Frustrated....

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Sep 11, 2014
229
0
Pa
So my family and I recently moved to another state. The school softball team is having workouts once a week until the season starts. At the first workout that my youngest went to (both play, but oldest had another in season sport) I was talking with the head coach about the team. Long story short I volunteered to help coach the JH team. Few weeks later I was asked to come on as a assistant coach. Now, here's where the problems start. Oh, and I have been coaching for rec 6 years, 3 of those also included travel. I was the manager of our travel team for the last 2 years.

First practice I am at, I hear the coaches telling my youngest to "squish the bug". She is on the tee next to me, where I am working with some other players. Anyway, she shoots me a look and rolls her eyes. I continue to hear the coaches saying how beautiful her swing is and that they are impressed with how hard she hits, but she needs to squish the bug. I notice a lot of the players are casting bad, rolling their wrists before contact and are DBSF. During one hand drills, I asked why we only do the bottom hand, and was told that we don't need to do one hand drills with the top hand because it doesn't do anything. Not the drill, but the top hand during a swing. It just helps guide the bat.

So, I typed up an email explaining that I am not a fan of squishing the bug, why I am not and included a couple of videos and links to read to back up my thoughts. Receive an email back saying that we will continue to use squish the bug, he doesn't agree with what I am saying and that proper hip action and weight transfer does come from squish the bug and that I am wrong. He did agree that there are a number of girls casting and rolling wrists to early along with sucking their front elbow into their ribs during the swing.

Now, next night of practice and I hear a coach telling a girl to bend her front knee to get low and go get a low pitch? Then I hear, swing level, swing level. Most of the players are DBSF off the tee followed by a "great swing" reinforcement. In the cage its cues of squish the bug, keep your shoulders level and rotate those hips.

I am so frustrated right now as I am trying my hardest to help this team, who by the way was 4-13 last season for Senior High with most loses being very little or nothing to a lot. I'm talking 1-15 or 20. I was told that they are trying to build a program, they need help with basics and wanted to focus on fundamentals. I may not have been doing the coaching thing to long, but I have learned a lot from here and the other coaches I have coached with. I know the coaching staff at a local college where we lived before moving and was told on multiple occasions, by the head coach (who also came and helped the team every so often) that he wanted both of my daughters to come play for him. One is in 10th grade and one in 7th grade. He also said that there were multiple players on my team that he wanted too. I also was the assistant coach for 5 years to one of the assistant coaches from this college on his rec ball team that both my daughters played on. I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I must have been doing something right.

Anyway, it just seems like, so far at least with hitting, they are very weak, but they don't want to listen to suggestions or different ways of thinking or approaches.

Well, thanks for reading my vent. Guess we shall see how the rest of the year goes. I never do this, but I have told my girls to swing as they have been taught, they are not to listen to the other coaches. They are in the habit of doing what they are told, but then ask me if its ok for everything else.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
Effective tools for your DD...Smile and nod. Say, "Yes, Coach". Keep swinging the way your daddy taught ya.

Your efforts to educate the coach will probably never gain an inch of ground. Sometimes, you just can't fix stupid, and people will defend their own ignorance to the end. You made an effort, which is admirable...at least among the DFP community.

It would be awesome to say something like...

"Coach, do you know why my kid's swing is 'beautiful', and she hits the ball harder than everyone else? Because she was taught swing mechanics that are based on what the best in the game do. She doesn't squish the bug, because it's a weak move. She doesn't swing level, because it's long and slow. It pains me to see these girls being taught mechanics that will never be successful against good pitching. Unless something changes dramatically in how they are taught, their poor hitting performance will never change."

...but that's probably not a good idea.

Good luck.
 
Sep 29, 2014
2,421
113
Unfortunately sometimes you just can't change peoples mind the fact that the back foot is off the ground in numerous high level swings still won't convince them your foot does not need to be smashed into the ground.

Just keep doing what you are doing, help the ones you can and just let your kids know to be respectful but not to do anything against what they have been taught, as your kids outperform most of the others on the team your might get some parents start coming to you and asking how do they do that, to which you can reply, "I'd be happy to work with you and your DD for a couple sessions, just not at school...take them to your local batting cage, explain a few things and maybe send them some videos and then see what happens.
 
Sep 11, 2014
229
0
Pa
My youngest has the smile and nod down already! Told her that the first day she came home and told me they were telling her to squish the bug. All she said was "I know, that's what I did"

I told the SH and JH coach that I have one goal with coaching this team. The players end the season as better players then they started. I love coaching, the school is where I graduated from. I just want to do the best I can for the players. I also told the coaches that I am constantly researching different ways to improve, different approaches etc, and was told "Good, we are always looking for different drills and things to add" Hmmm?
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
"Good, we are always looking for different drills and things to add"...

Keep in mind that "new and different" still can't conflict with what you believe to be correct. You're asking him to change his hitting philosophy, which is a much bigger thing than just a new drill. The real challenge for you is to find way to help the girls that the coach can still see as fitting within his framework.
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
Welcome to world of HS softball...while there are a few great HS coaches out there (@Cannonball), they are few and far between and most of their success comes from the TB players they inherit. As TB coaches it takes 4-6 weeks to get rid of all the bad habits developed in HS.
 
Feb 20, 2015
643
0
illinois
My dd started playing around 9 yoa, and is now 16. Have heard "squish the bug" and my personal favorite "big toe to China" more times than I care to remember.
 

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