Guys like this make my blood boil. They are not coaches, I will not address them as "coach". This kind of behavior has no place in softball. One thing I've learned over the last few years is people like this behave as long as they're allowed to. Those of us who don't approve have the power to change it. We can shape the culture this wonderful sport is played in. Speak up. Talk to the bad apple, or who he/she answers to, or other parents to get it across this is not acceptable. If a bad apple is willing to loudly humiliate kids in front of everybody, he better prepare to take some open criticism of his methods, including rejection/dismissal as a coach.
"Bully" coach or are we over reacting.
- Thread starter JumboJack
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The worst coaching I've seen in a meaningless 14u league game. The other team's 1B drop a thrown ball then a few batters later in same inning let one through her legs. The female HC yelled out "I've seen enough of this" and pulled her out of the game mid inning. Us parents from the opposing team really gave her the business on that call.
The bolded is why those parents talk about every.single. thing.
It gets better with time. By 16u everyone is talking amongst themselves in the stands, barely noticing the game. lol....... A little hyperbole but you get the idea. By then everyone realizes what the deal is, plus, a lot of those 10 and 12u parental headaches are no longer around because they have driven their daughters out of the sport with their helicoptering.
Question for you. What did those words to her accomplish? Stating the obvious. Did it help her as a player? Did she not know that she was supposed to catch those balls? Or did those obvious words only serve to further her mental spiral down for that day? And the tears surprise you guys? Not just lashing out at you Kevin. It's just that things like this drive me crazy with coaches. It's become a pet peeve. Drives me bananas to see a coach tell a pitcher "You need to throw strikes". NO S**T coach? I bet she didn't know that until you told her. Lucky for her, you are here to remind her of that fact because no one else knows that. Lol.....
Lift your players up when they make a mistake. Don't be Captain obvious. She knows she messed up. Tell her you believe in her and you know she's got this and will catch the next one hit to her. She how she responds to that. it won't be tears I can assure you.
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DD plays on a HS team with a very "intense" coach. I have posted about this coach before.
I seriously wish the coach could find the line between inspiring the girls and scaring them. I think this team is capable of amazing things. But they all play scared. It is sad. The are so scared about making mistakes that they make mistakes. And then she yells, and yells, and yells and makes them run and run and run or sit.
I seriously wish the coach could find the line between inspiring the girls and scaring them. I think this team is capable of amazing things. But they all play scared. It is sad. The are so scared about making mistakes that they make mistakes. And then she yells, and yells, and yells and makes them run and run and run or sit.
- Jun 12, 2015
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I'd be willing to bet this guy can dish it out but he can't take it. That's how they usually are.
- May 27, 2013
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We played against a coach like this last weekend! Girls played so tight - and he would pull them immediately if they made an error. The girls looked miserable. There were college coaches watching who you could tell were not happy. Our girls actually started saying “nice play” or “great hustle” very loudly to his players to acknowledge the positives. It was absolutely ridiculous because he was making such an arse of himself!
Well it would be one thing had she tried to catch those balls, she allowed them to drop. At the 18 level, the player needs to take responsibility for her play, it affects the whole team, not just her. The pitcher makes a nice pitch and the batter hits a shallow fly ball that the fielder lets drop in front of her.. great for the pitcher huh. (and no I don't have kids on the team).
Drives me crazy when a batter swings at 3 balls she has no business swinging at, and the coach says, "it's alright Suzi, you'll hit the next one 2 feet over your head".
