Change Teams or Suffer on?

[VA Chris]

I'm looking at a few travel teams. Need to see if DD is that motivated. Want to be sure to fan the flames with out blowing out the enthusiasm!

 

[VA Chris]

Out in LF - Not sure what excuses you are referring to. Player abilities are what they are, I believe with a proper coaching staff this team could be a contender for league champs. The management never gave them a chance.

As for frustrating practices. You should come and watch one of the few practices we did have. The team dad's were hitting the balls to players and then running the bases. It was a comical error after error afternoon with no corrections or technique development. This was a whole season of lost time for each and every one of these girls. Hope I get a shot to help a team in fall ball. I am in the process of reading up on drills and development practices. Toss in my own knowledge from little league and school ball and I believe I can help to avoid letting this happen again.

 

[WB Coach]

Hope I get a shot to help a team in fall ball. I am in the process of reading up on drills and development practices. Toss in my own knowledge from little league and school ball and I believe I can help to avoid letting this happen again.

You are not going to single-handedly change rec ball. However, it seems you are off to a good enough start to make your slice of little league a wee bit better, and that is commendable. I did the same thing as you last year, reading up and learning all I could, because I decided I would be in it for the girls' benefit. This year I coached my rec team like I would a TB team. I held them to very high standards, made them accountable for their actions, and worked on game situations in practice, especially after a loss. We made some good players better, some lousy players passable, and pissed off a few parents that weren't used to having their DDs challenged.

So, learn all you can, go 100% into it, and above all, be humble and don't try to be someone you're not. Good luck!

 

[softballmom77]

It's rec/league ball the coaches are there for the daughters. It's daddy ball! They volunteered their time to coach the team. They might not know much about softball. On a rare occassion you get a dad that has been around the block with his older daughter and has some knowledge of what it's like out there now. Maybe you could direct the coach to this website to learn some new drills and see what people are discussing. I love rec ball and all my daughters had the privelage of playing when they were younger. I coached my girls and taught them what I knew. It wasnt' great but at least I tried to help everyone. We even took 1st and 2nd during our all-star tournaments. You get what you pay for! Stick it out and start looking for a select team for the fall. Teams are starting to post for tryouts so she should be able to get in a soft practice or two.

And Breath..........League ball is for fun! Hopefully she has learned at least 1 thing as her take away!

 

[VA Chris]

Now that the season is over things may have worked out but in an odd way. We have signed up for the fall season and found out that all of the teams will be back in draft mode. Not sure of the value of completely breaking all the teams back down. I would believe that the girls would develop better with a consistent chemistry. Apparently, I am not alone in questioning the directions our local league is taking. Good news is we will get a chance to see how green the grass is on the other side of the fence.

 

[BradB41]

Disclaimer: I'm an AC for one kid's rec and another's TB team. I do not play Daddy ball and cringe when I see my kids getting preferential treatment because of my participation. That being said, a coach puts in a lot of time and has to deal with a lot of crap behind the scenes. From whiny or irate parents, to finding fill ins at the last minute, to finding places to practice, etc...it's a pain at times, believe me! The coach's kid probably takes a lot more crap behind the scenes than many (at least mine do). They go to practice early and stay late. They're lugging bags and buckets and coolers and chairs and tents. Although they may not be the best players, they earn their spot one way or another.

That being said, IMO you should consider coaching yourself. I had some folks in rec leagues that I wouldn't let my kids play for. If that's your mentality, you pretty much have to step up. I believe if you want your child to excel, you have to assume responsibility for their development as a ball player. Learn it and teach it or pay a competent coach to work with them. If you're lucky, they might get a decent rec coach, but more often than not it aint gonna happen.

 

[David Carter]

Howdy All

First time posting here but have a situation and would like to hear how others have handled similar issues. This is my daughter's first year playing organized softball. She has done well, shown a mountain of dedication, and hard work has paid off with an All Star selection. She has some talent and we are fanning the flames to keep her motivated.

Concerns have to do with the team she plays for. I appreciate the coaches for volunteering but I am completely perplexed by their motivations. Sadly the team shows unbelievable favoritism towards coaches DD. One coaches daughter will not move 5' to field a grounder, yet she is regularly put in at second base and hardly ever gets sat. The girls are frustrated with the coaches and it shows during games.

There is absolutely no rhyme or reason to our coaches decisions. A few items to illustrate the concerns. Our batting order has changed only once this whole season. Our top three batters strike out or walk continuously and do not aggressively try to hit. Although other players have improved vastly in hitting performance they never move up in the order.

Fielding is completely beyond comprehension. With runners on 1 & 2 and 0-1 outs, our coach calls out closest base. He has never once taught the girls the importance of getting the lead runner. Last night with bases loaded and 1 out, our pitcher fielded a grounder and threw to first. Play was to the plate but no one coached her to defend the plate. Of course the other team marched on for 5 runs and maxed out the inning. My DD played left field and successfully backed up 3 over thrown balls to third on steal attempts. Each time she made the back up and threw home. Twice the pitcher ran in and cut off the throw, as the pitcher has been taught all year that the play is always to get the ball back in the circle. Needless to say our team has never practiced cut off drills to the plate.

Hope this isn't too convoluted to keep up with. I am incredibly frustrated with this coaching staff and team performance. So the question is, do we jump ship? I am trying to leave the decision up to my DD, but I am very concerned. She is very smart on the diamond. Calls out the right play, and then gets undermined by her Head Coach. While playing SS she has attempted to guide the team to get the lead runner, only to have the incorrect call sent in from the Head Coach (nearest base is always his intention). I have heard our infielders call out three different calls on the same play, contradict each other, and no coach input to correct this lack of cohesion. I am worried that all of this may impact her development. I had hoped that she would at least have learned the basics by now. If I wasn't fortunate enough to be able to work with her alone, the poor kid would be completely lost.

Suffice to say this is only the tip of the ice berg. To avoided my first post being a 5 page rant, I will elect to offer any further situations and lapses in coaching decisions as the discussion arises. I will add that I am signed up to coach in the next available opening. Trying to be part of the solution.

What would you do? Fall ball is coming up and I have an opportunity to make a change. Does staying on this team to teach loyalty and friendship outweigh the frustration and moronic coaching we are dealing with?

and after 1 year of exactly this... that is why I stepped up to coach and after another year of crazy politics...got myself on the board and helped re write the by-laws. I took the triple L solution the first year because I told myself since you did not volunteer you have earned the right to sit in the stands, shut up and be a cheerleader.

 

[absdad]

If you're DD shows the skill, is ready for the commitment, and can handle the schedule (practice and multiple tournaments).. then get her out of rec ball and get on a competitive team. She will only get better as the bar is raised. I'm not down on rec ball by any means, I think it's a good start, and some desire nothing more than what it provides, and that's fine. But from your posting, it sounds like you're looking for something more competitive. There are coaches that don't have dd's on the team. Ask around, and watch some games of teams you're interested in. This is a great time to see before tryouts (end of july, early august). Then write your check, and hang on... it's a long bumpy ride.

 

[Little Angels Softball]

Then write your check, and hang on... it's a long bumpy ride.

Ain't dat da truth.

 

[BradB41]

and after 1 year of exactly this... that is why I stepped up to coach and after another year of crazy politics...got myself on the board and helped re write the by-laws. I took the triple L solution the first year because I told myself since you did not volunteer you have earned the right to sit in the stands, shut up and be a cheerleader.

Good post. You honestly have to do some coaching to truly appreciate everything they do. They have earned at least the benefit of the doubt, and at the end of the day, they probably stepped up because 8 other dads wouldn't. Learn all you can and step up.