Rules/Guidelines for Parents at Showcase Tournaments

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Aug 19, 2015
1,118
113
Atlanta, GA
Our 14U team has a big one coming up this weekend, our first with this coach. I, personally, am glad to have these guidelines. I wonder what others think of them, especially our TB coach DFP members out there. Here's his list for us:

Just as a reminder:

- Make sure that you do not sit under or next to the coaches tent behind home plate.
- Besides saying hello, do not talk to a college coach anywhere at the ball park unless you have a older daughter that plays for that coach.
- Under no circumstance should you argue or yell at the umpires.
- Do not approach or enter the dugout to talk to your daughter. There will be a drink cooler in the dugout with water for them to drink.
- Encourage your child while they are playing. Do not try to coach or communicate with them while they are on the field or in the dugout.Do not yell instructions to your daughter.
- College coaches will be watching the parents to see how they act during the games. I have seen coaches get up and leave during a game just because the parents were complaining about the umpires.
- Remember these are showcase games, the college coaches are there to look at your daughters mechanics and evaluate her talent level. They are not worried about the score of the game or who is winning. I coach to win every game we play, however showcase games are played differently.


Thoughts?
 
May 15, 2016
926
18
Other than college coaches being there, shouldn't these rules apply to all tournaments, not just showcases?

I imagine many of us dream that all parents will abide by #3-6 in any scrimmage, league, regular tournament or showcase.
 
Aug 19, 2015
1,118
113
Atlanta, GA
I think they're great and I really also like the way he's worded it. Others have discussed how most of the "crazy" parent behavior seems to settle down at 14U and I think that's true from what I've seen (for the most part). I have seen, though, parents take their girls aside between games and give them stern "talking-tos" about whatever the parent perceived the girl to be doing wrong during the last game. We don't do that anymore. If she wants to come over and talk about whatever mistakes she may have made, we'll listen, but we're leaving it to Coach at this point. She listens better to someone other than her parents at this age anyway!
 
Oct 5, 2015
91
18
Our 14U team has a big one coming up this weekend, our first with this coach. I, personally, am glad to have these guidelines. I wonder what others think of them, especially our TB coach DFP members out there. Here's his list for us:

Just as a reminder:

- Make sure that you do not sit under or next to the coaches tent behind home plate.
- Besides saying hello, do not talk to a college coach anywhere at the ball park unless you have a older daughter that plays for that coach.
- Under no circumstance should you argue or yell at the umpires.
- Do not approach or enter the dugout to talk to your daughter. There will be a drink cooler in the dugout with water for them to drink.
- Encourage your child while they are playing. Do not try to coach or communicate with them while they are on the field or in the dugout.Do not yell instructions to your daughter.
- College coaches will be watching the parents to see how they act during the games. I have seen coaches get up and leave during a game just because the parents were complaining about the umpires.
- Remember these are showcase games, the college coaches are there to look at your daughters mechanics and evaluate her talent level. They are not worried about the score of the game or who is winning. I coach to win every game we play, however showcase games are played differently.


Thoughts?

-don't be upset if your kid is sitting and another player is in her position. It very well could be that she wrote a college that has shown up.

-discretely alert your college coordinator/coach if there is a new coach that shows up that they haven't noticed.

-don't block college coaches sight lines anywhere. They know the kid can play but they may be looking at them in the dugout to see how they react when not playing. Are they cheering? Are they the first one to greet the team at the half inning?


A few for you to pass on to your daughter:

-tell your child to call time and talk to 3rd base coach if the bunt sign was given

-tell your child swing the bat, colleges don't want to see you walk to first
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
I would also add that college coaches like to see how players react when they fail - strikeout, make an error, walk a batter, give up a homerun, ect, so tell your DD and her teammates to always be positive no matter what happens.
 
Jul 16, 2013
4,659
113
Pennsylvania
As JAD mentioned, coaches like to see how players react to adversity. So not only is it important for them to stay positive and move on to the next pitch, but they also need to support their teammates in a positive way.

Don't forget that these rules do not only apply during the games. Some college coaches will watch players walk to the field (parents should never carry the player's bag or gear). They will also watch warm ups to make sure players are professional and not just going through the motions. How the player acts after the game and in between games could also be scrutinized.

Remember, college recruiting is not a selection process, it is an elimination process. Do not do anything that can get you eliminated.
 
May 17, 2012
2,804
113
I think that goes for every tournament and I would bring it up at the initial parents meeting and shouldn't have to mention it again.

I know parents are fans which is short for fanatics (or crazy people).
 
Apr 16, 2010
924
43
Alabama
The first one about sitting behind the plate drives me crazy. This summer at the Legacy LSU's HC was trying to sit down and watch but a parent and a player from another team were piled up at the table. You could tell Torina was aggravated.

At the D9 I was talking with a PAC-12 coach about our team when parents from the opposing team started popping open umbrellas for shade right behind the back stop. She is watching my pitcher and having to move around them for video and to use her pocket radar.
 

TMD

Feb 18, 2016
433
43
- Make sure that you do not sit under or next to the coaches tent behind home plate.
- Besides saying hello, do not talk to a college coach anywhere at the ball park unless you have a older daughter that plays for that coach.
- Under no circumstance should you argue or yell at the umpires.
- Do not approach or enter the dugout to talk to your daughter. There will be a drink cooler in the dugout with water for them to drink.
- Encourage your child while they are playing. Do not try to coach or communicate with them while they are on the field or in the dugout.Do not yell instructions to your daughter.
- College coaches will be watching the parents to see how they act during the games. I have seen coaches get up and leave during a game just because the parents were complaining about the umpires.
- Remember these are showcase games, the college coaches are there to look at your daughters mechanics and evaluate her talent level. They are not worried about the score of the game or who is winning. I coach to win every game we play, however showcase games are played differently.

This one is HUGE. Any parent who doesn't think a coach will move on and cross their daughter of their list based on the parent's behavior is fooling themselves. I've seen it happen firsthand.

JAD's point about watching how a player reacts to adversity and failure is equally huge.
 

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