Starting the year with a team that doesn't stand a chance

[Osric]

So, the instructional league that I've been a part of for the past 6 years has a 14U division open to outside teams (not formed within the instructional league itself). We have 10 teams total in the league (which is a lot considering the population of the area), partly drawn from middle-school teams, partly from semi-recruited teams. My team is basically made up of the girls who either didn't want to play for, or got cut from, the middle school teams. We've had 2 practices...

Hooo...boy. We are in trouble.

No real pitcher, no real catcher, very little hitting ability. Several players who have never played before and honestly should be playing in a 12u league (but our league doesn't really have a 12u...we have a "Minors" 8U, "Majors" 11U, and "Juniors" 14U.) The best two players are girls who I had on my team last year who I would generously say were "average" players.

So, what do you do when you coach a team that realistically don't have a chance? For me, it is back to basics. I'm almost treating this like I was coaching an 8u team again.

Here's what I've discovered about myself now that I'm coaching a lower-level team. I think I'm actually a better coach now than I was last year. I'm using a lot more positive re-enforcement because I'm not expecting them to play at a higher level. I'm teaching them more basics because I know several players don't even know the basic rules. I'm even probably getting them more reps at stations, because I"m not spending time over-explaining or working on advanced concepts. Field the ball, throw. Field the ball, throw. Field the ball, throw.

I really don't know if we'll win a single game this year. So much comes down to having a pitcher who can throw an occasional strike and a catcher that can occasionally stop the ball. I have a feeling that I'll be spending a lot more of my time working one-on-one with the pitchers/catchers and having the ACs take over fielding and batting, limited as my knowledge is in those areas. Gunna do my best to make sure they have fun.

 

[Bchbum54]

Defense, defense, defense. DD was on a team last year that was mostly younger girls who had never played before. We thought the same thing but we did manage to squeeze out a couple wins playing solid defense. You would have thought our girls had won a world championship the way the parents reacted. I realize 14U is a different monster then 10U but id like to think you could muster up at least one game. Let us know how your girls do as you move forward with your season

 

[medicpelle]

You don't need wins for the girls to have fun and remember the experience. Look at it this way there is no pressure on you. Just teach the game and have fun. Give them small goals to reach each game so they feel like they are progressing. Good things will happen.

 

[humpty]

Defense, base running , bunting

 

[Coachw01]

In very simple terms. Make them want to come back the next day.

This winter I had one of the girls basketball coaches (4th grade team) ask me how I can do this all the time (coaching -I coach the varsity wrestling team at our high school) and if I had any advice and I told him yes, "make sure that they want to play tomorrow and do that every day you have contact with them". I believe if students can have 'fun' and enjoy what they are doing/learning eventually the fundamental, provided they are being taught, will be a non issue. I'm not a 'just have fun' guy but I am a huge 'give kids a positive experience' guy. It may take a while for some of your players to get it but as long as they want to keep coming back, you have a chance with them.

Good luck to you!!

 

[gophert]

Don't make the score the barometer of success. Set individual goals each game, communicate those goals to the girls and let that be what you talk about at the end of the game. For pitchers can catchers, perhaps have someone keep up with 1st pitched strikes and strike to ball ratio. Early in the season, those are the goals for my pitcher. She gets bonus points for 1st batter out per inning. Catchers can be graded on blocks etc. Make it fun and never talk about the score, only if you accomplished your goal. You will see huge improvements and at the end of the day, isn't that what a coach is supposed to do, improve the players.

 

[marriard]

Goal #1 Find two pitchers who can throw strikes. At this point it doesn't matter how hard, you just want to avoid walk fests. Make teams hit to score - you can live with that over 12 walks.

Goal #2 Find two catchers who can catch the wild pitches and block the bad pitches you are going to get especially early in the season

Goal #3 Everyone BUNTS. Fast or slow, put the ball in play. Show it early. You will run into teams that just CAN'T field a bunt and the occasional bunt/overthrow/now my runner is on third play will score you some runs. Also some pitchers can't handle it. And some coaches. Got to make a

Goal #4 Defense and easy outs. Forget getting lead runners or stopping someone scoring from third. Give up runs for outs.

And take risks. Play extra infielders (no one says you have to have 3 outfielders). Shift all your fielders to one side. Steal until they stop you. Take big leads on bases.

Celebrate small wins and successes during a game like you won a world series.

Make sure they have fun and you will have a successful season - win or lose.

 

[Comp]

I feel your pain. My daughter was asked to start her schools softball program starting with a middle school team so they can transition them into high school ball. She had 19 show up for tryouts and selected 15 for the team telling them all if they accepted a position they were making a commitment and she expected them to stick with it because she had let other girls go. Within a week she was down to 10 players, some just didnt show up, others decided to run track or play soccer. The school does not have a field to practice on, so she has been trying to practice next to a soccer field. She had to have a 2nd round of tryouts and after the first experience she just decided to take all the girls that showed up, except now she has 19 that have actually been showing up to practice. I have been trying to help her coach, but 19 kids is just to many for 2 coaches to try and keep busy, especially when you dont have a field to practice on. Fortunately she does have a girl who pitches B level club ball and can get the ball over the plate, but that comes with its own problems. The first day of practice the girls father explained to my daughter she is a "club ball player" so really wont be listening to anything she is instructing the girls in how to play.

 

[Comp]

Its kind of funny. The girl didn't listen to any instruction for the first couple of weeks. She is a dead pull hitter and tends to roll over outside pitches. Last night in the cage my daughter was doing some t work with her and got her to make a few minor adjustments in her swing. You could actually hear the difference in her contact with the ball. She looked at my daughter and said "it feels a lot more solid". So maybe she will start listening a little more.

 

[Elk Grove Hurricane]

Best advice I can give you is to remember why we want our daughters to play this game in the first place. Yeah, they'll be lucky to win more than a handful of games, but you're building confidence in them. You want them to learn that if they put the time in, never say I can't, are willing to work for something bigger than themselves, and have the courage to try they'll do more than they realistically think is possible. No, state titles probably aren't in the picture. But they can learn to be better than where they are, and a win against any good team is going to feel like a PGF championship to them. And that's why we want them to play the game.