Annoyed

[Orange Socks]

DD got put in at second after an inning or two and she did go to cover behind 2B on steals. I'm not sure what other teams do but I guess that's what he teaches them.

Keep choppin' wood and earning the trust of the coach. She will be in the "circle of trust" in no time.

When I played baseball, that is what we were taught. Someone mentioned that CF should be the back up which I agree. With the smaller field, CF is on top of the play unless she is playing against the fence. If I were the opposing coach, I would watch for this and take advantage of it with my competent slappers and push bunts towards 2nd base side. That leaves the whole middle infield wide open.

 

[CoachYodaD]

When the coach stops talking to, yelling at, joking with your DD, that's when you need to worry. Because that is usually when the coach has given up on your DD.

 

[sluggers]

The seasons of softball...August is not yet a memory, but the multitude of sins committed by stupid travel ball coaches is now being supplanted by tales of sins committed by HS coaches. We will have to endure 6 months of this before stories about stupid travel ball coaches start circulating.

I used to ask, "When do you think your DD will play for the perfect softball coach?" But, I know the answer: "When my DD plays for me."

I used to ask, "Then why don't you coach?" But, I know the answer: "Because, if I did, all the other parents would think I was a stupid coach."

 

[CoachJD]

Well @CoachJD heres the HS situation DD dealt with last season. She was a junior and played 2B for travel team and .300 hitter playing 18u. The very first day of practice for school team, the coach hit a outfield ball to DD that had DD run into the fence (since the coach hit it over the fence), she got s concussion and was out for 3 weeks and missed first 6 games. When she was cleared to play, I felt the coach never gave her a chance( because she didn’t, she had a couple st bats and one inning in field). She played a freshman at 2B who was a good fielder but not close to batting as DD, she played because she played for the “right” travel team. How would I handled that? Should I have asked the coach why she not playing, should I have shown her DDs GameChanger stats? Mind you, I never watched prsctice, but telling you at beginning of DD crashing into fence, she gives 100% all the time. As you know, for every good coach like you, there is a coach who isn’t good, and that’s who DD has. Oh, and I never said a word to coach all season.

You did the right thing by not approaching her about this, even if you're correct that she didn't give her a chance. IMO, nothing in here reaches the level of parent involvement (unless you feel the coaching hitting one over the fence unnecessarily put your DD in a dangerous spot, but I'm guessing that was just an accident).

That doesn't mean the coach did the right thing, but I think one can justify what she did. It's unfortunate, but sometimes missing a lot of time, especially during a short HS season, can really cause a player to lose her spot. Maybe the coach should've tried to get your DD in a little more (actually, yes, "a couple at bats and one inning in the field" is an absurdly low amount of playing time unless your DD is truly terrible or the 9 girls on the field are just so good, and even then, you can still prioritize winning while getting bench players a decent amount of time).

All that said, here's what I think about when I read stuff like this: I was talking to my volleyball coach today. She's a new coach, a little too nice, and the team, which is not very good, has played just two matches. Between the second and third game of yesterday's away match, an angry parent stormed to the bench and said "If my DD isn't going to play, why is she on the team?" Apparently the referee had to get the parent to sit down. Later on, the player apologized to the coach, said how embarrassed she was, etc.

I was watching some of their practice today. At one point, a teammate bumped the ball toward this girl. She tried to catch it, then realized you don't catch the ball in volleyball, so she pulled her hands away and let it drop. This girl has never played volleyball before. Her first instinct was to catch the ball. The coach not playing her yet is completely justifiable. In fact, it would be a failure on her as a coach to give her (much) playing time right now.

You see your DD, who is presumably pretty good at the sport, not getting a fair chance to prove how good she can be. And you're probably right. But I see an angry mother who wants her DD on the court when she's almost certainly the worst player on a 15-player team.

 

[flash277]

Right @CoachJD MY DD is a good player, been playing 6 years of travel, was looking forward to playing varsity. No I dont feel the coach intentionally hit a ball over the fence (although she should of known better), and you right, it was a short season, 14 games. And I can't argue with the results, the team got to the County finals, which they lost (they would of won if DD was in)
The coach was a very much "this is my starting 9, no one else plays".......What annoyed me the most was when they played the bottom two teams in the division. These two teams were terrible, our middle school team would of beaten them. The coach didn't start any bench players, left the starters in to pummel these teams, then the last inning (the 5th inning, since it was a run rule), she would but DD in for an at bat with the other bench players, (no playing the field) I understand its all about the win in varsity, but those two games really annoyed me. What is the coach trying to do, just pad the stats of the starters? Why would a coach do that?

 

[Orange Socks]

Right @CoachJD What annoyed me the most was when they played the bottom two teams in the division. These two teams were terrible, our middle school team would of beaten them. The coach didn't start any bench players, left the starters in to pummel these teams, then the last inning (the 5th inning, since it was a run rule), she would but DD in for an at bat with the other bench players, (no playing the field) I understand its all about the win in varsity, but those two games really annoyed me. What is the coach trying to do, just pad the stats of the starters? Why would a coach do that?

I have seen HS coaches do this. It makes no sense especially if you want to go deep into the playoffs. t Why not give the #2 and #3 pitchers some circle time? Why not make a game out of it for the other team too? Meanwhile stud pitcher only pitches 4 innings, run rules the team and goes home and the coach needs to ice their arm because of excessive self back patting. Stud pitcher doesn't even get to play a full 7 inning game, which doesn't prepare the team for the playoffs. Playoffs you will most likely play 2 to 3 games back to back each week. Your #1 pitcher usually pitches Tues and Fridays which includes days of rest. This is where #2 pitcher needs to come in to eat up some innings. But noooo. The coach pitches #1 into the dirt and loses out in the 2nd or 3rd round. Coach's egos want #1 to get all the end of year accolades but can't ever make it to state.

 

[CrazyNani]

Right @CoachJD MY DD is a good player, been playing 6 years of travel, was looking forward to playing varsity. No I dont feel the coach intentionally hit a ball over the fence (although she should of known better), and you right, it was a short season, 14 games. And I can't argue with the results, the team got to the County finals, which they lost (they would of won if DD was in)
The coach was a very much "this is my starting 9, no one else plays".......What annoyed me the most was when they played the bottom two teams in the division. These two teams were terrible, our middle school team would of beaten them. The coach didn't start any bench players, left the starters in to pummel these teams, then the last inning (the 5th inning, since it was a run rule), she would but DD in for an at bat with the other bench players, (no playing the field) I understand its all about the win in varsity, but those two games really annoyed me. What is the coach trying to do, just pad the stats of the starters? Why would a coach do that?

I don't know much about high school ball yet. But I'm wondering, if a team seems to be good, possibly enough to qualify for State championship or whatever, does their performance against other teams contribute to their seeding in the post season tournaments? Maybe this is why coach is wanting to run up the score or leave his first team in there. Just wondering...

 

[flash277]

I don't know much about high school ball yet. But I'm wondering, if a team seems to be good, possibly enough to qualify for State championship or whatever, does their performance against other teams contribute to their seeding in the post season tournaments? Maybe this is why coach is wanting to run up the score or leave his first team in there. Just wondering...

Yes, winning does determine where you are seeded when the playoffs start, not so much the scores.

 

[CrazyNani]

Yes, winning does determine where you are seeded when the playoffs start, not so much the scores.

Well, I was wondering about head to head tie breakers and if runs against and runs for were considered in that context.

 

[KrisHur]

I feel ya. DD had a travel coach that for some unknown reason took a dislike to her this season. She would chew DD out after every game for everything/anything - and not even mention game-losing errors by other players. Constantly telling her to do this/do that when on the field - but silent when other girls at that position did the same things. DD worked her butt off all season to try and get on her good side. Then HC sat her the last tourney of the season ("but you're still batting, I could bench you completely"). Thankfully that was travel and after 3 years on that team she took the July tryouts seriously and found a home with a very good franchise. Unfortunately with HS you don't have that option. Hopefully your DD makes the best of it and if it's truly awful - she can choose to not play school ball and either play another spring sport or take lessons during HS season and focus on improving her game for travel season.