Breaking in to coaching school ball

[BuckeyeGuy]

Drills can be boring, no matter how fast paced. Repetition is necessary, but can be mind numbing. Part of the problem for me is no AC's, so way too much time standing around.

 

[BuckeyeGuy]

We have programs for our JV coach so she does not have anyone standing around. She is alone down there. You don't need ACs to keep them going. The players can do some AC stuff, too, ie the drill involves rotating feeders, etc.

World of difference between HS kids and 7th graders with very little or no real coaching behind them.

 

[PlayPerfect]

World of difference between HS kids and 7th graders with very little or no real coaching behind them.

I'm a ten year youth coach coaching my first high school varsity team. My three daughters played three sports, so we never did travel ball. I watch over 100 college, LLWS or travel games a year. It's all I do. My varsity squad has 6 travel players and 8 hobbyists. Those 6 make up my infield. They play 100 games a year. My other eight play 12 to 18 games a year. My challenge is in not boring my studs and still being able to coach up the other 8. I need to address basic fundamentals because youth coaches are generally very weak. My MAJOR challenge is getting the travel players to buy into things that their allegedly superior travel coaches haven't taught them. Any new concept I offer is met with COMPLETE resistance by the year round players. I want them to KNOW 14 plus signs cold, they think Im over-complicating softball. I ask them what their travel teams' signs are, they give me FOUR!! bunt, take, hit away and steal. They say they don't have more because "it's too hard to remember them all." And they wanna play in college?? My ten year old house players handled 10! ( show bunt and pull, and show bunt and swing away, suicide squeeze, safety squeeze, sneaky bunt, 1st and third scenarios, sit on change up, perfect pitch green light, are the others) I fully expected my varsity high schoolers to handle that plus a few more. I asked them to bat left with a stealing runner on first, show bunt and pull and stand tall to get in the catchers way on a steal, and they have no idea what Im talking about. That's the most basic of my requests. I could offer 10 other examples but this post would be three pages long. Add in the travel parents who can't handle accepting that they are paying money for the travel experience and a rookie varsity coach is telling their kids to do something different..ugh...MY HANDS ARE FULL!! Oh, and no AC the last 25 days. I have one coming in tomorrow. Finally!!

 

[BuckeyeGuy]

Not true, I am talking JV, and half of them at that level never played or stopped when young. You don't need an AC.

Very true if you look beyond playing experience to maturity level.

 

[BuckeyeGuy]

And so it begins...

Gave the girls their starting positions tonight, already got an email from an upset parent. Eesh. This isn't rec, ladies!

 

[riseball]

The AD here makes it clear that coaches will not discuss playing time or position assignments with parents (or even entertain those types of emails). However (big however) the coaches will discuss what the player can do to earn a position or playing time, but that is with the player.

What we and what will work at any age if to have an evaluation meeting with each player on tryouts and first practices. It can be five minutes each while the players do a bonding or team meeting.

Obviously this AD has no confidence in the ability of the coaches to handle a normal facet of their job. Yet another instance of instituting a policy in lieu of the exercise of proper judgement and common sense. This is the same thought process that resulted in a student being disciplined for a "pop tart gun".

 

[obbay]

I want them to KNOW 14 plus signs cold, they think Im over-complicating softball.

They are right my friend .
Sue Enquist said when she coached UCLA they had 3 signs. that might be a bit extreme for you but it was a high level program and bthe message was: Keep it simple.

Example: I wouldn't have a separate bunt and suicide squeeze sign. they should understand what needs to happen aftyer you show them in practice..

 

[KCM]

Suck it up Buckeye - the fun has just begun.

My word of advice is stop the drama before it starts and that includes in the bleachers.

 

[riseball]

Our policy on not discussing playing time is a good one, and it comes from way up on high beyond the high schools. The main reason is that it typically entails discussing other players (by comparison) and that would be detrimental. It may also be against privacy laws, as those apply to all aspects of high school activities from health to grades. You can't discuss a kid's tryout scores with other parents than their own, for example.

We are trying to raise young ladies who inquire on their own, and don't have parents doing things for them for what typically are ego reasons.

Seems like you have a solid understanding of some very simple and quite basic constraints. Too bad you and other coaches at your area are not treated as professionals and trusted to execute accordingly. Bummer.

 

[BuckeyeGuy]

Suck it up Buckeye - the fun has just begun.

My word of advice is stop the drama before it starts and that includes in the bleachers.

I'm with you. I gave her the reasons (attitude and effort, plus she's no longer the best player on a rec team any more), haven't heard a peep.