Too Many Coaches?

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

osagedr

Canadian Fastpitch Dad
Oct 20, 2016
280
28
So DD as a 2004 is on our area's top TB team of 2003/2004 players. DD is going into the offseason as (AFAIK) the #2 or #3 pitcher. Very big and strong kid who has worked extremely hard and has gained recognition. Have a great PC affiliated with our team who DD has taken clinics and private lessons with since she was 8 (she turns 13 in March). He's got the right personality and great technical knowledge and it all just works for her.

We get to see PC for an hour per week (for now; it will go up in the new year) plus we each week we have a one-hour session with the team's "kinda" PC (two or three pitchers have been showing up for those) plus a weekly one-hour "unstructured" session of pitching/catching.

It's the latter times (and to a certain extent even the sessions with the team's "kinda" PC) that are the issue. The team's "kinda" PC I can live with because at least she has a bit of knowledge (former pitcher with this organization and Div III college player) and occasionally has a tidbit that makes sense for DD, but at the unstructured session sometime the other ACs jump in with tips that are at best not that helpful and in some cases completely wrong.

DD and I are deeply appreciative of the good intentions of the ACs and the fact that they are donating their personal time to the organization (none has any kids on the team nor does the HC). But pitching is obviously a highly technical endeavour and I feel like non-PC ACs who are not qualified to offer technical advice should probably avoid it. Again, I know they are well-meaning. Last week DD was somewhat upset b/c she felt like she had to listen to an AC's pitching tip even though she knew it was wrong. When we saw her longtime PC the following evening he told DD (diplomatically) that she could safely ignore that particular tip.

I don't want the kid to get caught in a tug-of-war among coaches or to be a disruptive influence on the team - but I also think it's counterproductive for someone who is not a PC to be giving random tips to a very talented pitcher. I think I'm inclined to have her just politely smile and nod then more or less ignore the advice, but if an AC insists on something that is wrong should I gently intervene? Or talk to the HC with my concerns?
 
Jun 12, 2015
3,848
83
This is such a tough situation. My DH knows a ton about pitching because our DD pitches. We've got other pitchers who go to a local HE instructor. They're not improving at all, and they both have lots of potential. He mostly keeps it to himself. He will sometimes throw in a warm-up drill that we use with our DD that doesn't directly contradict anything, or he'll mention something like how he doesn't think wrist flips are a necessary part of warming up. But he's very careful about what he says. Ditto on our HC who's really good with the hitting stuff. He'll ask the parents who have their kids in lessons if he can try X Y or Z with their DD's swing before he says anything that might contradict what they're being taught. I think it's tough because there are so many BAD instructors out there. But if you have a good one, the last thing you want is a well-meaning coach messing with it. My DD's PC is awesome and if we had a coach repeatedly telling her things that were wrong I would address it with that coach myself. Just something like, "We really appreciate everything you do for the girls. But she's in lessons with ____ and we don't want to mess her up by having her hear different things from different people." I know if a parent said that to my DH he would back off immediately. It doesn't have to be a big thing, IMO.
 
May 17, 2012
2,804
113
As a coach I hate the , "Smile and Nod". I would rather the player just come out and disagree with the instruction so we can have discussion about it.

I can tell you that as a coach the two things I ask for on the tryout form is the players hitting and/or pitching coach. I simply won't take players from certain pitching and hitting coaches no matter how good the player is. We disagree on basic mechanics and it's not worth the headache!
 
Sep 29, 2014
2,421
113
Simply let the "Asst Coaches" know that your DD has a PC and before she does anything to change her mechanics she will have to run it by the PC.

Now you said pitching and catching session with team, if these are with the teams catchers I would use this time for building the pitcher/catcher/coach relationship so they are on the same page, work on locations, setting up, signs, situations, etc. So that when things happen in a game the coach and catcher all know what to expect from the pitcher...these sessions should not be for mechanics unless it is effecting performance.
 

Strike2

Allergic to BS
Nov 14, 2014
2,044
113
As a coach I hate the , "Smile and Nod". I would rather the player just come out and disagree with the instruction so we can have discussion about it.

I can tell you that as a coach the two things I ask for on the tryout form is the players hitting and/or pitching coach. I simply won't take players from certain pitching and hitting coaches no matter how good the player is. We disagree on basic mechanics and it's not worth the headache!

So, even if the the player is really good, and what she's been taught clearly works, you wouldn't take her because YOUR technique is different? Really?
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
There will always be ACs who think they know more than they really do...it is a fact of life and applies to hitting, pitching and fielding. The best advice I can give you is to find a great PC and stick with them. Work with your DD during bucket sessions to re-enforce the PC's lessons. There are a lot of former players who give advice and lessons who I would not let coach my DD, Jenny Finch being one of them.
 
May 17, 2012
2,804
113
So, even if the the player is really good, and what she's been taught clearly works, you wouldn't take her because YOUR technique is different? Really?

That's right. And it isn't MY technique, they are absolutes with regards to core pitching and hitting movements. Some players are so athletically and/or mentally gifted that they can achieve good results even with poor mechanics. As a coach I avoid those players.


Parent: Suzy hit .375 for her High School team in the spring!

Travel Coach: Suzy holds her bat by the barrel when she swings the bat? You know she is holding the bat upside down?

Parent: Yeah but she hit .375 for her High School team in the spring!

Travel Coach: Just think how much better.....never mind.
 
Dec 8, 2015
249
18
Philadelphia, PA
That's right. And it isn't MY technique, they are absolutes with regards to core pitching and hitting movements. Some players are so athletically and/or mentally gifted that they can achieve good results even with poor mechanics. As a coach I avoid those players.


Parent: Suzy hit .375 for her High School team in the spring!

Travel Coach: Suzy holds her bat by the barrel when she swings the bat? You know she is holding the bat upside down?

Parent: Yeah but she hit .375 for her High School team in the spring!

Travel Coach: Just think how much better.....never mind.

Travel Coach cuts Suzy and offers a spot to Sindy who hit .175 in high school but holds the bat the proper way.
 

osagedr

Canadian Fastpitch Dad
Oct 20, 2016
280
28
Thank you very much all for the advice - I take from everyone's responses that it is appropriate for me as the parent to be polite but firm in noting that the kid has a very qualified PC and so I'd prefer that technical instruction be left to him. Really appreciate everyone's input!
 
Jan 4, 2012
3,852
38
OH-IO
TOO MANY COACHES>>>> good place to put this :cool:

<video width="412" height="100%" controls loop video controls autoplay>
<source src="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/58923514/Resent/Budnight_HB.mp4" />
</video>
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,478
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top