Practice Questions

Strike2 said:

I assume, because of your decision to take this on, that you know what those good fundamentals are. Given that, I'm curious why your DD wasn't learning that at home before you decided to coach? Yeah, I know there are some things that require more than two people, but most things that DD does in practice can be worked on with just me on our own. We also do things that she doesn't see enough of in practice, but needs to work on to maintain proficiency.

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pattar said:

Good luck. If it truly is just an issue of bad coaching, it would probably be more efficient to just work with your DD instead of having to work with 10 or 11 other girls (and their parents)..

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Excellent Questions!!
So if you havent read my intro (and why would you lol) in the parents forum - My daughter is a pretty competitive cheerleader. She also happens to be a damn fine softball player. Her mom and I werent sure if she was even going to like it. Not only does she like it but she excels at it.

The last 2 teams she has been on have been high on the winning and low on the development. She and I never really worked on anything as I was being a hands off dad and just letting her do it as she wanted to. Best way I can describe it catching, throwing and hitting (especially the hitting) just came natural. Every team that we have contacted and/or tried out for have told us they wont work with her because of her cheer. She's not a pitcher and coaches (at least the ones we have talked to) just see missed games. I get it, I dont have to like it but I get it. So rather than continue to be butt hurt about it I figure Id take matters into my own hands. This past year specifically was just really bad. Started out really good and slowly started to unravel. The only girls allowed to play infield were the coaches kids (we had 5 coaches) and yeah just not what we were looking for. The travel was fine. The TOurnaments were great just not the way this team was ran.

I honestly dont want to coach. I have some knowledge (low low level stuff). My daughter has already started talking about quitting cheer but she made a high level team this year and she wont be able to play school sports yet. When she gets into 7th she plans on playing volleyball and run track and she realizes there wont be any way she can do all of that with cheer. Which leads me as to why she will be on a 14 u team. Her step dad and I are the ones running the team and we're starting it primarily for her. This way she gets to work on fundamentals and dont have to worry the whole cheer thing. His daughter will be on the team as well. After seeing her at a tryout a couple of weeks ago with a 2nd year 12A team she more than held her own so we figure what the hell - work on basics, get used to pitching distance and next year if she does quit cheer we would probably bump her up as well. I hope that makes some sense.

Cast offs meaning "These girls are the girls that want to play softball but arent picked for teams"

Its an assumption and even if thats the case thats perfectly fine. Everyone deserves the opportunity to have some fun

GunnerShotgun said:

3. I would definitely have fixed positions for each player offered a spot on the team. Secondary and third positions are great for all players development but teaching them all IF and OF positions is a time suck and a recipe for disaster.

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I disagree with this. I'm in a similar boat where I coach a 16U rec team in the summer but most of my girls are between 12-14 (long story). On their registration packet, the must list their top 3 positions - at least 1 IF and 1 OF spot (the 3rd one I don't care). In my practices, when we do group work, at least 1 group is doing something infield related and 1 group something outfield related. I want all my girls to appreciate and know the BASICS of what to do in the infield (field ball, make throw) and in the outfield (first step backward, 2 hands on catch, drop to knee on ground ball with empty bases, etc). Ultimately it depends on coach to coach.

I did have a situation this year where a girl refused to stop a ground ball in LF and came and pouted in the dugout about why she had to play LF because she "only plays P and 1B" (from LL) and that she "doesn't know how to play outfield". I had a few new gray hairs after hearing that line. -_-

Yes in Rec league and C level you have more freedom to move players around. In high level travel softball you do not.

OP didn't specify the level and I assumed....

GunnerShotgun said:

Yes in Rec league and C level you have more freedom to move players around. In high level travel softball you do not.

OP didn't specify the level and I assumed....

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I did not my bad. Either way I do appreciate your insight!

I would definitely do some hitting and even something like base running with a slide to see who has speed. Slow and can’t hit is a tough combination to overcome and will make for a long year.

But I hear what you are saying with the fielding being a priority and it is fun to see them learn new skills and know you had a small part in it.

You have a good attitude about this and will do great!




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Regardless of age I have found 2 principals that seem to hold true regarding having fruitful practice time : 1. Make it competitive amongst the girls, with some reward for the winners or consequences for the losers. After all - being a competitor at the foundation determines the flight pattern, if you will. 2. Don’t spend more than 15-20 mins doing the same thing. Short, focused work and then move on to something else.

Honestly, I think you are biting off more than you can chew. You are better off staying with the old team and working with her outside of practice. Or get her private lessons if you want higher quality coaching.

You say you are starting the team so your DD can get more reps in the infield, but so far you have been hands off with her. I would start with taking her to the park and hitting grounders to her before starting a team. Between you, step-dad and his DD, you should be able to have a decent practice session. 20 minutes of grounders with you is more reps than she will get at a full team practice. Watch youtube videos of fundamentals together. She will pick it up since she is an athletic kid.

You say you really don't want to coach. You are going to have 11 other girls and their families depending on you to organize practices, games, tournaments, get-togethers, travel schedules AND also train their kids to be better ball players. And you better give those kids the playing time their parents think they deserve or you will hear about it. And you have to collect the money, order uniforms and equipment, pay for tournaments, etc. Are you prepared to devote that much time and effort just so your DD can play infield?

At 14U, girls can really hit. Your DD may end up in OF anyway because she can run, catch and throw. Your developmental kids will struggle to make basic plays out there.

You need a couple decent pitcher/catcher combos or you will never make it out of the first inning some games.

My DD just finished a C level State 12U tournament in our modest midwest state. The level of play was well above rec. We went 3-2. No way her team could compete at 14U.

I could go on but you get my point. IMO, this is swatting a fly with a sledgehammer.

Hi-Tech said:

Honestly, I think you are biting off more than you can chew. You are better off staying with the old team and working with her outside of practice. Or get her private lessons if you want higher quality coaching.
That is an impossibility at this point. I understand what you mean and I agree with you. In this case however it came to the point my daughter was ready to quit playing because of an overzealous dad.

You say you are starting the team so your DD can get more reps in the infield, but so far you have been hands off with her. I would start with taking her to the park and hitting grounders to her before starting a team. Between you, step-dad and his DD, you should be able to have a decent practice session. 20 minutes of grounders with you is more reps than she will get at a full team practice. Watch youtube videos of fundamentals together. She will pick it up since she is an athletic kid.

We have and she has. Its not about infield reps Its about reps total.

You say you really don't want to coach. You are going to have 11 other girls and their families depending on you to organize practices, games, tournaments, get-togethers, travel schedules AND also train their kids to be better ball players. And you better give those kids the playing time their parents think they deserve or you will hear about it. And you have to collect the money, order uniforms and equipment, pay for tournaments, etc. Are you prepared to devote that much time and effort just so your DD can play infield?

Correct I dont want to coach and the reason for doing so isnt just so she gets to play the infield.

At 14U, girls can really hit. Your DD may end up in OF anyway because she can run, catch and throw. Your developmental kids will struggle to make basic plays out there.

She will play OF. In fact all the girls are going to play out there.

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So back to the question at hand. Is there anyone doing something in their practice they like to share? Im looking for sorts of ideas to try and be ahead of the curve.

I tend to apply the line to coaching your own kids: “A lawyer who represents themselves has a fool for a client”

I know there’s several on this site with the experience and knowledge to make it work. For the rest of us at some point our kids talent level overpasses the our coaching ability. The hard part is figuring out if you’re a real coach like Cannonball or Riseball or just another parent like me. Another thing to consider is as kids approach their teens the parent/child relationship can become strained. Add parent/coach/child relationship to the mix and you might be looking for trouble.