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Jun 11, 2013
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At young ages especially teaching them to throw, catch and hit is everything. A coach that tells kids to walk to win a 10U rec came needs to look at himself. I used to see it in my son's little league. There was a coach who would delay steal, take extra bases against the spirit of the divisions ,etc. His teams would always do well in the regular season especially early. By the time the playoffs came around the other teams who worked on hitting and fielding would catch up. He never won a title.

We actually had a softball team when DD played rec who would teach her kids to swing at balls in the dirt with 2 strikes to get to first on a D3K.
 

Cannonball

Ex "Expert"
Feb 25, 2009
4,854
113
I try to not criticize a volunteer coach. I may offer some observations to the coach and/or volunteer to help out as needed. If it weren't for these coaches they wouldn't have some of these teams.

Step up and volunteer. Save your criticisms for coaches getting paid (high school and college coaches).

Are you suggesting that I have not stepped up? Just what would it take for you to be critical of a "volunteer coach" or is there no limit to what they would do?
 
May 17, 2012
2,804
113
Are you suggesting that I have not stepped up? Just what would it take for you to be critical of a "volunteer coach" or is there no limit to what they would do?

It wasn't directed specifically at you just parents in general. Most of the parents I have heard complaining over the years are quick to criticize but are slow to volunteer.

Many times there aren't enough coaches for Rec leagues let alone good coaches. The coach you described sounds like a jackass so then you have to start asking why is he coaching this team and why are the parents and organization sanctioning this. Perhaps they couldn't get anyone better so it was this guy/girl as coach or no team.
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
We were required to have a board member from each organization attend our games when we play a specific club in 8U. :)

Wished I saved the comish email,he sent a scathing email to parents and coaches informing them he was going to start throwing people off the Team if they did not settle down.

The kids are acting up or the parents? If it is the parents just banning them from attending would serve the same purpose as throwing the kids off the team..kids don't get to pick their parents :p
 

Cannonball

Ex "Expert"
Feb 25, 2009
4,854
113
As an FYI, I coached 8 years of rec. I coached 6+ years of American Legion. Both as a volunteer. I also gave free lessons for 25 years to those who could not afford lessons. I am giving free lessons to 4 this year.

GunnerShotgun, I understand your point but this person is a long time coach in that area and this has been his method for years. I saw if first hand last night. Again, that team won but the really lost. In the long run, those players will not develop as long as they go to the plate expecting to walk until the team reaches the run rule. Finally, as an FYI, my anger and the reason for this thread is that it hacks me off that those players and parents don't realize that they are not being done a favor by this approach to winning. I think back to when BB was this age. She was told to swing the bat. All of those kids did and when they made it to HS, they could flat out rake.
 
Mar 14, 2017
453
43
Michigan
I had a similar situation in coach pitch of all places. The league president asked us to emphasize the fielders throwing the ball back to the child "pitcher" so they could get used to catching the ball for their future as a pitcher. Needless to say this is a circus for 7 & 8 year olds, and the ball was missed often, but none of the coaches would send the runner on the overthrow. Well, except this one coach... We were the home team and every time the "pitcher" missed the ball she would send the runners. I was pretty annoyed, and to be honest I was thinking just wait until you are on defense. Guess what? Her team never had one overthrow of the pitcher, so I never got to get even. Oh, not because they were well coached, but because she taught them to roll the ball to the pitcher. WTF? So she "won" a coach pitch game where we didn't keep score, but at the expense of teaching her team to throw or catch.

The next year we moved up to minors and I had a pitcher who threw heat, but she had some control issues. I saw the potential in her and realized we were going to struggle through some long innings of walks, but somewhere along the road there was going to be a huge payoff for her. We played team after team of coaches who told their hitters not to swing and wait for their walk. She threw a 5 inning no hitter and lost 10-9 because the other team never swung at a pitch. Meanwhile the team that won had terrible pitchers but my girls were up there swing at anything close and living by my maxim, "No one ever called their Grandma to tell her about the awesome walk that got. Pound one out into the grass and run like crazy."

The happy ending, my former girls just won the High School State Championship. They did it by pounding the ball out into the grass and running like crazy. Their closest playoff game was 8-0. My pitcher with potential threw a 1 hitter in the state championship, and will be pitching for a D1 school next year. She also got a rematch from the team that beat her 10-9, nine years ago. She threw a 3 inning no hitter and won 28-0. I guess standing around waiting for a walk didn't work this time.

Teach the kids to play the game the right way because no one will remember your record from coach pitch, but the state championship banner will hang forever.
 

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