to the team nuff said.

Click to expand...

Suggestion: "Coach, DD has been taught NOT to pitch the ball down the middle of the plate. She has also been taught to get as much movement on a pitch as possible. If you want her to challenge our hitters, she'll be more than happy to pitch BP. But she will not just throw the ball down the middle. If this is going to be a problem, then she won't be pitching for you. You are the coach - but I am the parent not only paying for pitching instruction but health insurance for her."

Sometimes you just HAVE to be the parent...even if it results in conflict with an idiot...

SoCal, so you are suggesting that the parent go talk to the coach rather than the DD raising this with the coach?

Just got done reading this thread, and received this via E-Mail. Print it out and give it to the coach. Down the middle is crazy. Even with a screen



Local baseball community mourns death of Roland-Grise 6th-grader | StarNewsOnline.com

DD told me about a similiar set up. I am usually a do as the coach wants. For this though I said she should talk to the coach and say her pitching coach does not want this. I told her if you pitch you throw to get them out. That will help both of you. I also told her after around 30 minutes to shut down and stop and take a break. Luckily her coach agreed.

sluggers said:

SoCal, so you are suggesting that the parent go talk to the coach rather than the DD raising this with the coach?

Click to expand...

Only if the coach ignores DD...I agree that the player should always try first...

Ok, so lets put some perspective on this. This could be a positive and/or a negative. 00fpdaddy's DD is getting a chance to work on her skills if she is somewhat creative with it. For example, instead of "laying it in there," how about practicing hitting the catcher or markings on a mat with each pitch. Learning how to have absolute control! It will be what you want it to be. When I was coaching and doing presentations for camps, I always did a throwing demonstration. In fact, when I went to the group assembled and did my short speech about how good each person choses to be, my HS players would hear the intro, know what was about to happen and then, get a stool set up with a Coke can on it about 90 feet away. When they walked over to the fence, I knew it was set up. So, I would ask them how many pitches did they think I threw in a day for BP. (You wouldn't believe it.) Then, I'd ask about how good would that make me at throwing. Then, I spin with the ball in my hand and hit that can of coke. One time a boy asked me what if I missed. I told him I never thought about missing. That's how good my control was or as one player once said, "Coach Butler can hit a fly on the dugout wall from the mound if he wants to." (Exaggerations but not by a lot.) Am I making sense?

SoCalASABlue said:

Only if the coach ignores DD...I agree that the player should always try first...

Click to expand...

I agree. Our youth have to learn to deal with problems, with those older, perhaps higher in authority. With that being said, there will always be adult idiots who need a parent to step in while they are "minors". Nothing wrong with a respectful parent voicing a concern.

JJsqueeze said:

I don't have any input on the high school side, but at 12U we have my daughter attack the batters like she would in a game to give them real world practice. She is trying to strike them out and they are trying to hit. The catcher is calling locations and pitches etc. If they want them fat just set up a machine. These are two entirely different practice scenarios as far as I can see. One is timing and mechanics (fat) one is pitch selection and more real world (live pithing).

Click to expand...

In TB we have 4 pitchers, 2 catchers and 12 total players, so sometimes for fun we divide up - pitchers/catchers(6) vs. batters(6). We have a competition to see if the batters can get more hits or the pitchers/catchers can get more outs. Catchers call pitches and try to strike out our batters. Losing team has to clean the field after practice.

The coach is the one that should be throwing innumerable pitches down the middle, not a teenager. He can do it and won't. I wonder why?

The only student that I have in this situation currently, has a mom that won't hesitate to tell the coach, "No!." Her DD is a top pitcher, so they either want her on the team or they don't.

Yes, the girl should tell the coach, herself, but when you only have one pitcher for JV - and one for V, the coach should know better.

Thanks to all for the feedback. Will keep u updated as season goes on.