A message to coaches from a pitching instructor.

[RADcatcher]

Will say in my years of following all levels of softball...
There are FAR less softball coaches that have any knowledge about underhand pitching, and zero technical pitching knowledge.
Then there are some coaches who may have some basic knowledge.
versus
The very small percentage of coaches that can actually be at the level of teaching pitching.


Now I'm going to include I wish there were more coaches that could teach players how to throw over hand better! That in itself would be nice!

 

[BucketDud]

With all due respect, the vast majority of these types of threads make the assumption that the HS coach doesn't know anything. I often wonder how many parents actually know the coaches accomplishments and resume.

I'll leave this thread after a couple of statements. First, if you don't like what the school coach is doing, take your child off of the team. I have never understood people complaining that the school coach doesn't know anything and then allowing their child to play for that coach. Secondly, for those who have their child nod and continue to do whatever it is that the coach does not like, accept that moment when your child falls out of favor with the coaching staff.

I'm going to pretend you "might" come back to this thread .

I think the reason most people think the majority of coach don't know anything.......is the vast majority don't. HS sports is brutal right now because so many good people are getting out of teaching. Which also means lot of good coaches are lost. Much easier to work a better paying, better environment job and just coach travel ball if that is your passion.

As for taking the kid off the team if you go to public school that isn't an option unless willing to move to a new district or they just don't play. But often in current times the coaches last much less time than the 4 years kids are in school.

As a TB coach I always deferred to what they were doing with their private instructor. Figured it wouldn't help to have two voices conflicting. Now if they weren't performing wasn't much I could do to help them either.

But so many HS coaches have no idea what high level pitching or hitting even look like, but also don't seem to have much problem imposing their way of dong things because they are kids. So I get the nod and smile approach because of this.

 

[CoachCeetar]

depends on the level of softball you're talking too though.

Anyone that's been coaching for any length of time should've picked up at least some obvious mechanical flaws in hitting/pitching.

And if you don't, especially at the lower levels, you should be learning at least 1.5x as much as your players are.

One of the biggest reasons I got my daughter a pitching coach was exactly that I had no idea. i didn't know how to get her mechanically in tune so that she was at least "pitching" and even at this very first level of kid-pitch, it was VERY obvious which coaches had zero idea and which players had worked on pitching outside of that team.

 

[_MIA_]

If I am a coach I am not touching a kid who is a performing. If I am a parent I am looking for a new instructor if my kid isn't performing..That sequence should converge to a situation with no issues..(math joke).

 

[FlSoftball]

With all due respect, the vast majority of these types of threads make the assumption that the HS coach doesn't know anything. I often wonder how many parents actually know the coaches accomplishments and resume.

I'll leave this thread after a couple of statements. First, if you don't like what the school coach is doing, take your child off of the team. I have never understood people complaining that the school coach doesn't know anything and then allowing their child to play for that coach. Secondly, for those who have their child nod and continue to do whatever it is that the coach does not like, accept that moment when your child falls out of favor with the coaching staff.

Mine is well aware that could happen- unfortunately at a younger age she let a coach who knew zero about pitching "adjust" how she threw her CU- it went to crap and took a while and a change of team to get it back- she says never again. She will take any suggestions now to her hitting or pitching coach's for their thoughts before trying anything and has also told the HS coach here is why I do not want to try it and she lays the reason out- he has always been ok at that point.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[RADcatcher]

depends on the level of softball you're talking too though.

Anyone that's been coaching for any length of time should've picked up at least some obvious mechanical flaws in hitting/pitching.

And if you don't, especially at the lower levels, you should be learning at least 1.5x as much as your players are.

Great comment!
What are the coaches doing to learn the game and be ahead of the developmental curve of the team!?!

One of the biggest reasons I got my daughter a pitching coach was exactly that I had no idea. i didn't know how to get her mechanically in tune so that she was at least "pitching" and even at this very first level of kid-pitch, it was VERY obvious which coaches had zero idea and which players had worked on pitching outside of that team.

 

[FP26]

Much of it comes down to ego. There are some coaches that think they know better and no longer think that someone else can help them learn more. Those with open minds that are willing to have those discussions are typically the most successful.

 

[BucketDud]

Much of it comes down to ego. There are some coaches that think they know better and no longer think that someone else can help them learn more. Those with open minds that are willing to have those discussions are typically the most successful.

Which also means that unless they just feel compelled to educated youth and coach sports for minimal pay, that there are much better ways to make a living and enjoy life. Which is very sad.....

 

[Orange Socks]

Haha!! Honestly the college coaches should be the ones reading that. They are messing up the kids more than the HS coaches!

HA! I know a girl that was one of the best pitchers in our area TB and HS many years ago. I'll just say it. She got to Texas Tech and all of sudden couldn't throw a strike. Find out through the grapevine that the coach is working on her mechanics. Quit after her 2nd season. On the other hand, was she doing the work necessary to improve? Who knows? Tech was a hot mess during that time under that coach.

 

[claudecw3]

Unfortunately for softball players, in my neck of the woods football and basketball rule. Softball is just used as a way to supplement some of the football coaches' salaries. Four of the girls on my daughter's TB team have outright quit playing high school ball for this reason. For the most part, they don't get recruited through their high school teams anyway.

Not all situations are the same, but the high school softball situation in my area is terrible.