Daddy Ball Observation

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JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,223
38
Georgia
I have seen daddy ball in all sports. I know it exists , but what most fail to understand is that without these parents there wouldnt be teams because nobody else wants to spend the time it takes to step up and coach a team. Most of them just want to sit back and complain about the coach. The "daddyball" excuse just becomes their convenient way to do it. In my area , there isnt one single team 8u-14u (probably around 60 teams) that has a coach without a kid on the team.

It is always amazing to me how many parents complain about 'daddy ball', but none of them will 'step up' and coach....they prefer to just sit in the stands and complain. I also love it when a kid comes to tryouts and we find out from her parents that she has been on 5 different teams in the last 3 years because every coach played 'daddy ball'....... I am not saying 'daddy ball' does not exist, but I think it gets over exaggerated by disgruntled parents who wear 'rose colored' glasses regarding their DD's abilities!
 
Jul 16, 2008
1,520
48
Oregon
Thats a tough one too... if you read my post, I am rally planning on moving before HS. DD isn't going to play MS. That's all I need is 4 more ideas on why you should get down on one knee and and do wrist flips, hello elbow, and squash the bug. Her TB team will be too busy anyhow for sure-aids.

She found...... errrr I mean YOU found another TB team? How many hours do you have to drive now?
 
Jan 4, 2012
3,790
38
OH-IO
I hear what you're saying. Good points. ...

What you mention about ''if you know so much then why is you DD not so good?'' is another subject altogether. You might have a coach who has developed a mediocre athlete into a player who can make an A-level team with a lot of better athletes. That's good coaching, but DD might be one of the weakest players on this talented team. Unless the parent has seen that player's development, this might go unappreciated. But things like attitude and hustle and respect and being a good teammate and role model are other things. If the coach's DD lacks those things, it's not a good sign.

I think this is where all the bitterness comes from... I really don't think it has anything to do with ball. Its just human nature. I have seen it in school, church, ymca... everywhere. It kinda like a guy wearing a tupay. Everyone just acts like they don't see it. And they won't say anything else about that, but he'll get fire from about everything else.

It would be just as easy to be on a parenting site forum, and be posting from the other end of this whole issue. I don't be grudge the Daddy Ball, I don't have the time or energy to coach, but I now my DD can make it out on the diamond, even if I'm unliked, without me doing anything but getting the pictures of my prototype. Plus I have found that Coaches face a whole new dynamic with their DD, when he Coaches mine. I'm not seeing it as good for everyone. Some battle, but most just give up... :{(( Then in turn, some coaches start this she's not as good as you think, or we'll see when she gets to 16u. Not the ones to your face of course, But I can hear them on here, the bitter & beaten... Thats not the game...its this year. Then they start the trouble because they got beat out... as a parent and coach... Thats where things come to an end, and you need to go join another team. What I tell my DD, because she is just 10 is they just don't like me.
 
Last edited:
Jan 4, 2012
3,790
38
OH-IO
She found...... errrr I mean YOU found another TB team? How many hours do you have to drive now?

Actually they decided they couldn't live without her urrr us... Same team. She came up big in the tournaments last weekend we finished 2nd to #1 in state...qualified ! Right choice, but an AC lost his voice, well just when it comes to DD... :{)) I let him stay too :{)) Same way I answer you. Thx for asking.

Whats your take on the OP. Does your DD play on your team? AC
 
Last edited:
Feb 19, 2012
311
0
West US
This was a post about daddy ball, to be fair we had two other coaches whose daughters earned their time and worked hard to build the TEAM. The coaches were positive and supportive to the girls, and one went out of his way to overcompensate for the one coach who had it out for a couple of the girls. I support parent coaches who develop all athletes and i don't complain about favored play time/batting order when they earn it. I do complain about coaches who don't deserve the title and are only looking out for their kid.
 

Axe

Jul 7, 2011
459
18
Atlanta
I'm a Rec Coach. I do it because my 4 DD's love to play softball and I love spending my time at the fields with them and their teammates. I spend hundreds or hours at the park trying to make our programs better. Does that entitle me to put my daughter a couple spots higher in the batting order or give one of them an extra inning in the circle? You bet it does, don't like it? Get off the couch and volunteer. Would I use my position to increase the chances of one mine getting a spot on a summer all-star team? Yup, in a second if that's what she wanted.

Save your pretentious daddy ball threads for your class A 14U teams. Those of us down in the trenches are working just as hard and if that means that some coach (who also has a real job) can provide a couple of extra opportunities for his DD because of the work he's putting in, I say "good for him!".
 
Jun 27, 2011
5,083
0
North Carolina
I spend hundreds or hours at the park trying to make our programs better. Does that entitle me to put my daughter a couple spots higher in the batting order or give one of them an extra inning in the circle? You bet it does, don't like it? Get off the couch and volunteer. Would I use my position to increase the chances of one mine getting a spot on a summer all-star team? Yup, in a second if that's what she wanted.

Unless your daughter deserves to bat higher or get an extra inning on her own merit, that's unethical, IMO.
 
Jan 4, 2012
3,790
38
OH-IO
This was a post about daddy ball, to be fair we had two other coaches whose daughters earned their time and worked hard to build the TEAM. The coaches were positive and supportive to the girls, and one went out of his way to overcompensate for the one coach who had it out for a couple of the girls. I support parent coaches who develop all athletes and i don't complain about favored play time/batting order when they earn it. I do complain about coaches who don't deserve the title and are only looking out for their kid.

Actually this is the factor I can find hope in. The only thing that would cause that is love. Again I'm just in 10u, and this is where it is amplified the most (i think). I enjoy turning all the blatant bias into love stories. DD also enjoys it now too. She has found her footing, and can weave in and out of the politics of the team. She is quite by nature, and has already survived & excelled playing up. When she see's the infractions, she says "He loves her alot"

I have almost 800Gs of High Def video of DD's progress from the very beginning. Our most enjoyable videos now, are when she was really raw. The more she learns, the louder she laughs at her self, or me trying to teach her the wrong stuff. Shes understands embarrassment more know, and asks me if I was embarrassed. I say yes, but I love you alot. My photography started out as bad as her play. We have learned alot about it too, and we laugh even harder at my basic mistakes... I have 100s of Gigs blurry out of focus, shaky, shots right into the sun. But I won't delete one bad shot...Because I know that some day my skills at processing, ant the technology will make them usable... I missed her scoring the tie run in a Championship game, because I didn't even turn on the camera...It would have been to shakey anyhow, back them...I won't be able to ever fix that. But I got alot of other bad shots, that prove I was there... She often tells me to get focused. I really see Daddy Ball conflicts as a battle for who loves their DD the most. "All's fair in Love and war"
 
Last edited:
Jul 16, 2008
1,520
48
Oregon
Actually they decided they couldn't live without her urrr us... Same team. She came up big in the tournaments last weekend we finished 2nd to #1 in state...qualified ! Right choice, but an AC lost his voice, well just when it comes to DD... :{)) I let him stay too :{)) Same way I answer you. Thx for asking.

Whats your take on the OP. Does your DD play on your team? AC

To me there are 2 different coaching styles for those parents that have a DD on the team. One is what I call the parent coach (the one that you cannot tell which player is their DD unless you knew), and one is the Daddy-Ball coach (the one that always places their DD above the team)

Yes she plays on the team I AC for. Like I tell the players, I'm just here to lift heavy stuff lol
 
Jan 25, 2011
2,278
38
Actually they decided they couldn't live without her urrr us... Same team. She came up big in the tournaments last weekend we finished 2nd to #1 in state...qualified ! Right choice, but an AC lost his voice, well just when it comes to DD... :{)) I let him stay too :{)) Same way I answer you. Thx for asking.

Whats your take on the OP. Does your DD play on your team? AC
You made some mistakes in your post,( couldn't live without her urrr ...us), you were right with out the us part. All so( She came up big in the tournaments), the TEAM came up big, not just SHE, AC losing his voice is fine, maybe he is not like you PC and has to tell us all the time how your dd is the greatest player in your state. Let your dd play the game, and let her do the talking for herself, if she is as good as you say she is, we will all know in a few years. I'm not judging your dd either, I don't know if she is good or bad, but one thing is for sure her daddy has to learn to be a little more humble or she won't go any where.
 

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