10 signs that you should find another team...

Beeg said:

9. Every practice has the same boring drills: e.g., 30 mins of throwing back and forth, 60 mins of scrimmage where most players stood there idol.

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If a player needs to work on a particular deficiency they need to work on it until it is not a weakness. If that means doing the same "boring" drills repetitively so be it. As a coach I am not there to entertain your daughter with exciting drills every week.

Someone asked in another thread about how to get faster at pitching and riseball's response was a good one, long toss every day for 4 weeks. That is repetitive and boring but it also helps an identified weakness.

GunnerShotgun said:

If a player needs to work on a particular deficiency they need to work on it until it is not a weakness. If that means doing the same "boring" drills repetitively so be it. As a coach I am not there to entertain your daughter with exciting drills every week.

Someone asked in another thread about how to get faster at pitching and riseball's response was a good one, long toss every day for 4 weeks. That is repetitive and boring but it also helps an identified weakness.

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100% agree.

I was reading an article recently on the mindset of Kobe Bryant, and loved his point about how if you want to the best you have to "get past boring". Don't get me wrong, are there some coaches who just don't know what else to do, sure. But the longer I coach, the more I tend to see "boring" = I just don't want to do this.

Coach Foster said:

100% agree.

I was reading an article recently on the mindset of Kobe Bryant, and loved his point about how if you want to the best you have to "get past boring". Don't get me wrong, are there some coaches who just don't know what else to do, sure. But the longer I coach, the more I tend to see "boring" = I just don't want to do this.

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I agree with both of you, but I think some thought has to be placed on the age group. At younger ages, the attention span is just not as long. So mixing things up by introducing a different drill or tweaking an old drill can hold their attention a little longer. The team I coach now is half college players and half high school seniors. They have a completely different focus, therefore my practice plan is different.

I'm not a coach, nor do I play one on TV, but when DD was on the tryout circuit, I had the opportunity to observe many different practices. The ones that seemed the "best" to me were the ones that were fluid and dynamic. It was almost like watching ballet. Having the girls throw as quickly as they could from base to base and rotating around the bases while calling "two," "four," "three," "one" (you know that drill?). Everyone was moving until it was time for a break and everyone then took a break. So much more efficient use of time than the old "stand in line until your turn to bat or field the grounder" type drill. I think that takes creativity and it also requires players' and coaches' full attention.

FP26 said:

I agree with both of you, but I think some thought has to be placed on the age group. At younger ages, the attention span is just not as long. So mixing things up by introducing a different drill or tweaking an old drill can hold their attention a little longer. The team I coach now is half college players and half high school seniors. They have a completely different focus, therefore my practice plan is different.

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I'm with you there. With the younger ones, you definitely have to do more to keep them engaged.

I guess I have to wonder why you joined this team in the first place?

MNDad said:

I guess I have to wonder why you joined this team in the first place?

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If we only knew then what we know now is usually the answer.

6 out of 13, I guess we're leaving. Damn it.