She has a hitting coach...

[Eric F]

Can't agree with this. Except in situations where the coach makes a casual remark, like ''swing down and through the ball,'' but doesn't continue to badger the player or make an issue of it. I understand that sometimes it's better to ignore and the problem will disappear.

But otherwise, if I'm a travel coach and know a parent has told his/her kid to smile, nod and ignore me, I'm pretty upset. Instead, have the kid or the parent come to me and say, "I don't trust that particular hitting instruction. Hitting coach is saying something else. It's causing conflict.''

That way, it can be worked out. Otherwise, the parent is coaching the kid, not the travel coach. Maybe I'm naive, but I believe in as much open, honest discussion as possible. If a head coach can't handle that, he/she is not a very good coach.

In most cases there should be a conversation between the parent and coach, I absolutely agree. That doesn't always happen before the kid has been given swing tips. With both of my kids, they have been given bad advice (squish the bug, swing level, don't let the rear shoulder drop, etc., etc.) before I have been able to create that buffer. Then again, I'm dealing with rec league and mediocre HS ball, which is a bit different than TB.

If my DD was on a TB team, I would have a conversation with the coach right from the beginning. When I am the coach, I ALWAYS ask the parents about hitting instructors and whether it's okay for me to teach them.

 

[Doug Romrell]

When I am the coach, I ALWAYS ask the parents about hitting instructors and whether it's okay for me to teach them.

Just imagine if all coaches would do that. However, I think it is much more common for the coach to not give a fart if the player has a hitting or pitching coach, particularly if that hitting or pitching coach is teaching something unfamiliar to the coach. Of course, in these cases it is shameful and does not result in optimal outcomes for the team or the player.

Worst of all, in my opinion, is when the coach proclaims that "You will all learn THESE mechanics when hitting." Of course, the translation of this is..."We don't give a HOOT what you've been taught or by whom. Frankly, we're not interested. You WILL learn THESE mechanics if you are going to play for US!" Again, very shameful and not optimal for the team or player.

Though difficult, a strong dose of humility and respect of others who also have knowledge of the game is vital to being a good coach.

 

[softball88]

I've never been associated with a team that has done this. Teams I have coached with, we would work with the PC or hc. Example: we picked up a decent hitter but she struggled with the inside pitch...we pointed it out asked the girl to take it to her hc...she worked with her and now us.

I do have an opposite story. 11u girl pitching, I'm the AC...the girl was bent over at the waist, reaching out, looks like she was going to fall over or dive into a pool (joke). I was trying keep her, more of a k. Dad yelled at me and told me PC wants her to pitch like this...what? Dad yells at me again...ok. walked away. she couldn't throw a strike ...if she did it was under 40.....girl was gone after fall ball. Dad didn't like that we didn't help his daughter

 

[Doug Romrell]

Bottom line is this.... It seems to be near impossible for some to respect each other. It's a problem with parent respecting coaches. It's a problem with coaches respecting parents. It's a problem with high school coaches respecting travelball coaches and vice-versa. Too bad there isn't medication one can take for this ailment.

 

[Greenmonsters]

IMO, the problem is that too many, including coaches, instructors, players, and parents, don't know what they don't know and don't put in any effort to know better, which is how you earn respect IMO.

 

[MagicDad]

On my DD's team the head coach is in contact with her hitting coach. We have girls for all over the place and the head coach is in contact with most if not all of the different hitting coaches. He said he's mostly wants to get the cues on the same page with the hitting coaches. He also like to know what we're working.

So my suggest would be to give the head coach the hitting coaches phone number and let them talk.

 

[JAD]

JAD: You won't be there on the HS field so how you gonna do that? The kid needs to work on this type of thing with both or three sets of coaches, not the parent. I find some bad private coaches are saying the dumbest things that I have to correct at HS, and they don't teach the kid squat about using the skills in a real game.

I have had several "in depth" conversations with the HS coach, and we are both in agreement that my DD's pitching coach is the only instruction she will receive.

 

[nanotech14]

JAD: You won't be there on the HS field so how you gonna do that? The kid needs to work on this type of thing with both or three sets of coaches, not the parent. I find some bad private coaches are saying the dumbest things that I have to correct at HS, and they don't teach the kid squat about using the skills in a real game.

Sorry, but why do you feel that you know more then all parents and private coaches?

 

[Eric F]

JAD: You won't be there on the HS field so how you gonna do that? The kid needs to work on this type of thing with both or three sets of coaches, not the parent. I find some bad private coaches are saying the dumbest things that I have to correct at HS, and they don't teach the kid squat about using the skills in a real game.

I've heard dumb things come out of the mouths of LOTS of different people - private instructors, team coaches (including HS), and parents. I've also heard some fantastic things from each of those same types of people. Making sweeping judgments is egotistical.

 

[Cannonball]

Forgive me for posting this. Here is my "experts" handout that I started giving parents in 2005. That was the first year that I had any player in my program go to a hitting coach. The freshmen that year had many. I suppose the majority of you won't like this but this how I ran my program. We tended to be one of the best in the area, win many games and have the vast majority of my players play in college.

EXPERTS:

Expert is defined as an authority or specialist on a given subject.

While this sounds fantastic, the reality is that Experts are a DIME A DOZEN. Their opinions vary like the wind. What style of hitting is better, linear or rotational? Ask and you shall receive multitudes of opinions. Recently, I heard one college coach commenting on why the linear approach to hitting is superior simply because “that’s how Bobby Bonds and Albert Pujos hit.” Instantly, I knew that I didn’t want my child playing for this guy. However, I saw a room full of parents shaking their heads in agreement. They were listening to an EXPERT. Do you “throw your hands at the ball” or “let the ball get to you?” Is one of these cues linear and one rotational? Which is which? Do you teach a downward swing at the ball or do you “match the plane of the ball?” Do you understand the simple rhyme, “Body and hands are better together?” Reality, there is a portion of the swing that incorporates both rotational and linear aspects of the swing. Besides hitting, those same EXPERTS have a multitude of opinions on pitching. I’ve actually heard one EXPERT state that he gets increased motion from his pitchers by teaching them to throw “against their arm slot.” First, what does that mean and secondly, why would you want your son changing their natural arm slot? What about “scapula loading?” This is the new catch phrase in pitching? Do you understand that another phrase for scapula is the shoulder blades? If you believe in “scapula loading” then do you also believe in swinging the leg around and down instead of down and forward? GETS CONFUSING DOESN’T IT? Can you believe that we can find EXPERTS on every phase of the game that disagree with each other? EXPERTS can’t even agree on the benefits of icing a pitcher’s arm after a game.

Coach Butler, this is all fine and good as well as somewhat confusing but what is your point? My point is very simple. One young man came up and filled out a tryout questionnaire. His Dad wanted me to know that they had paid a lot of money on “Professional Lessons” and they’d appreciate it if I wouldn’t try to change him. Understandable! Many of you have also paid a small fortune on “Private Lessons.” Great! Your son was able to be around baseball. Please note that we don’t believe in change simply for change sake. However, when and if we determine that your son needs to make adjustments and or wholesale changes we will suggest those changes for the good of our program. Isn’t that what a “Coach” is supposed to do? When it comes to our program and what has been successful for the past 20 years, WE are the EXPERT. As a Parent, please feel free at any time to then remove your son from the program should you feel that your son is being taught something against what your EXPERT has taught. After all, you have paid some “Professional” a lot of money for those “Professional Lessons.”