high school question

[JAD]

Thanks Sparky, have to get the usual 'bash the former player as a coach' in there, so we keep those slots open for old fart know it alls, I guess.

The best way I know to get an "infusion" of former college softball players into coaching is for them to start coaching a REC or All-Star team. Start an independent 10U TB team and grow with the team. It is amazing how many former college players want to start coaching 16U or 18U in a compensated position, but very few of them seem to be willing to "pay their dues" and start at the bottom.....

 

[Doug Romrell]

I particularly like and relate to the following:

My $0.02.....
5) If HS softball players and parents had the same choices they do in TB, there would be a lot of current HS coaches who would be unemployed.
10) If a TB player is paying for pitching or hitting lessons, a good coach will respect that and work to help the player using the mechanics the player is being taught. If a player is struggling the coach should address it directly with the instructor.
11) Good instructors know how their students are doing during the TB and HS season and makes adjustments.
13) When my DD was a freshman I had a discussion with her HS coach basically letting him know that if he tried to change her pitching or hitting mechanics my DD would be playing volleyball for the rest of her high school career.
14) The approach in #13 works better if the HS coach is counting on your DD to be his ace pitcher.

There will be no surprise in what I'd add to the list....

I would add: (15) Most Athletic Directors do not understand the nature of fastpitch softball, particularly travel-ball. That is, they, like the high school coach, generally see high school softball as the wherewithal. And, if travel ball is mentioned, they think you are talking about some sort of rec-ball silliness. If you mention private pitching or hitting coaches, they, like the coach, generally think of meddling folks who should get out of the way. They (athletic directors) do not understand that it is more common across the country for the players to scatter to various private competitive travel teams after the high school season than it is to play on the high school coach's travel team. They, like many high school coaches, are not curious students of the game who come here to educate themselves. Thus, I see high school softball coaches as being more likely to have this "God complex" that was mentioned above. Is a "God complex" really part of the recipe to reaching the maximum possible results? I think not. And, it is this very ignorance in the powers that be in public school softball that cultivates this "God complex" problem. Sure, you can run into coaches with a "God complex" in travel-ball, but the fact that players have a choice (competition) helps to keep it at bay in travel-ball much more so than in high school ball.

So, I believe it is generally a mistake (wasted time) to talk about pitching coaches, hitting coaches, or most everything else with the high school coach or the athletic director (for the more serious concerns). High school ball is a take-it-or-leave-it situation (no choices/a monopoly). In travel-ball, if you don't like what's going on, simply choose a different team (generally many choices/competition for players). In high school ball, if you don't like what's going on, you have to bear down and put up with the nonsense (i.e., the "God complex") or you simply don't go out for high school ball.


As an addendum, I'd like to add the following quote from Sir John Dalberg-Acton - "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." Of course, "men" would mean men/women in the context of this notion of power.

 

[BobInMadison]

This is too dangerous a thread and my wife is yelling at me to shovel the snow.

I will just say I am glad I was able to get DD #3's TB HC and PC to talk to each other about DD #3's pitching, so they could be on the same page.

Snowing pretty hard out there...

 

[quincy]

At this point I am wondering if the guy with the plow has a DD looking for a Team. We have an opening, she can play any position she wants.

 

[grounded]

Hmmm...DD's upcomming possible mess should be interesting...HC who may have played some college softball and hates slappers, vs our 4x All-American slapping instructor..

 

[redhotcoach]

At this point I am wondering if the guy with the plow has a DD looking for a Team. We have an opening, she can play any position she wants.

Oh ya, we can sub her (or him) out though. I am afraid if it snows much longer we are going to need a player with a dad that is a roofer and a girl that has a dad who is a landscaper. The trees in my yard look like they are trying to lay down to take a nap.

 

[Doug Romrell]

I was able to get DD #3's TB HC and PC to talk to each other about DD #3's pitching, so they could be on the same page.

Now that takes a special kind of "God" to accomplish such a feat. Hats off to you, sir.

I would say it takes a pretty special high school coach, pitching coach, and travelball coach for this to be possible. Given the monopoly-like situation that exists in public school softball, the odds of such harmony between high school coach, travelball coach, pitching coach, hitting coach are very low.

 

[Sparky Guy]

Thanks Sparky, have to get the usual 'bash the former player as a coach' in there, so we keep those slots open for old fart know it alls, I guess.

I've seen more than my share of them trying to coach or give lessons. And then there are some really, really good ones. My DD's were fortunate enough to have one in HS. She didn't try to impart non-sense on the players. She learned their strengths and coached her teams to them. Might be something to think about.

 

[Doug Romrell]

Let me also add that life is fully of injustices and wolves in sheep clothing. We can't protect our daughters from all these situations. They do need to run into these challenges from time to time to help them become better adults.

 

[boomer'sdad]

I think #13 will work because it would be a small school. (No middle school ball, so 2a and below) if I remember correctly Boomers dd is a pitcher. If it is the school I think it is, they need a strong pitcher.

Yes, DD is a pitcher hoping to eventually take over the starting job.