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FastpitchFan

Softball fan
Feb 28, 2008
465
0
Montreal, Canada
Why not? :D

This is what makes discussions interesting. Aren't we all facing the same challenges?

Lack of money...
Kids with too many interests...
Lack of decent facilities...
Parents or coaches depending...
Lack of practice time...
Hard time recruiting good quality athletes...
Fundraising...
Politics in sports...

and the list could go on and on.

Cheers,

Marc
 
May 9, 2008
443
16
Hartford, CT
coaching issues

I suppose you could start a "parenting" isssues thread for all the coaches too!
LOL.

I hear all the time that parents are the problem.....not the coaches.

The coaches in our league are technically good to great .....

I see areas for improvement in our league:

1. how they teach (these are not boys, girls are really different).
(I don'thave all the details on this...we have one 12 year old pitcher who basically walks 7 batters every game in her inning....comes off the mound in tears every game...why do "we" keep putting her on the mound? she is a very good fielder, fantastic runner)

2. assessing talent (current performance...not what they did last year, not what their sister did, not who their family is)

Yes, parents are a "problem" and I'm one of them as I don't have a problem going right up to anyone coaching my kid and asking "why".

Her current coach is not very happy with me as I asked why he refuses to put my daughter at third when his own daughter has played there 22 times in 7 games. Another player has played there 14 times in 7 games. If they are supposed to be learning new positions...why not?
Because my daughter is a pitcher and he is only required to play any player two innings in the infield...those are her two innings.
He told me that I offended him by even questioning him.

My bad!
 

Ken Krause

Administrator
Admin
May 7, 2008
3,911
113
Mundelein, IL
One of the things I've never liked about the "minimum play" rules is that too many coaches don't understand the difference between minimum and maximum. They will look at a 10 year old and say, "Good I only have to play him/her two innings and bat him/her once."

As long as the kid wants to be on the field, especially at the younger ages, coaches should do what they can to put them there. You may not win as many games, but you just might make a kid's life.
 
May 9, 2008
443
16
Hartford, CT
coaching issues

I think our league makes 2 innings minimum as infielder and max 3 innings to play a position in a game (except pitcher) as there have been times whe some kids got stuck in right field every game, all game.
Yes, there are kids that the coaches can't wait to get through the two innings ... but it isn't fair to them. Chances are they aren't going to college on a softball scholarship ...but why not encourage to continue and enjoy the sport ... you just never know who might blossom....even if they don't, it might be the only thing they have that makes them happy in their life.

But the same two kids on our team get 5 of 6 innings each game. I was championing not only my daughter, but other kids who get second and right all the time. The rules are there to protect...but they get twisted to work for the kids the coaches decides are worth their effort or can be useful on an All Star team.

The coach is nice guy....but he doesn't feel the need for suggestions as anything said is taken as a criticism. He is there for his daughters and his ego.

He also feels that his daughter (12) and my daughter(11) are competing for the last spot on the 11/12 All Star team...so he's not pitching my daughter or giving her much infield time.
Nothing I can do about that ..... inbreeding and buddy's will take care of each other.

Last week both my daughters wanted to quit.....we had a very disappointing loss yesterday.....
But we spun it well as parents and got them to decide to overcome the obstacle by just getting better ....so we went home from the game and all four of us pitched and worked together. A couple of slight changes and you should have seen the guys at the pitching clinic this am....she (11) was super. Hitting corners, higher speed, near perfect change-ups. She is feeling better and is looking to the future, not wanting to quit.

The problem is that our leaue is dwindling....two years ago we had six 9-12 yr old teams, last year five, this year only four (16 of the 48 are 12's and will leave the league after this year. This year only 50% of the Minors even came back.
Part of it is natural attrition ... part of it that kids are getting sick of being ignored so coaches can concentrate on who they think is the next super star
Self fullfilling prophesy...those who get so much attention and playing time do get better...not always that much better ... those who get no attention don't usually improve so they don't play well and leave.

Yes, part of a life lesson for my daughter to deal with a difficult situation ... but she just turned 12 and for an adult to intentionally block her out for his own daughter is just wrong.
I know it id dog eat dog as they get older ...but this is Rec, not travel, not High school.
 
May 9, 2008
443
16
Hartford, CT
are you sure

I would love to make some changes....but it isn't going to happen here.
"they" all know best.

I think the sad thing is that we've gone through more than 2/3 of our season and the girls (all 48) have not realy improved. Skill level is similar for all from March to now and none of them really has learned how to tag a runner or knows where to throw the ball most of the time.

Our coach bragged via an e-mail that we were first in our league (sent link to standings)...a 4 team league....wooopie! All about him and how good a coach he is.
Now the coaches are getting all fired up for our single elim 4 team tourn ....

Now we head to All Stars....coaches have been bragging about how great our teams will be to everyone....
9/10 team has 7 kids interested ...my 9 year old is luke warm about bothering ...
My 11 won't make the 11/12 (Travel players can play now so they have their three pitchers)
so it looks like we are home for the summer!

Maybe a good thing!
 
May 7, 2008
235
0
Fivepots...

Sometimes the right thing to do doesn't feel good. In our recreational league, we tried to make a difference and learned, "Change cannot happen in an environment that's not ready for change."

We left our local rec league and went to the city before we went full time travel. It created some uncomfortability in our small town. Politics are everywhere, but I can handle that part. Dysfunction and denial is something different altogether. Lack of tolerance with dysfunction is a weakness in my character. I find the best way to deal with it is to remove myself before it affects or add weakness to other areas of my character. Travel ball has some politics, bad calls, egotistical coaches, etc. But it varies team to team and is not the whole system. We have really found it quite enjoyable. If you go down that road in the future...check out the team as thoroughly as you can. You (and spouse), attend a practice. Evaluate the coaching. The best way is to go to a tournament and watch all the dynamics of parent relations, coaching under pressure, team ability, in the tournament scenario, etc.

Good luck,

Ang
 
May 9, 2008
443
16
Hartford, CT
Fivepots...

Sometimes the right thing to do doesn't feel good. In our recreational league, we tried to make a difference and learned, "Change cannot happen in an environment that's not ready for change."

We left our local rec league and went to the city before we went full time travel. It created some uncomfortability in our small town. Politics are everywhere, but I can handle that part. Dysfunction and denial is something different altogether. Lack of tolerance with dysfunction is a weakness in my character. I find the best way to deal with it is to remove myself before it affects or add weakness to other areas of my character. Travel ball has some politics, bad calls, egotistical coaches, etc. But it varies team to team and is not the whole system. We have really found it quite enjoyable. If you go down that road in the future...check out the team as thoroughly as you can. You (and spouse), attend a practice. Evaluate the coaching. The best way is to go to a tournament and watch all the dynamics of parent relations, coaching under pressure, team ability, in the tournament scenario, etc.

Good luck,

Ang



Yes, you are correct ... ..

...big jump to go to Travel and softball is the sport is what she wants.....
..............but a big part is also playing with friends ..
...we have a divided rich/poor town.....this gives the sides a chance to get to know each other......they end up being friends with kids who wouldn't ordinarily talk to them......

I know we have to look into that .... she could still sign up for rec and show up when she can.

I'm going to coach next year and will have both daughters on the same team.

I'm not perfect....but hoping they will come out of it knowing the game better....

Thanks.
 
May 7, 2008
235
0
It's tough. We spelled that out to our children and empowered their decision. Do you want to play for fun, play with friends, learn skills, compete, etc. We were direct when we explained that it would be great to have all of those components working together. They were frustrated because they outgrew rec ball, and we suffered through the last year or so. We sat and went through all the positives and all the negatives, and they made their decision. It was a transition though. We played one season where both athletes played rec and travel, and my husband and I felt it opposed everything we believed and professed about travel and rec not coinciding. We felt like hypocrites.

We've been happy since the decision was made. They will meet up with their friends in school ball...my dd did.

Ang
 

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