Difference between a mentor and personal coach?

I went thru a couple situations this weekend that got me thinking about the difference money can make in a relationship and entitlement to value.

Scenario 1) My son is getting into more competitive soccer and we recognize that he has the physical abilities and attitude but he lacks basic skills. We find out about a very nice man (from a friend that plays adult leagues) that is one of the best adult players in town that will do “lessons” for kids for free. He just loves the game and insists the family joins for a workout and he helps with planning progression skills. It went so well that we felt bad not paying him. One comment was that he doesn’t mean to sound rude sometimes but he will be honest with us. He has plenty of money so he is just having fun teaching.

Scenario 2) This weekend I am working with my DD on pitching and hitting with a couple other of her friends and parents. Both of the other players have hitting and pitching coaches so I don’t offer advice when we do workouts but will ask questions about what they are doing in lessons. They proceed to show me the same basic drills from the Stone Age and nothing that I can identify as being helpful to their specific issues. It is great they are going to lessons and there is some value there, just not as much as the parents want to believe.

It is funny that so many instructors develop a reputation not on results but really based on how much they cost!

This story stuck with me because I respected the freedom that soccer mentor has of not being beholden to someone and it puts the responsibility back into the parents.

Anybody else have stories of self-less mentors that struck a chord with you? Or get paid for instructing and wish you didn’t?



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Fastpitch_Dad said:

It is funny that so many instructors develop a reputation not on results but really based on how much they cost!

Click to expand...

I disagree somewhat. The reputation and price they can demand sometimes come from the success either they had as a player or a player they coached had 'despite' their instruction, not because of it.

We have a PC locally who teaches pure HE and he tells people 'anyone who sticks with him through 18U gets a chance to play college' - which is technically true. Not necessarily good colleges, but colleges none the less. Privately he will tell you some of these pitchers were not very good, but there are programs that are desperate for even a throwing strikes pitcher. His best pitcher ever is at a D1 school, totally throws IR (with a forced HE finish sometimes) - she is a total natural athlete who has succeeded despite everything he has taught her. Personally I think she could be a lot better than she is if she ever got better coaching (and she is a solid D1 pitcher).

When you talk to this PC, this is who he references. "Look, D1 pitcher has been with me since 10U. Look at her. Your DD could be her" For an uneducated parent who needs to find a PC locally, it is hard to argue with. He actually is reasonably priced - does small group lessons primarily. Not worth even the reasonable price he asks for


Conversely, my DD's hitting coach has evolved his hitting instruction every year with the latest and greatest. My DD has been with him for several years and every year he re-assesses how and why he is teaching the way he does. I appreciate that - "I know more now than I did before so I changed with the new knowledge" is his saying. My DD can rake - she puts in a lot of work, but his instrcution has been invaluable and his research and new information helps keep her interested. Totally worth what I pay

PC coach DD is just worth the $$$. They don't call it IR, but that is what teach using different words.