Coach means well but..... (long read - sorry)

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NBECoach

Learning everyday
Aug 9, 2018
408
63
Last Thursday I got a text from a coach that I have casually known for 10 years. He and his daughter, who played D3 college softball together coach a U14 team. This is one of these academy teams where supposedly they get prepared for High School and college softball and they have a full indoor field available to them. They were entered in a tournament this weekend and his daughter had a prior commitment that day so he asked me if I could help out in 2 pool play games, pre-game and coaching 1B. Since HS coaching was cancelled this year it was a chance to help “coach” a couple of games.

A little background on the team itself. They are 4-11. The players themselves are athletic. They never give up and seem to get along. I saw them play 2 weeks ago and while competitive they always seem to make just enough mistakes to lose. Some mental errors, but mostly fielding/throwing errors which are very correctable.

Because of heavy traffic we arrive at the field 20 minutes late, but 30 minutes before the game. He takes ½ the team for swings/offense and I get ½ the team for ground balls/defense. I ask the players to show me their ready position and how they field ground balls. Of the 6 players I had, none was acceptable and while they fielded grounders, each kid had their own way to get to the throwing position. None of which were correct. I was in the middle of explaining why and how’s of the ready position and fielding when he yells over to me “we don’t have time, just hit them ground balls”. Now I had specifically asked him in the car on they way if I had the OK to correct things if I saw something wrong, and he said yes.

Game 1 – With 2 outs, the opposition scores 3 runs on 2 hits, a walk, a HBP, and 2 very routine ground ball errors. One a bad throw and the other just plain dropped. They should have scored 1 run. We come back and score 3 ourselves all on hits and then no one scores the rest of the game. While we had some additional errors, they didn’t cause a run to score. Since it is pool play, they call it a tie.

Game 2 – They score 3 runs in the first on errors. Over the next 4 innings, a throwing error, a pop up that drops between the ss and LF, and 2 balls land ON THE FOUL LINE and now they have a total of 8 runs. We come back with 4 runs all on hits, and in the bottom of the last inning (score 8-4) we load the bases and bring the tying run to the plate. Unfortunately, she grounded out to end the game.

On the way home I tell him all the good things I saw. They fought back in both games, great attitude the whole day. Then I say their fundamentals need help. He tells me that’s pretty much all they work on in practice but for some reason it fails to transfer to the games. That didn’t make sense to me because the mechanics were wrong. He’s got them in the ready position with the glove out and down in front. I told him I asked the girls how many balls are hit right at you in a game? They said maybe 1. To which I responded they why have the glove out when you have to bring it up and turn to field a ball. Start with the hands just above the knees (thumbs up). He didn’t like that.

Then I said no one brings a fielded ball to the middle of the chest prior to throwing, resulting in multiple arm slots and wild throws. I’m not sure he understood that concept because he changed the subject to offense.

I could go on but, he’s got a team with potential that needs correct instructional help to make them a winner. I really hate to see these good kids taught somewhat incorrectly but is this any of my business?
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
Sounds like a discussion about mechanics that should be had with the coach at another time.

Not the time befor games to
offer a different perspective on mechanics.
Meaning this way or that way.
Especially if your view is they are incorrect.
Rather than help them with the same mechanics.
It counter-acts the head coach's approach.
Could be confusing.
 

BigSkyHi

All I know is I don't know
Jan 13, 2020
1,385
113
Last Thursday I got a text from a coach that I have casually known for 10 years. He and his daughter, who played D3 college softball together coach a U14 team. This is one of these academy teams where supposedly they get prepared for High School and college softball and they have a full indoor field available to them. They were entered in a tournament this weekend and his daughter had a prior commitment that day so he asked me if I could help out in 2 pool play games, pre-game and coaching 1B. Since HS coaching was cancelled this year it was a chance to help “coach” a couple of games.

A little background on the team itself. They are 4-11. The players themselves are athletic. They never give up and seem to get along. I saw them play 2 weeks ago and while competitive they always seem to make just enough mistakes to lose. Some mental errors, but mostly fielding/throwing errors which are very correctable.

Because of heavy traffic we arrive at the field 20 minutes late, but 30 minutes before the game. He takes ½ the team for swings/offense and I get ½ the team for ground balls/defense. I ask the players to show me their ready position and how they field ground balls. Of the 6 players I had, none was acceptable and while they fielded grounders, each kid had their own way to get to the throwing position. None of which were correct. I was in the middle of explaining why and how’s of the ready position and fielding when he yells over to me “we don’t have time, just hit them ground balls”. Now I had specifically asked him in the car on they way if I had the OK to correct things if I saw something wrong, and he said yes.

Game 1 – With 2 outs, the opposition scores 3 runs on 2 hits, a walk, a HBP, and 2 very routine ground ball errors. One a bad throw and the other just plain dropped. They should have scored 1 run. We come back and score 3 ourselves all on hits and then no one scores the rest of the game. While we had some additional errors, they didn’t cause a run to score. Since it is pool play, they call it a tie.

Game 2 – They score 3 runs in the first on errors. Over the next 4 innings, a throwing error, a pop up that drops between the ss and LF, and 2 balls land ON THE FOUL LINE and now they have a total of 8 runs. We come back with 4 runs all on hits, and in the bottom of the last inning (score 8-4) we load the bases and bring the tying run to the plate. Unfortunately, she grounded out to end the game.

On the way home I tell him all the good things I saw. They fought back in both games, great attitude the whole day. Then I say their fundamentals need help. He tells me that’s pretty much all they work on in practice but for some reason it fails to transfer to the games. That didn’t make sense to me because the mechanics were wrong. He’s got them in the ready position with the glove out and down in front. I told him I asked the girls how many balls are hit right at you in a game? They said maybe 1. To which I responded they why have the glove out when you have to bring it up and turn to field a ball. Start with the hands just above the knees (thumbs up). He didn’t like that.

Then I said no one brings a fielded ball to the middle of the chest prior to throwing, resulting in multiple arm slots and wild throws. I’m not sure he understood that concept because he changed the subject to offense.

I could go on but, he’s got a team with potential that needs correct instructional help to make them a winner. I really hate to see these good kids taught somewhat incorrectly but is this any of my business?
Ouch! It is so hard when you see something like that. Spent many sleepless night over issues like that before I understood it is out of my control. Figure I just have to keep going on helping where I can.

Not to say you shouldn't contact him an offer to help.
 
Aug 25, 2019
1,066
113
Remember, he just asked you to warm them up and coach 1st base, he didn't ask you to coach them. If you feel the need, ask him once, and only once, if he would like for you come to their practice to help out. Although he may agree to that, him and his D3 DD might be upset that you are showing the girls how to play right, like they don't know what they are doing.........
 
Jun 20, 2015
848
93
warm up time right before a game is not the time to try and learn fundamentals. Either fielding or batting. Get ready for game and bring whatever they got. cannot re-learn in 20 mins.

and just for reference. IMO, if game starts at 3pm, warm ups start at 2pm. coaches are there about 1:30.
 
Apr 20, 2018
4,581
113
SoCal
Send him a quality fielding video demonstrating the correct ready position, transfer and arm slot. Then its not you fixing his problems, its the pro guy. He might be more excepting. At 14u, the girl has been playing for probably 5 or 6 years and fixing throwing mechanics is close to impossible. It is sad they were not corrected long ago.
 
Feb 21, 2017
198
28
From the sound of it I don’t think he works on defense as much as he says he does. Defense doesn’t slump. Maybe the COVID set them back but I’d this team has a decent core and has been together for more than a year that should not happen. Way too many errors for that age.

You don’t even have to be 100% perfect, just repeatable.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

NBECoach

Learning everyday
Aug 9, 2018
408
63
warm up time right before a game is not the time to try and learn fundamentals. Either fielding or batting. Get ready for game and bring whatever they got. cannot re-learn in 20 mins.

and just for reference. IMO, if game starts at 3pm, warm ups start at 2pm. coaches are there about 1:30.
I agree that pre game is not the time for instruction. My bad. It just hurt to see very correctable mistakes. But that's for practice.
 
Nov 18, 2015
1,585
113
Then I said no one brings a fielded ball to the middle of the chest prior to throwing, resulting in multiple arm slots and wild throws. I’m not sure he understood that concept because he changed the subject to offense.

Can you clarify this? My understanding is that you’re supposed to funnel to the center for the exchange. Or were you seeing them
bringing their hands up too high - like heart level?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

NBECoach

Learning everyday
Aug 9, 2018
408
63
Can you clarify this? My understanding is that you’re supposed to funnel to the center for the exchange. Or were you seeing them
bringing their hands up too high - like heart level?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
No one brought the ball to the middle so each throw had a different hands break location resulting in inconsistent throws
 

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