Dealing with Coaches as a Team Administrator

[_MIA_]

Can Casey Stengel and John McGraw but not before you slash their tires and make each one think it was the other guy..

 

[daywalkerdad]

It is 12u. They play pretty well against the neighboring teams in our rec league, 8 of our players on the same rec team. My daughter catches and was running all over the backstop and I never once thought to bring up the bad pitching or home not being covered because I knew these kids were learning. I think that is why I was so frustrated when all the negative attitude towards the other players started. I'm fully expecting my daughter to be benched for me speaking up at the next game.

Your daughter was supposed to frame those pitches in the dirt for strikes, and display world record vertical and get those over her head.

You are not going to win many games with 30-40% strikes, no matter the lineup.

Is your dd travel ball pitchers better? I would ask if one would sub. Leave their daughters on the bench to prove a point. Then follow up, you said you wanted to win.

 

[The Man In Blue]

What you have is a manager there, not a coach. A coach will help weak players get better, a manager wants good players, hit a few ground balls, then fill out the lineup.
DD ran into this in 12u. She made a real good team based on her hitting. She was weak at fielding. At the end of the season the "coach" says while she's a good hitter, her fielding is weak, so she not gonna play much next season, maybe look for another team. I looked him straight in the eye and said" you're the coach, so coach her to get better, isn't that what your suppose to do? " he had such a dumb look on his face, he didn't know what to say. He was a manager, not a coach. She moved to another team that season.

Improve a player? That's not his job. His job is to explain to umpires how little they know about the game and find sniveling, conniving ways to get cheap outs.

 

[JaC]

so I started a tournament team for these girls.

My confusion comes in over the above statement. You started it. You get to define the mission statement. Some rogue coach doesn't get to change the goals on you.

I have said over and over this was development focused. Just have fun and get some game time. I asked the rec coaches to coach, but I have the business license etc under my name and have done all the administrative work.

The above sounds like you have made this whole thing happen and now someone else is trying to usurp your original mission. And based on some of your responses, it sohdns like they're pulling people in with them.

If you think the fundamental idea has become infected... I'd call an emergency meeting with all the coaches stat. It would be a bit of a "come to Jesus" meeting. I would keep it brief and to the point, using language that was definitive and did not leave room for negotiation. I would thank everyone for their time and dedication to this, remind them of the reason this was started and state very clearly that ALL players are here to be developed and coached, that the intent was for fundamental growth, not competitive positioning.

Tell them you have seen a few instances (withiut naming anyone) where it seems the message has become muddied and the purpose of the meeting is to ensure clarity.

I would then leave the meeting with "if there is a desire to make this into something different than the original intent, this may not be a good fit for you. While I don't want to lose anyone, I respect your choice to build something different outside of this team. As stated earlier, the intent of this team/leagusle is to give every girl a chance to play and grow in the fundamentals of softball."

This way you nip the rogue coach in the bud while also sending out a message to any of their minions. The only way to get the ship back on course is to stop any damage that has occurred with very clear messaging in my opinion.

(The message can also be addressed in a one on one with the rogue coach if you think that will be enough.)

Keep us posted. I'm rooting for ya!

 

[The Man In Blue]

Unfortunately, I live in a town of about 1200, if I cut them I would end getting my daughter blackballed in this town. It is a very tricky situation I have landed in.

And therein lies the toughest decision ... is it time for you to walk away?

My daughter played travel ball while I ran our rec league. I kept those two worlds VERY separate when she started doing that.

When coaches would take "their" rec team and go take up space in (using the word "play" is generous) travel ball, they would often point out, "But your daughter is playing travel." I would respond with, "Yes, and she is doing that as an individual player. She is trying out for teams and I am not involved. If she is good enough, she will make it. If she isn't, she won't. I am not taking 10 other girls who will be wrecked by the experience just to stroke my own ego."

At the end of my run with the local rec league, we attempted to develop a 2-tier rec system with a higher "travel-like" component. I was even open to that growing into something bigger. However, people still could not check their egos and work for the whole of the system. I finally decided it was time for me to walk away. Maybe that is also the answer. It is very difficult to walk away from something that you had big dreams for. To this day, 15+ years later, I will cross paths with a few of the people who were on board and they still talk about what we almost had.

 

[heman1202]

Unfortunately, I live in a town of about 1200, if I cut them I would end getting my daughter blackballed in this town. It is a very tricky situation I have landed in.

How would removing two rec coaches get you daughter blackballed? What power do two 10U rec coaches have in your town?

You're not cutting anyone, you are giving them a choice. You are the org head, correct? It is your responsibility to these kids to stand firm in what you set the team up for. While these coaches may leave with their kids and possibly a few more, what about the other families?

Is part of your dilemma that you do not want your kid being left as the only "talent" amongst those that need more developing?

I'm trying to figure out why this is a tough decision for you. If you indeed have the final say in this then stick to what the vision was.

Do you run the rec league?

 

[Lreeve]

How would removing two rec coaches get you daughter blackballed? What power do two 10U rec coaches have in your town?

You're not cutting anyone, you are giving them a choice. You are the org head, correct? It is your responsibility to these kids to stand firm in what you set the team up for. While these coaches may leave with their kids and possibly a few more, what about the other families?

Is part of your dilemma that you do not want your kid being left as the only "talent" amongst those that need more developing?

I'm trying to figure out why this is a tough decision for you. If you indeed have the final say in this then stick to what the vision was.

Do you run the rec league?

One in particular is related to half the town including HS coaches. I don't run the rec league. The other coach's daughter plays on my daughter's other travel team. She is the 5th pitcher. I thought this was a good opportunity for her to get more pitching time, but her dad has gone and let the power of coaching go to his head. I never did this to win, so if they took their kids we would continue happily playing and developing. I'm not sure what I am going to do. Our next tournament is about a week out. I am 100% if I do this again next summer they will not be asked to coach.

 

[CoachCeetar]

I'm not sure what I am going to do. Our next tournament is about a week out. I am 100% if I do this again next summer they will not be asked to coach.

That might be the easiest "don't make waves" decision, as long as you can find someone to coach.

 

[HustleFPNY]

i am going to be the team administrator for my team and an assistant coach of one of the teams we field. i will not be a head coach, i wiill let the head coach do their job as described in their contract. our organization is a 501C llc. we have bylaws for the team with our philosophy in place, i already have prepared a contract for our coaches (we are all non-parent, my dd no longer plays) and that contract specifies their duties and it also calls their attention to the bylaws and coaching decisions must be made consistent with the philosophies of the organization.
in addition, I, as team President, still makes the final call on player decisions for the roster after tryouts. the coaches will have strong input and i will default to them unless i feel strongly otherwise, but even their contract under responsibilities, still confirms President makes final roster decisions for who is on the roster itself. (though the head coaches make the lineups and fielding and pitching decisions in game and pregame).

As team owners/President put all our heart into making these teams and running these teams. We formed the teams with a specific goal and philosophy. it is up to us to run the team and make sure the coaches are still doing things consistent to that philosophy. that is not overstepping. They are overstepping if threy are not staying within those guidelines. Maybe they did not know the philosophy? this is why having things in black and white and not so informal helps. interviewing coaches before hiring them and having more candidates than you need helps you make sure you are getting the right ones who understand what is expected and promise to do their job within those expectations.

I do not know how other teams are. i do not know how far they go with hiring coaches, i do not know if they have anything formal. our coaches are independent contractors by contract definition, their pay, responsibilities and limitations are all in black and white and they have to sign this before they are on board officially. . this makes their job easier and your job easier. there can be no misunderstanding when things are on paper.

 

[RADcatcher]

i am going to be the team administrator for my team and an assistant coach of one of the teams we field. i will not be a head coach, i wiill let the head coach do their job as described in their contract. our organization is a 501C llc. we have bylaws for the team with our philosophy in place, i already have prepared a contract for our coaches (we are all non-parent, my dd no longer plays) and that contract specifies their duties and it also calls their attention to the bylaws and coaching decisions must be made consistent with the philosophies of the organization.
in addition, I, as team President, still makes the final call on player decisions for the roster after tryouts. the coaches will have strong input and i will default to them unless i feel strongly otherwise, but even their contract under responsibilities, still confirms President makes final roster decisions for who is on the roster itself. (though the head coaches make the lineups and fielding and pitching decisions in game and pregame).

As team owners/President put all our heart into making these teams and running these teams. We formed the teams with a specific goal and philosophy. it is up to us to run the team and make sure the coaches are still doing things consistent to that philosophy. that is not overstepping. They are overstepping if threy are not staying within those guidelines. Maybe they did not know the philosophy? this is why having things in black and white and not so informal helps. interviewing coaches before hiring them and having more candidates than you need helps you make sure you are getting the right ones who understand what is expected and promise to do their job within those expectations.

I do not know how other teams are. i do not know how far they go with hiring coaches, i do not know if they have anything formal. our coaches are independent contractors by contract definition, their pay, responsibilities and limitations are all in black and white and they have to sign this before they are on board officially. . this makes their job easier and your job easier. there can be no misunderstanding when things are on paper.

Like structure!

May i ask... you commented 'don't know how other teams are, don't know how far they go with hiring coaches'. Does that mean that in the situation you are describing this is a paid coaching position?