High School coach

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Dec 11, 2010
4,713
113
While this is representative of your standard exceptional post, there is a lot of great info here. First, I'd love to have a parent like you. You put forth the effort BUT also got a sense of what the inner workings were of a poor program. It isn't always the coach. I know a school system that I was asked to take over a program at when I retired. In the conversation with the AD, he said that all he wanted was "no parent problems." That is a long way from I want to win. You are sooooooo correct in mentioning losing atmospheres at schools. When I came to the school I coach at now, and I am still coaching after retirement, they had decades of losing. The superintendent wanted change and he cleaned house. He set up the new guidelines of win or hit the road. I would guess that there were 7 or 8 coaching changes the year I started. It was a purge and the school took off. When that happened, the town exploded with new growth.

While some in administration recognize the need for winning programs, they simply do not know how to win.
First of all, I just want to say that if I lived closer to you, I would LOVE to volunteer to help! (Same as @CoachJD!). Not only would it be fun but I can’t tell you how much I enjoy being around coaches that know the game inside and out.

With a dd in college, tb coaching is not really a realistic option but I would love to help an experienced hs head coach.
CB, you mention schools not knowing how to win- you are spot on with that comment. Most years, our little 2a program was loaded with talent and ranked in the top 20 at the beginning of the season yet we have NEVER won a regional championship. (For those that don’t know- I’m in the same state as CB and the regional tournament is our first tier of the state tournament.)

Interestingly you mention leadership from the superintendent. Our hs got a new superintendent from another region last year. He saw a lot of the same things I did. His dd was in jr high and won -0- jr high basketball or volleyball games in an entire year.

He tried to make changes- I thought his ideas were pretty good. It threatened the local hierarchy however. Including board members whose family members were school staff, including board members whose kids played sports, including the board president who volunteered to coach baseball so his kid would play ss and bat 4th.

Our school district is in an unusual situation. We are well funded. Our board could afford to dump him, pay his contract, hire one of those traveling gun interim types while a hometown guy can finish his degree/certifications to be superintendent.

I have decided the community gets what the community wants and I can’t help that.
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
This has seemed to become a somewhat random post so ..

DD played MS, which we knew nothing about going in. Get to it latter.

She heard some things about the HS coaches that she was uncomfortable with so even though she was, IMO, one of the better players in her class she did not play HS ball.

She had gone to a couple of thier clinics and we thought the players and coaches seemed nice but I trust DD that it was not for her.

My niece was probly the best pitcher on her HS Team, ranked team, got feed up with them and did not play her senior year.

Back to MS, her coaches wanted to win. Winning was very important. With that said we were win or losing with everyone playing which suits us.

Lazy coach rolls out thier top 9 and sleeps, good manger works them all in. Not by accident, it takes a lot of work on thier part.

When does it become serious?

We made a run at 12U WS, entire roster played.
 
Oct 5, 2017
214
43
Western Indiana
As a HS coach, I feel you have to work your younger or even less talented players in for development and to give them confidence. That does not mean equal time but some time. Plan your development of the program as a whole. You never know when you could use one of them in a close game or critical situation. You hate to think worst case scenarios but they happen.

I have created one myself. Last season (spring 2020) we were going to develop catchers from our athletic group of underclassmen (had 2 senior catchers) having them learn in JV games. Well after the virus and no season we have no catchers with experience. Planning ahead always make coaches look better.
 
Nov 26, 2010
4,784
113
Michigan
Sorry, I don't believe a word most parents say about their kid on here. Most normal parents are biased, they are supposed to be, it is their kid and they love them.
And I certainly wouldn’t believe anything another parent told me about what the coach said about my DD. Half the time it’s someone trying to stir up the pot, maybe get some of the competition for playing time to move on. Or it’s a HS game of telephone where by the time the story reaches you it’s gone through 4 changes.

I will always maintain the way into the starting lineup begins at the plate. If you rake, they will find you a spot to play.
 
Nov 26, 2010
4,784
113
Michigan
That's an interesting point. How do you judge who is better on a softball field. Sometimes it's easy -- one player makes errors, the other doesn't. One player his .350, the other .200. But in lot of cases it comes down to the eye test, and the eye test of who happens to be watching or judging. For example, a girl might make a great dive at SS to stop a ball getting through. Another girl might have positioned herself better for that hit off the bat and make the play with ease. Which is better? A catcher who has a cannon and throws it every time even if she's got a 2nd who misses it, or a catcher without a cannon who doesn't want to sacrifice the base on the off chance the tag gets made? A girl who's got sprinter's speed to first but not great instincts or a girl who always watches the ball in the field and coaches so she knows what to do when she gets to first?

Or even in the example you gave. A girl throwing strikes shouldn't get pulled. A girl who walks can/should be, but just because a pitcher is getting hit doesn't mean she's failing, at least not at most levels. Would a coach rather have a pitcher who's walking more but not getting hit, or a pitcher who is getting hit but not walking anyone? That's a subjective decision, isn't it?
I agree with this first paragraph and disagree with the second one. A pitcher who is giving up hits is not doing her job. Period. Sometimes a team just has a pitchers number. Maybe a different pitcher gives a different look and will be effective. Would I rather have a pitcher who gives up hits or one who walks everyone, gosh I hope I have a third choice in there and pick the pitcher who is getting outs.

Pulling her is not a matter of failure, it’s a matter of being a good coach. Can you imagine these 2 scenarios happening

1. My Suzy only gave up 5 hits and 3 runs in an inning and she was pullled by the coach. He let the #2 pitcher get the last 2 outs. Who BTW were weak batters and my Suzy could have struck them out. Now her confidence is ruined
2. My Suzy just didn’t have it today. But the stupid coach left her in there way to long. He should have taken her out. But instead he decided to embarrass her by letting her pitch the whole inning and give up 7 runs. Now her confidence is ruined

Coaches shouldn’t be coaching for what the parents think, because frankly when it comes to their own kids parents often aren’t thinking.
 
Nov 26, 2010
4,784
113
Michigan
I pan for the good old days when parents and players didn't know their statistics till (maybe) after the season was done. There is no real good reason for a kid to know what their BA/Slugging %/OPS/etc.,etc. are during the season.
Yes. So true. My dd was a great fielder. And a very good pitcher. I never cared who scored an error on my dd or a hit against her. I never paid attention and was happier for it.
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
DD was held down because she was the only pitcher they had at her age group and got a lot of inningings. She was the P. Coaches, I know no idea if they knew a clue about pitching, offered free pitching lessons before school outside official practice. Not 1 player should up.

You do what you can, it is not easy. Lot going on that we do not know about.

Other hand they can be idiots. :)
 
Aug 25, 2019
1,066
113
And I certainly wouldn’t believe anything another parent told me about what the coach said about my DD. Half the time it’s someone trying to stir up the pot, maybe get some of the competition for playing time to move on. Or it’s a HS game of telephone where by the time the story reaches you it’s gone through 4 changes.

I will always maintain the way into the starting lineup begins at the plate. If you rake, they will find you a spot to play.
Right! But how are you suppose to rake at the plate if you never get a chance to rake at the plate?
 

NBECoach

Learning everyday
Aug 9, 2018
408
63
As a HS coach, I feel you have to work your younger or even less talented players in for development and to give them confidence. That does not mean equal time but some time. Plan your development of the program as a whole. You never know when you could use one of them in a close game or critical situation. You hate to think worst case scenarios but they happen.

I have created one myself. Last season (spring 2020) we were going to develop catchers from our athletic group of underclassmen (had 2 senior catchers) having them learn in JV games. Well after the virus and no season we have no catchers with experience. Planning ahead always make coaches look better.

AS a HS JV coach I have this to add.

JV coaches are responsible for much of the player development, not doubt. I welcome the challenge. I work my butt off in the off season, researching technique, coaching style, scripting practices, and following our players at local tournaments. From June 1 through the end of July I am there for the 8AM games when it is 50 degrees and the 8PM games with mosquitoes everywhere which got delayed by extra innings and slow play. I sit with away from the parents (when I can) so I can watch the players and take notes without having to hear how great DD is. I am at many of the league games for the TB teams that play it.

We have developed 2 catchers purely because without them there would be no JV team. By the end of the season the 2 were adequate which is quite an improvement from day 1. We have these JV players for 5 days practice prior to playing games. 2 of these days are tryouts so its really 3 days to unteach bad habits and show them the correct way. Oh and also get used to losing your best players to the varsity during the season.

There are a couple of other coaches in our area who I see who do the same as above. I do not claim to be the only HS coach to do this.

There is more to say but I'm going to stop here. Before you criticize HS coaches think about the above. Yes I get paid to be a coach, but if you took all the hours I spend away from home on softball the HS is getting alot for their money.
 

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