coach_jeffobi
1st Time Assistant Coach
So here's the thing,
I recently obtained a position as an assistant coach for my alma mater high school softball team.(I have 2 sisters on the team). It's volunteer as there is only enough funding to pay one assistant coach and another girl applied before me but that's not the issue I love coaching softball, it's my passion, but there's a problem.
The head coach (my boss) is a nice enough guy...sometimes, but his information and approach to practices contrast pretty severely with what I've learned, studied, gathered over the past few years to better myself as a coach. For example to teach throwing he says that the players should catch the ball while their glove side foot is coming down, shuffle, then throw. No real emphasis on any body mechanics or anything.(like what you see when players throwing rapidly back and forth to each other, no real room for mechanical teaching) I suggested the way Candrea teaches it here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGBIJTxIsAo
And I was completely shut down, somewhat rudely also, with the reasoning being that he said it will make players throw with their front foot and not keep their weight back? It was just really confusing to me as I have NEVER seen players at high level collegiate throwing warm up throwing in any way other than Candrea's. I thought it was just common knowledge to warm up throws this way.
I don't want to place the blame on him, but the program is crumbling, it used to a great one, with a division championship just a few years back but now girls want to quit every year and have to be talked into coming back by other players, some key players left the school altogether for better coached programs, girls don't even show up to pre-season practice because of the atmosphere. He tends to be more hit a bunch of ground balls and then call it a day, without any real teaching of fundamentals.
I just want to see the program and the girls improve. Thats all I want, I don't care about winning league, division titles, or anything like that, I've been around the program for the past 4 years and I know this year is a rebuilding year, but the pace and focus of practice isn't improving and I don't feel that comfortable offering different approaches to practice anymore, just from the way I was shut down beforehand.
I don't want to quit and find a new program, I just want some advice as to how I can implement QUALITY practice without seeming like I'm being "out of line." The paid assistant coach isn't much better, especially on hitting information, it's pretty inaccurate from what is taught by coaches who look at the best hitters out there and model their swings after that. I'm just at such a loss at what I should do. Should I just direct my focus onto the players and they can see for themselves what feels right and wrong? Just any kind of help would be great. Sorry for the venting novel also ahaha.
I recently obtained a position as an assistant coach for my alma mater high school softball team.(I have 2 sisters on the team). It's volunteer as there is only enough funding to pay one assistant coach and another girl applied before me but that's not the issue I love coaching softball, it's my passion, but there's a problem.
The head coach (my boss) is a nice enough guy...sometimes, but his information and approach to practices contrast pretty severely with what I've learned, studied, gathered over the past few years to better myself as a coach. For example to teach throwing he says that the players should catch the ball while their glove side foot is coming down, shuffle, then throw. No real emphasis on any body mechanics or anything.(like what you see when players throwing rapidly back and forth to each other, no real room for mechanical teaching) I suggested the way Candrea teaches it here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGBIJTxIsAo
And I was completely shut down, somewhat rudely also, with the reasoning being that he said it will make players throw with their front foot and not keep their weight back? It was just really confusing to me as I have NEVER seen players at high level collegiate throwing warm up throwing in any way other than Candrea's. I thought it was just common knowledge to warm up throws this way.
I don't want to place the blame on him, but the program is crumbling, it used to a great one, with a division championship just a few years back but now girls want to quit every year and have to be talked into coming back by other players, some key players left the school altogether for better coached programs, girls don't even show up to pre-season practice because of the atmosphere. He tends to be more hit a bunch of ground balls and then call it a day, without any real teaching of fundamentals.
I just want to see the program and the girls improve. Thats all I want, I don't care about winning league, division titles, or anything like that, I've been around the program for the past 4 years and I know this year is a rebuilding year, but the pace and focus of practice isn't improving and I don't feel that comfortable offering different approaches to practice anymore, just from the way I was shut down beforehand.
I don't want to quit and find a new program, I just want some advice as to how I can implement QUALITY practice without seeming like I'm being "out of line." The paid assistant coach isn't much better, especially on hitting information, it's pretty inaccurate from what is taught by coaches who look at the best hitters out there and model their swings after that. I'm just at such a loss at what I should do. Should I just direct my focus onto the players and they can see for themselves what feels right and wrong? Just any kind of help would be great. Sorry for the venting novel also ahaha.
)
