A Level Travel Teams- Parent Coaches/No parent coaches

[MadBandit22]

Ok to all the Dad’s out there with gifted players playing quality A level travel ball.
In your experiences have you had parent coaches or non parent coaches?
I may be crazy here but I would expect better coaching at the A level yes?
My daughter recently tried out for a nationally ranked 14U mixed team. Half 04’ half 05’s. My daughter is an 05.
It was a horrible rainy two hour team practice tryout. As a coach and Dad I’m looking for the best players and the weak links.
My daughter is a powerhouse. Can throw long distance and lazers when at SS. Also P & plays 2nd.
Coaches daughter plays 2nd. Right off the bat I can see she has poor throwing mechanics resulting in weak throwing arm. She is very quick and a slap hitter. I can see why she is at 2nd to hide her arm.
So we couldn’t do any infield drills due to rain. Mostly throwing drills, outfield drills. At the end my daughter and an 04 tryout did a little hitting. Both hit well but my daughter outdistanced the other girl considerably.
So after hitting the Coach comes over and wants both kids to head over to their indoor facility to pitch & hit. So off we go.
Again both girls did well. My daughter is faster and more accurate with better mechanics. Hitting wise my daughter is more powerful the other girl maybe a little more consistent. Both very good players and I would take them both in a heartbeat.
So anyway coach pulls us aside after all is said and done and tells us he is impressed with her raw talent and fundamentals. Tells me he will call next day.
Coach call next day and said he sees my daughter as a pitcher, corner infielder, & outfielder on his team.
I’m a little taken back by this. I said you didn’t see her on the dirt how about if she attends another practice where she can play SS/2B? He replies not necessary. He offered her a spot but I declined. How can you honestly tell me you have better options at positions when you haven’t seen her in those positions? Daddy ball?
Anyway, following weekend private tryout with another A level club. No parent coaches on this team. Daughter has another excellent showing and we get offer on the spot for P, SS, & 2B. Coincidence or just Father protecting playing time for daughter?

 

[CMMom1740]

We've discussed this on this Forum before, but it seems to be common that Daddy's girl gets hidden at second. It's happened on two teams my DD has been on.

 

[_MIA_]

How is anybody supposed to know that without actually seeing the girls in question? For all we know you have the same brand of rose colored glasses you say that coach has..

 

[MadBandit22]

How is anybody supposed to know that without actually seeing the girls in question? For all we know you have the same brand of rose colored glasses you say that coach has..

I see talent through coaches eyes not parents eyes. On my teams nobody knows my daughters are my daughters. Biggest compliment I get is I never would have known you had daughters on the team if you hadn’t told me.

 

[_MIA_]

I see talent through coaches eyes not parents eyes. On my teams nobody knows my daughters are my daughters. Biggest compliment I get is I never would have known you had daughters on the team if you hadn’t told me.

If you say so.

You said that this was a nationally ranked 14U team. How many nationally ranked 14U teams are going to be weak up the middle? Not saying your kid wouldn't be an upgrade but whatever they had going on to get them nationally ranked must have been working pretty well...

 

[MadBandit22]

If you say so.

You said that this was a nationally ranked 14U team. How many nationally ranked 14U teams are going to be weak up the middle? Not saying your kid wouldn't be an upgrade but whatever they had going on to get them nationally ranked must have been working pretty well...

Always room for improvement.
I have seen plenty of good teams with excellent pitching & hitting. Those attributes can hide defensive deficiencies.

 

[MadBandit22]

Always room for improvement.
I have seen plenty of good teams with excellent pitching & hitting. Those attributes can hide defensive deficiencies.

But honestly I didn’t get a chance to see what they had up the middle and neither did they. That’s my point. I think some coaches are overly loyal to some players not necessarily just daughters and won’t entertain the idea there may be better options out there.
I tell my daughter before tryouts you have to our hustle and out perform other players. Why would any team take you if you are just as good as what they already have. You gotta be an upgrade.

 

[InsidePitch]

by 14U, if your kid is an A player, ditch the daddy ball.

 

[quincy]

Except for school ball DD has always had a dad or mom coach. She is about to turn 18, more or less sorted except for the last 2 years.

When DD was younger she was arguably best pitcher in league and HC shut her down for 2 months which would of OK if they would had said something.

1 year our catching was a mess, which he no way wanted to do he put his DD at catch. She pitched the most on the Team, of course. She was excused by end of the day.

I do not know why DD dislikes 2nd base, of course that is her position. She has a foot issue so she can not catch, she tells me she rather catch then play 2nd base, play OF anywhere but 2nd base.

No picking on 2nd baseperson, I am going to report you. )

 

[The Man In Blue]

I’ll take both sides of the coin ...

Truth is, what is best for your kid may not be best for the team. Playing your best position may not be best for the team. If you cannot do what is best for the team by handling those two realities, find another team where you fit better and can be a team player.

Flip side ... in my experience travel/competitive ball has commonly become nothing more than expensive daddy ball. In this area, there are very few “programs” and virtually every team is coached by a parent who got mad at the previous team his/her kid was on.