Coaches: I Need some opinions

[Coach JV]

I am sure this is a good place for opinions. Here is the situation.

I coach a 14U TB team, 5 girls are using a local hitting-pitching
coach. Last week during a game, one of these coaches came to
a game and was counseling his 'students' during the game without
asking me or another coach what protocol is. He also told one of the girls
to 'tune out' what I am coaching regarding hitting, and do what is
instructed at private lessons. Also a couple weeks back, the pitching
coach was at a game, but introduced herself and asked if she could
speak to player between innings.

Since one particular player started hitting lessons last fall,
her average has plummeted 115 points. Overall, only one girl has any
positive results offensively. Personally, I think the pitch coach is ok,
but the hit coach is out of line.

Any suggestions on what my next step should be?? Should I talk to player?
parents?private instructor?all?in what order? Or if player does not conform,
do I cut her loose? She is a good team mate and was a team player until
recent events.

 

[starsnuffer]

Seems like your problem is with the hitting instructor, so I think you should talk to the instructor first. Maybe I'm too blunt, but my philosophy has always been to address the problem, not dance with it.

-W

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Boy, I don't attempt to coach someone else's team. The hitting coach needs to do his/her job during hitting lessons and that is all.

But, also it is apparent that the girl is being put in the middle here. When, I have a player that is getting private lessons, I don't attempt to teach them my way. Think how confusing that would be.

You need to talk to everyone involved and hash this out. I guess I would start with the parents, so you don't get a he said, she said thing going on. Plus, they are paying good money for the private lessons. Also, find out what this coach teaches that is contrary to what you teach.

 

[Momo'sDad]

Although it's too late for you at this point, this is one of the things to be addressed at the initial team meeting. If a player is taking private lessons, then I need to know before the season starts. If a player starts taking lessons during the season, then I need to know about it immediately.

I don't want someone else coaching my team, but I'm not going to confuse anyone's students either.

In your situation, I would speak first to the hitting instructor directly. Depending on how that conversation goes, either you will inform the player and parents of the new enforcement of your policy or the instructor will tell them he won't be talking to her during games anymore (or both).

We're all going to do things differently, but while I have NO problem with an instructor checking out their students in a game situation, unless the instructor is on my staff, he/she is not to communicate with the player until after the game.

 

[Coach JV]

If I might interject; these girls have been playing for us for 3+years,
I thought that the behavior of Hit Coach was unprofessional as well,
now it has caused some friction amongst my 'softball family'

 

[quincy]

I would keep the players out of it for now; they are the poor person being pulled a few different ways.

I go to a lot of games that I am not personally involved in and have no rooting interested in. Occasionally I will say something to the individual players, coaches and umpires. Always good play, your Team looked great, good call, etc. Mostly I am quite and clap a lot.

I have every right to be at the game, and can say what I want. You as a Manager/coach cannot control me, I have no particular interest in your Team nor do I know your Team rules. Your player’s instructors have the same rights.

What you have some control of is the parents/kids on your Team, to a lesser extent their personal instructor.

The pitching coach approached you correctly and introduced herself, she explained what she was doing and provided you the opportunity to welcome her. If you did not, but it sounded like you did, she would have been a quite observer.

The hitting coach was a moron; I would be worried about him because of his approach. It is great that he came to the game, not getting paid I hope, to help his students. Just interjecting himself into the game was no good. My guess is if he introduced himself he would dictate what he was doing opposed to introducing himself and explaining what he was trying to accomplish.

 

[starsnuffer]

One more thing. . .

Hitting is taught in practice, or in this case, during private lessons. During the game, you should be using the funnel approach so the girls are focusing on less and less as they get ready to hit. When they're in the batter's box, the absolute last thing they need is coaching on "how" they're supposed to hit. The only thing they should be thinking about in the box is "see ball, hit ball". Nothing else. Not their stance, not their elbow, not their hands, ect. All that nonsense is fixed in practice.

Be it a parent, a coach, a friend, whatever, any "coaching" of hitting when the batter is in the box is detrimental to the act of actually hitting the ball, and should be discouraged. Parents should cheer, not coach, and the same should go for other spectators, even hitting coaches. After the at bat, you can analyze it, but not during.

-W

 

[quincy]

"see ball, hit ball"

That would be a great thought if the mean pitchers would stop throwing fastballs at my DD's eye level.

 

[Momo'sDad]

One more thing. . .

Hitting is taught in practice, or in this case, during private lessons. During the game, you should be using the funnel approach so the girls are focusing on less and less as they get ready to hit. When they're in the batter's box, the absolute last thing they need is coaching on "how" they're supposed to hit. The only thing they should be thinking about in the box is "see ball, hit ball". Nothing else. Not their stance, not their elbow, not their hands, ect. All that nonsense is fixed in practice.

Be it a parent, a coach, a friend, whatever, any "coaching" of hitting when the batter is in the box is detrimental to the act of actually hitting the ball, and should be discouraged. Parents should cheer, not coach, and the same should go for other spectators, even hitting coaches. After the at bat, you can analyze it, but not during.

This has always been an issue for me and is a major point of emphasis. Not every team of young girls has a coaching staff like that, but I always hated it. Between-pitch distractions from a chatty coach do NOT help young players. A batter heading up to the plate knows what her job is. Let her do it. Take notes, but don't chirp at her.

 

[starsnuffer]

Half the time I think the 3rd base coach is trying to impress the parents by spouting off nonsense and technical instructions rather then actually help the kids. More often then not he/she succeeds at neither. Besides informing the batter that she should be wary of a change-up, I can't think of anything more useless the 3b coach could be doing.

-W