Disgusted and Frustrated, your thoughts and help for future! (Please)

[coachnelly]

Im a high school Softball Coach in Texas who also coaches football. Before a promotion in football many years ago I was coaching 14U, 16U, 18U Summer ball and I had alot my players playing for me. Some years went reallt well other years went really bad since my team was made up of girls that werent getting the chance to play with the "good" teams.

Anyway, Ive got a girl who just graduated last weekend and has no place to play in college. He select coach was always laughing at her because she was playing for a "private school" and we didnt play anyone and thats why "your hitting so well." I was always fixing her swing during our off-season because her so called select "coach" had it all jacked up! This team never did anything for her to find a school, I did all the work but as we all know "college coaches dont return a high school coaches phone calls" no matter what level. Im also the Associate Head Coach of Strenght and Comditioning at our school and her numbers in all test were unreal all 4 years. She was just forced to quit her team because they wouldnt play her or even give her the reps and work that she would need to try and walk-on somewhere.

I know as with high school coaches they are all not perfect, but how can people put so much stock into a select " coach" only coaches all-star teams year round. I know what your gonna say "you have better competition in the summer" very true, but it also up to the high school coach to make sure he goes and schedules the best teams.

If you read this Ill be shocked! I know it seems like there might be more to it, but I go and watch my kids play as much as possible and keep up with their development and Im really sickened but what im seeing and hearing. High school isnt an all-star team, there is more to it. I know HS coaches are just as guilty as a select 'coach" but why treat the high school coach like he is an idiot. My last exmaple, my catcher signed to play JUCO and we had a signing day at the school and the letter of intent had no fax number. I called the coach left him a message to call my cell for the fax, instead he calls and texts her parents and her standing right next to me. Maybe im being sensitive or maybe someone has a better excuse.

Whats going on here?

 

[sluggers]

I don't believe you understand travel softball or college level softball. Most people think they do, but they don't until they've been through the whole college level softball experience. There is a great book called "PREPARING TO PLAY SOFTBALL AT THE COLLEGIATE LEVEL" by Cathy Aradi. It explains everything quite well, but you wouldn't believe how many people either ignore the book or don't believe what the book says.

First, some background: D1 and D2 level softball players are way, way above that of the normal player. It isn't a question of talent alone. It is a question of skills plus raw talent. Most position players that make it to D1 or D2 put in as much time in their high school years learning how to hit and field as do pitchers and catcher. It is almost impossible to be good enough to play any position at the college level without a lot of personal coaching.

So, if you understand that to play "at the next level" a girl needs personal, one-on-one coaching, then everything is pretty much self-explanatory:

1) The travel ball programs at 16U and 18U aren't there to teach kids how to bat, field, pitch, etc. The player is supposed to work on improving her skills by herself with a personal coach.
2) At the 16U and 18U level, travel ball coaches have to play their best players in order to win at tournaments. Either players improve or they don't play. It is brutal, but that is the way it is.
3) Most travel ball coaches have few contacts with college level coaches--there are exceptions, but by in large, they don't have any. So, it is up to the parents and the player to find a place to play--it isn't up to the travel ball coach.

Why do kids play on a travel ball team then? Simple--the competition level. If a girl thinks she is good at softball, the only way she can find out is to play against good competition. My DD struck out 20 of 21 batters once. That didn't tell me she was great--it told me that it was time for her to find some better competition.

She was just forced to quit her team because they wouldnt play her or even give her the reps and work that she would need to try and walk-on somewhere.

It isn't up to the coaches of 16U and 18U teams to make the player better. The player has to make herself better, on her own time and on her own dime.

I know as with high school coaches they are all not perfect, but how can people put so much stock into a select " coach" only coaches all-star teams year round.

Only very naive parents place stock in select coaches. There are some select coaches that are very good. But, most are just as bad as HS coaches.

why treat the high school coach like he is an idiot

Parents and players should NEVER EVER place their future in the hands of someone else.

More specifically, few HS coaches have any in-depth knowledge of the game and also do not understand how to coach girls.

 

[Ken Krause]

Not sure what's going on, but it's not unusual. There are idiots and jerks on both sides of the equation. That's why I always try not to make blanket statements about HS coaches. I've met and talked to plenty who had the best interests of their players at heart. I've also met and heard about plenty of others who treated their players poorly and were only it for themselves. Funny thing is, I've had the same experience with travel coaches. People are people, for better or worse.

The only saving grace with bad travel coaches is that in most areas of the country, if you don't like your travel coach you can leave and find another team. Not quite so easy to do in HS, so if you have one of the bad ones you're stuck. And that's what frustrates people the most -- the realization you can't do anything about it.

In your situation, I can't honestly say I know what the guy's problem is. Why take a player if you don't think she can play? Cut her and let her find another team. As a travel coach, I can tell you I really don't care what school my players go to or how good the team is. The only things I care about is whether she's a person of good character (read: coachable and hustles) and she produces on the field.

If you were the HS coach of one of my players, and you came out to her games and spoke to me as you're describing here, I'd have to say I'd welcome you with open arms. We would both be on the same mission -- to help the girls we coach get better and fulfill their goals. I'd hope we would stand side-by-side when our mutual players were signed and work together to develop more of them.

As an aside, I think HS coaches have a tougher job than travel coaches. Just as players can't choose their high schools without moving, HS coaches are stuck with whoever goes to the school. If they don't get the talent, or at least a good supply of kids who play summer ball, they're pretty much hosed. Once tryouts are over, they have a couple of weeks to get their team going and then they start to play -- unlike travel coaches who can work with their teams all year. Since they're in-season, there's only so much they can really do. All the more reason the two sides ought to be working together instead of trying to one-up each other.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I have felt like there is a place for every girl that wants to play college ball. She needs to get busy now, and find it. How are her grades and SAT? Is she registered with the Clearing House? Does she have a prospectus and skills video? Does she have to stay in Texas? What positions does she play? Every once in awhile, I get e-mails from coaches that still need a player or two.

 

[coachnelly]

Sluggers

I don't believe you understand travel softball or college level softball

You know your right I dont, Just like the article I read in the DMN about a 7th grader who already has letters sent to her.

I have that book and any other book that you want to throw at me, thanks. I am very realistic coach. I do alot of research for my kids for every sport I coach. I go to my players games during the summer and fall and try to meet with these coaches and I get looked at like I am an "idiot", im not gonna say all these guys are bad, as you stated:

"Only very naive parents place stock in select coaches. There are some select coaches that are very good. But, most are just as bad as HS coaches."

Its good to see your view point on HS coaches and nobody can stop you. I have a girl that is the first walk-on to make Alabamas Team in a long while. She was on the same team with this other guy and was quickly bumped from the team had the grades and decided she wanted to go there and ended up making the team. Her walk-on goal was just to give it a shot, granted she mainly does running but she made it.

I was venting and I still will, no where did I say she was D1 D2 etc, I am just wondering why both sides cant work together? Dumb HS coach? I know Im a football coach that loves his softball and im battling the typical stereotype of "a coach collecting an extra stipend".

I totally understand what you are saying about the one on one aspect of softball, I work with my players year round, I run the softball S & C Program which is mandatory and I work with whatever they want. Then why have 6 coaches on a team if you cant afford the time to coach the kid and give them some one on one time.

Im looking for help to understand how I can work with my kids teams and not get slammened in the process. Im not in a public school where I get a butt load of players to pick from, I coach what I get at the private school. We arent like some private schools in texas that hire a part-time head softball coach who coaches travel, select team and is able to bring in a few of his/her stud players to win a title. At times ive coached a team of 9 starters and only 3 to 4 play year round.

Thanks for your input, maybe I was misunderstood through venting too much, but im in it for my kids and have always been that way.

Its just funny how all these other sports have college, highschool and select coaches working together and in softball we have the issue of too much finger pointing. I just wanna know why we cant work together.

The sad part is im adult enough to say im guilty of this more and more, its frustrating to be a coach that "knows" his job and just keep getting slammned.

 

[coachnelly]

Ken,
Thanks for your input, what you are stating is kinda what I was looking for and stated it really bad. I do go and watch my girls play and I do work with my players year round. Ive even had some teams ask me to help out during the summer because how much one on one time I like to spend with players stressing the fun da mentals. Eventhough I might get stuck working with one or 2 players that are struggling I enjoyed that time, too bad those guys I worked with are retired now. I wish he would have cut her as a 10th grader, she couldve had a an opportunity to go elsewhere. Like I stated before im guilty of of the one up thing, when you get hammered as much as I do, it happens and I dont like it a bit.

 

[coachnelly]

Amy,
SAT and ACT scores are awesome! Registered alreadey. Their freshamn year we start all the paperwork for a prospectus, this allows me to be very honest with them about what their softball future is or isnt. I make all the videos free of charge, in football one of my many duties is film editor and recriuting director so I make there videos in my office and for my players that have an excellent chance at any level we do a video each year.

My issue was clouded with my venting, by I have less of an issues with colleges but more with the lack of communication between the select coach and hs coach, im just as guilty as the next guy.

 

[stephanie]

just went to a HS award ceremony of my DS (in the great state of Texas)...saw on the list that two of the scholarships given were for two softball players. Never heard of the colleges, and this HS team had a bad season.

I'm betting those kids went out and FOUND those scholarships instead of waiting for the phone to ring...

 

[coachnelly]

Stephanie,
Well again, my post really isnt about not "finding" the school but more of how we can and should work together to "help" these kinds. Im glad those girls "FOUND" a school to play for, my other 2 signed with schools that I havent heard of before either and i know for a fact that there coach helped them with the process.

 

[Cannonball]

My dd, and her teammates, practice or play year round now. Included in this is a comprehensive package of strength training, speed training, hitting, pitching, fielding, ... Also, included is the recruitment angle. Then, factor in the exposure tournaments, the level of competition, ... D-I and D-II college coaches are interested in all of this. As one coach recently said to my dd after we visited his campus, "she hits with wood and we do too. She'll already be used to all we do. That's why we like that program she plays in." I've found in softball that the recruitment is drastically different than even baseball. If you don't have a plan by the time your child is a freshman, you are way behind.

Some suggestions for your players:

Create a recruitment brochure.
Create an online (youtube) video so that a college coach can view your player.
Forget sending personal videos. Few watch them anymore.
Make contacts yourself. College coaches can talk to you that way. However, they will hardly ever return a phone call. In fact, depending upon grade level, they can't return some phone calls even if a message is left. So, find out what their in office hours are.
Attend college camps. Personally, my dd has benefited greatly from this. College coaches want to see the player first hand.
Identify the level of play ie. JUCO, NAIA, various NCAA levels that you believe best fit your player.

Good Luck!