daddyball issues as an assistant coach

I am currently an assistant coach on a12U "A" ball team. I put A in quotes because I think we have about 4 legit A ball players, 1 who is OK, and 5 who are C ball players. My manager's daughter is one of the C ball players, but he insists on putting her in the 5 hole and at first base. She has no business in either spot and it is obvious to everyone except him I guess. He has asked me for my depth chart and I put her in a corner outfield spot every time and hitting 6th or 7th. Worst part is, he has one of the girls who I would consider a legit A ball player in center and yes I get that center is not a bad spot for a good player, but this particular girl is a big slow girl, not your prototypical CF and no that girl is not my DD.

We have barely started and had a few friendlies, but I do not want to be considered a part of this daddy ball crap and would like to nip it now, but I guess I don't have the balls to just tell him his daughter has no business there. Looking for any advice on how to handle this?

IMO an assistance coach is just that, an assistant. I too am an assistance coach, when the HC asks me for my opinion I will give it to him. Sometimes he takes my suggestions, sometimes he doesn't. My job is to support his decisions and lift the heavy things.

I guess what I am saying is if you really don't agree with what he is doing, then leave. Having an assistant coach that constantly bad mouths the HC, or shows disagreements doesn't do the team any favors. Or another option is keep putting her where you think with the depth chart, and if he changes it then go with his decision and work with the girl to get her better so she doesn't cost you games.

You can have the conversation, but typically when you tell the HC his DD sucks.... never turns out well.

I've attended and held many tryouts over the years. I know who's who on those days and so did all the parents. If you weren't paying attention to who you were volunteering to coach, the responsibility falls back on you.
I've played and destroyed many "A" teams only to get whipped the next week from a "B" team..... A,b,c....whatever. People will classify themselves differently for many reasons. Sounds like your mind is already made up.....one questions? Is quitting for you, or your dd?

My dd's baseball coach insists on playing his son at first. The poor kid can't catch to save his life, then his dad yells at him or punishes him when he screws up, even though it's completely predictable since the kid can't catch. My DD doesn't care, she's not serious about ball. If she were we'd find another team. I think breaking a head coach of of that mind set is basically impossible.

It's SOOOOOOOO difficult to coach through parent colored glasses. Sounds like this guy is wearing the double strength pair.

GiasDad said:

We have barely started and had a few friendlies...

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How many games have you played? Opinions are easier to defend if you've played only a few games. I'd like to see how it looks after a couple of tournaments. You have a chance to be more persuasive if she's 2-for-20, than if it's based on a couple of friendlies and the batting cage.

Also, her batting #5 vs. #7 is not that significant really, so I would wait and see. But if she's a real butcher at 1B in 12U, that can hurt.

I just can't help myself...

http://youtu.be/wnAsE9AnCSY

CoogansBluff said:

How many games have you played? Opinions are easier to defend if you've played only a few games. I'd like to see how it looks after a couple of tournaments. You have a chance to be more persuasive if she's 2-for-20, than if it's based on a couple of friendlies and the batting cage.

Also, her batting #5 vs. #7 is not that significant really, so I would wait and see. But if she's a real butcher at 1B in 12U, that can hurt.

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We have had 3 friendlies and played 6 games. ANd I agree with batting her 5th vs. 7th is no big deal , however it is the perception I guess.

I don't care a bit about batting order, personally. The fielding positions are much more of an issue. One of the parents from my dd's baseball team said something to us the other day about what will the coach do about the situation at first. Yeah, we've been with this coach through 4 seasons now I think, and his kid always plays first, and always sucks, and he never does anything about it. Some of them are just that way.

coach james said:

I've attended and held many tryouts over the years. I know who's who on those days and so did all the parents. If you weren't paying attention to who you were volunteering to coach, the responsibility falls back on you.
I've played and destroyed many "A" teams only to get whipped the next week from a "B" team..... A,b,c....whatever. People will classify themselves differently for many reasons. Sounds like your mind is already made up.....one questions? Is quitting for you, or your dd?

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Very good point and I had an idea coming in what he was like, but I guess I assumed there is no way he sees this girl as anything other than a LF.

I never said I was quitting, I simply asked for ways to handle it. Are you implying that quitting is my only option? His decision DOES NOT affect my dd unless she makes a throw to first and his daughter drops it, which I do not think is a bad thing for my dd to get used to dealing with, so I do not think quitting is even an option simply because we started, we will finish.