Advice to college coaches

[CoogansBluff]

The coaches go to clinics, usually annually, for the latest and greatest in instruction, teachings, debate, and rules. When you talk about latest and greatest instruction, chances are you have chosen a side and are adamant about your beliefs. They are as well. Latest and greatest instruction for a task could still be technically different. Take stride vs. no stride. Some elite, up to date programs teach stride, other elite, up to date programs do not.

Not talking about stride vs. no stride.

How about this: ''Put ball on a tee. Keep shoulder in. Extend arms and knock the ball off the tee with the knob of the bat.''

How about this: ''Get the foot down early. When the ball is coming out of the pitcher's hand, you need to be getting the foot down.''

How about this: ''OK, throwers, we're about to do L-drills.''

It sounds like you are taking this thread as an on college coaches, as though there is no advice that parents or players could give them. They've mastered it.

A question you did not answer:

Is there nothing that a coach could teach at a camp or clinic that would make you less enthusiastic about that particular coach or school?

 

[Lenski]

Not talking about stride vs. no stride.

How about this: ''Put ball on a tee. Keep shoulder in. Extend arms and knock the ball off the tee with the knob of the bat.''

Working on hand/eye coordination. Nothing more.

How about this: ''Get the foot down early. When the ball is coming out of the pitcher's hand, you need to be getting the foot down.''

A matter of preference or expounding on a move for a particular feel.

How about this: ''OK, throwers, we're about to do L-drills.''

Never heard of L-drills.

It sounds like you are taking this thread as an on college coaches, as though there is no advice that parents or players could give them. They've mastered it.

Look at it from their perspective. If you know so much as a parent then get a job as a college coach.

A question you did not answer:

Is there nothing that a coach could teach at a camp or clinic that would make you less enthusiastic about that particular coach or school?

Sure, I guess. However, that didn't happen at any of the camps my dd attended.

 

[CoogansBluff]

If you know so much as a parent then get a job as a college coach.

I'm not qualified to be a college softball coach.

However, I do believe that I am qualified to watch a softball camp or clinic, or to interact with softball coaches in their job, and provide opinions on what some of them might do better. Or at the very least, I think I am qualified to tell a coach what the experience was like from the perspective of a parent, and I believe those experiences could be helpful and make some coaches better.

Along the same lines, I work in a job where my work can be seen and judged by the public. There are those who give feedback on what I do who are not qualified to do my job. Some make great suggestions, some make idiotic suggestions. In either case, I would never say to them, ''If you know so much, why don't you do it.''

 

[Lenski]

Some coaches will be receptive, others will mark you as "that kind of parent". It just depends on the coach. Tim Walton is a successful college softball coach. If you didn't like something he did, would you tell him and offer your advice? It sounds like you went to a D1 camp. How successful has the coach at that school been?

 

[CoogansBluff]

Some coaches will be receptive, others will mark you as "that kind of parent". It just depends on the coach. Tim Walton is a successful college softball coach. If you didn't like something he did, would you tell him and offer your advice? It sounds like you went to a D1 camp. How successful has the coach at that school been?

I'm not proposing that I present this advice to any coach. If I did, yes, I would be ''that kind of parent.''

My original post wasn't meant to suggest that coaches desperately need the help of us parents who know more about it than they do. I regret if it came across that way. No, I didn't mean what would you tell Tim Walton if you had the chance to talk to him.

It was meant to be, 'As a parent, you've experienced the recruiting process. From your perspective, what could coaches do better? What are things that have impressed you, what has disappointed? What advice would you give (not actually to them, but hypothetically)?

I'd think coaches would be interested in that feedback, even 90 percent of it was tossed out as garbage.

 

[Lenski]

There was one camp I went to where the head coach was in and out of the fieldhouse constantly. When she was in the fieldhouse she was paying attention to prospective student athletes but she was around only about half the time. The assistants were there the whole time. I would have preferred the head coach to stay in the fieldhouse the entire time. There was another camp where the head coach parked himself with the pitchers and didn't move. He didn't care what the fielders and hitters were doing. And finally, there was an assistant coach teaching the catchers that when blocking the throw hand should go behind the back. I prefer the throw hand behind the mitt when blocking. Also, the AC was teaching hand behind the shin guard with runners on base. I prefer a thumb inside a loose fist behind the mitt.

 

[guero_gordo]

Dear college coaches: Many of the best athletes at 13 are not the best athletes at 18. That is all.

 

[Sparky Guy]

Dear college coaches: Many of the best athletes at 13 are not the best athletes at 18. That is all.

Amen... Amen... Amen...

The whole early verbal and recruiting nonsense needs to stop. The only way for it to happen is for the NCAA to step in and do something. But I doubt the revenue sports would not allow it to happen. They have their systems in place for legally circumventing the current set of recruiting rules.

 

[riseball]

Amen... Amen... Amen...

The whole early verbal and recruiting nonsense needs to stop. The only way for it to happen is for the NCAA to step in and do something. But I doubt the revenue sports would not allow it to happen. They have their systems in place for legally circumventing the current set of recruiting rules.

The revenue sports do not rely on a crystal ball to pick recruits. They tend to be more rational in their approach.

 

[JAD]

The whole early verbal and recruiting nonsense needs to stop. The only way for it to happen is for the NCAA to step in and do something. But I doubt the revenue sports would not allow it to happen. They have their systems in place for legally circumventing the current set of recruiting rules.

The revenue generating sports - football and basketball continue recruiting the top players right up until NSD. Regardless of their commitment status. Non-revenue sports do not have the time or budgets to continue to recruit players they do not think they have a good chance to sign. Schools also recruit female athletes earlier than males because they mature at an earlier age. Not saying it is right, but this is why it happens.