Carrying equipment...

[Amy in AZ.]

I have no idea who is carrying what. As long as they are ready to play at a specified time, I don't ask who carried what. As to the buckets of balls, etc. that doesn't leave my site.

But the kids don't just scatter and leave me with the nets and stuff. That is just common courtesy.

 

[Country Boy]

does anyone think that a college coach is carrying any gear for their players and why is a college coach too stupid to coach a girl whose equipment is being carried....most of these coaches might see a player 2-3 times and when they see a player having equipment carried for them they will think that that player must have some special privliges and not have to do what other emebers of the team do!!...at 41 years old when i play no one carries my catchers gear for me so why does it seema problem for young people to lug some equipment!!??

I believe I said that the college coach that did not recruit one of my girls because they see me with a bag of whiffle balls (team gear) over my shoulder is too stupid to coach one of them. Does anyone honestly think Mike Candrea would have turned his back on recruiting Jennie Finch or Taryn Mowatt if he saw one of her coaches packing a batting tee or bucket of balls? I have watched numerous college coaches and not one of them seems reluctant to do what needs to be done. Sometimes that has included grabbing a rake and giving the grounds crew an assist.

Do I carry players equipt? No. But neither do I stand around impatiently waiting for them to fulfill a pack mule role with the team equipment.

I do not carry all of the team equipment all of the time. Some days I may not get to anything before the girls have it all. Some mornings I have quite a bit. Does anyone think that a group of 18U players suddenly feel entitled or spoiled if I grab the bucket of balls?

Key questions- is their onfield performance affected if I carry a few items from the parking lot? Are my players going to suddenly become prima donnas because they see me pick up a bucket? Or will they feel better because they know that I am not too good to be a part of team activities? Or will it not even register because it is such a minor, insignificant part of everyones lives? I vote for the last.

 

[Cannonball]

Can you point out these coaches who have said such things? I also hear they will not look at a player with a mask. I hear a lot of things that college coaches will or will not do, but then I find out that is nothing more than folklore when I actually talk to coaches at clinics and ask them about such gibberish.

My dd has attended NUMEROUS camps and clinics held by and coached by college coaches. That topic is almost always addressed by these college coaches. Carry your own stuff. You believe what you wish. I've heard it dozens of times from the horses mouths.

 

[PAcoach]

On our team, everyone just pitches in and grabs whatever gear. We do have people (parents) who have assumed the job of carring and setting up all of our tents. The other equip., buckets, nets etc could be picked up by anyone, coach, players, parent..doesn't matter. As far as the players gear, it is carried by the player. Only exception, if a kid is hurt.

 

[SoftSocDad]

I'm big on this as well. For whatever reason, throughout most of our daughter's life, my wife has felt the need to do everything for her, and I'm not even talking about anything that's necessarily challenging. It takes a couple of practices at the start of each season, but she eventually lets kiddo carry her own bag...but then still tries to carry it for her after games and gets huffy with me for disallowing it.

The little one has a perfect read on the situation, too: "Daddy makes me carry my own equipment"...said in a way suggesting that's less favorable to her than having someone else carry it.

Laziness - or self-reliance - is typically bred...those are not traits we're generally born with.

 

[SoCalDad]

With my DD the rule is she carries her equipment bag and I carry the bucket. I did make one recent exception. At our state tournament she pitched 4 games in one day. After that I carried her bag back to the car since she could barely move her legs.

 

[SamG]

Are we referring to team gear or player gear? Player gear should be carried by the player. Team gear (IMO) depends... are players traveling separately to the game site? Do the players and team gear arrive together? I think the coach should carry some of the TEAM gear (even if it's just a bucket of balls) IF everyone is getting to the site by themselves.