Wow! High School Softball Contract

[JJsqueeze]

On the spectrum of things a coach can do that I think is bad, having a bunch of overreaching rules and making girls do exercise as a result of violations ranks pretty low. The rules seem pretty easy to follow and we have no idea of the "why" behind this contract being implemented. At this age the girls are close to being grown women and should be able to abide by this set of rules.

 

[Classof2020]

On the spectrum of things a coach can do that I think is bad, having a bunch of overreaching rules and making girls do exercise as a result of violations ranks pretty low. The rules seem pretty easy to follow and we have no idea of the "why" behind this contract being implemented. At this age the girls are close to being grown women and should be able to abide by this set of rules.

I completely agree with JJ just by having those rules spelled out the way they are and agreed to by the student and parents means you don't end up having to enforce it almost at all I bet. In this day and age where so many kids no longer learn to follow rules at home I'm glad that this group of kids is learning what it means from someone. So what if the coach is ex-military. I bet they can actually hold a practice without a bunch of girls missing, showing up whenever they choose and not having their cleats that day.

 

[TorontoCFE]

It's not usually a good idea to use exercise as punishment. You are signalling that exercise is to be avoided and some may take it like that.

The rules also say that missing practice for a job is not tolerated. Is that the message they are going for?

I assume they have lots of kids trying to be on the team because around here if you demand total commitment to a single activity, some girls would shrug and go elsewhere.

 

[Country Boy]

HS coaches are lucky. They only have to contend with spring break. Travel coaches have to deal with school trips, other sports, high school tryouts or camps, mission trips with the church and all sorts of other things. Or just not take those kids.

Ken, I have long appreciated your wisdom and experience. But the above comment is dreadfully ignorant.

I also have girls miss HS practices for school trips, other sports, church activities. Also FFA contests, Choir contests, Scholastic Bowl contests, Tutoring, After School detentions, Play practice, etc. This year so far, I have girls missing games to go on College visits, training for their summer job and work.

To say that any facet of HS softball coaching is easy is like saying that any competent TB coach should win 95% of their games because they have handpicked talent.

 

[Ken Krause]

Ken, I have long appreciated your wisdom and experience. But the above comment is dreadfully ignorant.

I also have girls miss HS practices for school trips, other sports, church activities. Also FFA contests, Choir contests, Scholastic Bowl contests, Tutoring, After School detentions, Play practice, etc. This year so far, I have girls missing games to go on College visits, training for their summer job and work.

To say that any facet of HS softball coaching is easy is like saying that any competent TB coach should win 95% of their games because they have handpicked talent.

Country Boy, I never said it was easy. But I stand corrected on whether HS coaches have to deal with all that. Thanks. The statement I made is true in the area where I live, but obviously not everywhere. I have known several players who were punished in one form or another for going on school-sponsored trips, or participating in other school activities. One girl I coached was put on JV her senior year because she went to a competition for show choir on one of the days of tryouts - even though show choir was a graded class and she notified the coach ahead of time. She had been a varsity starter the year before. That same year, an underclassman who was caught drinking alcohol at a party received a half-year suspension but was given a varsity spot anyway. The message, I suppose, was it's better to be caught drinking underage than to compete for your school in another activity. (The show choir won the national competition by the way, which probably had something to do with it.)

Personally, I think HS coaches have it the toughest when it comes to putting a competitive team on the field. You have no say in who your players are, and in most places you have about two to four weeks to get your team ready before they have to start playing games. There is nothing easy about that.

But I do notice in my area that girls will miss a travel tournament or practice for reasons that they would never approach their HS coaches about for fear of losing their spots. So I guess it all depends on where you are.

 

[jdavenp3]

I hope these guys put as much thought into their game plan as they put into their punishment plan.

I often wonder why adult coaches feel the need to intimidate youth sports players. Not to mention I don't see where running hills or poles will help a player improve her grades. Mandatory, additional study time sure. Extra homework, ok. But conditioning? Work the problem, people. Unless the goal is to drive players away.

For those who don't think it's ridiculous, how about just putting a doggy shock collar on the kid and let the coach zap her so she learns that poor grades or not turning in assignments is unacceptable? It's basically the same thing.

Now, if you want to do extra conditioning for disrespecting an umpire or a teammate, throwing a bat or helmet, that sort of misbehavior I can see it.

I cannot agree more. These coaches are taskmasters. I have a Bachelor's degree in Psychology but anyone can see the narcissism in this statement "Sleeves MUST be worn when I am wearing them". So as a coach I should expect to rip the individualism out of our girls and make them in my own image? God complex much? I could not fully understand what context this is written but it seem that if the coach is wearing long sleeves at practice then so should the girls.

I am a high school coach and I understand the premise that they are setting the contract for but it seems that they are using this contract to cut players/as a scare tactic. Weeding out the good from the bad and the weak from the strong is an unfortunate byproduct of this job but they are taking it to the extreme.

Like someone said, how many of your girls have ran 6 miles as a form of conditioning before? 6 miles is no small feat. Now these coaches expect the girls to do this? No, they dont. This is a scare tactic and I am glad they have had previous success for the girls' sake. However, to each their own and I will build towards success in a slightly less dictatorship-type of way.

 

[Anthony Vertuccio]

ok...lost of good points. But there needs to be something that has consequences for missing games or practices. If you are sick its one thing but what are good excuses for missing practices or games? Is it fair to the players who always show up no matter what and constantly sacrifice fore the team to have someone miss practice/games and have no consequences given to them?

 

[riseball]

I don't think anyone is suggesting that there should not be consequences for inappropriate actions. The problem is when the consequences are so draconian and punitive to the point that some would call them abusive. There are simply better, more positive ways to motivate young ladies. Unfortunately too many HS coaches across many sports are fairly old school and do not know how to lead and motivate athletes.

 

[SCDad]

The REAL question is whether or not these rules make for a better high school softball team.

I think not, Much better to set looser rules, and let individual players know the coaches are pissed at them ... well ... just because you are pissed at them. Let the coaches decide who to scold, and not based on a preset group of rules that everyone signs.

Have rules, FINE, but to win that is different.

 

[riseball]

Seen many a coach back themselves into a corner with a multitude of rules and preset consequences. Do not confuse treating players equally with treating players fairly. What works for one kid is lost on another. The mindset in this contract is the same one that gives us zero tolerance policies that school administrators hide behind to avoid having to think, exercise proper judgement, and then be accountable for those decisions.