Does a player improve by training or a strong team ????

[lawdawg]

Interesting that many of the posters here assume that the better team on the field is also has the better coaches. That's not always the case. Sometimes the better teams have coaches who are good assemblers of talent, but don't necessarily know squat about teaching the game. As long as their teams are more talented than the others they're fine. But when they run into teams with equal (or close to equal) levels of talent they don't look so hot.

I also think a lot of people equate competitive with wins a lot. Again, that's not always true. The softball world is full of teams that win a lot by playing a lower level of competition than they ought to.

The ideal is a well-coached team with highly competitive players. But if you can't get both, go for where she'll get the best training. A good coach will help his/her players become more competitive and push them to their limit. A weak coach with talented players won't necessarily do the same. Just my opinion.

I agree - there are some coaches that are line-up makers, some are good strategists, some are good motivators, some are skill-teachers and some are all of the above - or a combination thereof. Just because a team is winning doesn't necessarily mean that the coaches are good skill teachers. One local H.S. coach is always getting district "coach of the year" for winning. However, she wouldn't know a good swing or proper fielding/throwing mechanics if it hit her in face (not hyperbole). However, she is nestled in a district that constantly feeds her 3-5 very good new players through an excellent local travel and middle school program. She never has to rebuild - rather she just reloads. I think good coaches compliment each other and where one might be better at imparting skill - the other may take on the role of motivator or strategists. I takes all to make a complete team coach in my opinion.

 

[SoCalSoftballdad]

"I would rather have a girl sit out a season and just practice, instead of receive poor coaching."

Of course, the girl might prefer playing rather than practicing. But, who cares about her anyway?

Therein lies the problem, what might be best for the player's development might not be what DD wants to do. I would think that most players at these ages would choose to be one of the better players on the team and get lots of playing time vs. the weakest player on a very competitive, well coached team but see limited playing time. Most kids these ages do not understand what they need to do to improve or are unwilling to put in the time to get better. Parents and coaches goals might be in direct conflict with the girls priorities of what SHE wants to get out of softball.

 

[Denise]

Work at home on skills is key. Just look at the new kiddos in the first year of t-ball. You can always tell the kids who have parents at home willing to "practice" at home with them. I am not the one who does it's my husband that does, but can not tell you how many hours I have sat and watched, shagged balls or what ever else I can do so I can enjoy this time with our dd.

 

[druer]

switch to a slightly less competative team with real good training and college coaches but we probably will not win many tournaments.

Not sure that makes sense to me. Really good training includes the physical and mental skills needed to become better players. Players that work hard, and are getting better ALWAYS have a chance to win. (Unless the problem is that their is going to be training for fielding/batting but pitching is terrible and there won't be any one there to help with that.) The goal right now (at least in my mind) is preparing to win the National Championship late next July. Don't look at where the team is now, or where it can be in 2 months. Imagine the level of training that you see happening continuing for another 9 months. Are they going to qualify then? Is your daughter going to be a different player by then?

As an answer --- Yes you want both. You want to have good training so that skills (physical and mental) can be worked on so that they become such habit that they can't make a mistake on the field. But part of the training process has to involve game based tests. Your daughter can learn twice as much about hitting as Crystl Bustos knows. But unfortunately I've yet to see a game where the umpire asks a questions and says "Wow you really know yourself take 2nd." Those tests should be at the appropriate level for them to be pushed, and yet succeed. Meaning if this team is a bunch of barely B players, then dropping them into a friendly with the top 3 A teams in the State just for the best competition would be crazy. But staying in B tournaments all season long winning games 10-0 is also crazy. There should be progression from one to the other.

 

[tfd321ddf]

You do need a little bit of good coaching to win games... but for the most part I feel like being around better players helps my DD become better. They push each other and motivate each other. Right now we have 3 girls all working to be the number one pitcher and pushing each other to get better.

Also I really don't know one very good player who doesn't work on the side on their own anyway. All the girls on my DDs 12u team do a lot of work on their own. While the team practices do have drills the focus is usually more on working situations together and not so much instruction on mechanics etc. Their really isn't that much time for a coach to fix every girls flaw. If that girl has problems with grounders; the coach can only do so much. They can give them certain things but the muscle memory and the work would mostly have to come from outside team practice. Its sort of like in school. At a certain level the teacher can only do so much there. The best students usually have to study on their own and come to school with questions.

You hit the nail on the head!!! I've been in coaching for about 6 years ( I know its not long as some of the coaches on here), but I've been trying to get this statement across to so many parents. My Rec/TB team that I had last year and the years before. The parents thanks that the coaches are the ones that should work with the kids to make them better. Thanks fastpitch very well said...

 

[1st_&_3rd]

Kinda The Same Boat

Hello All ,

I need some advise on steering my daughter in the right direction. we have two options stay on our exisiting team which is competative but the training sticks and coaches are dads. Or make a switch to a slightly less competative team with real good training and college coaches but we probably will not win many tournaments.

Does a player improve by training -vs- being on a strong team / playing time being equal on both.

We're in a similar situation with a different "twist". DD has chance to switch to a different, less overall skilled team, with a coach who has shown to be an excellent teacher especially in regard to her specific position. I'm confident that after a season with him she will be much better at this position. She does work besides team practices. I think it will be impressed upon her how important the extra work is when she gets the mesasage from the team coach not just Dad.

What do you think on that one?

 

[RichK]

I just had an eye-opener in this area. My DD has been playing softball since she was young, I feel in good programs with good coaches (though for her not the most on-field winning success so far -- which IS a sore spot with her). But I'm happy with her development.

She is in 7th grade now, and I wanted her to take a more serious shot at basketball this winter. Up to now she's played on an everybody-makes-it school team, so I wanted to put her in a travel program. My goals were: 1) teach her how to play, 2) up the competition, 3) up the quality of teammate she plays with and 4) just have her play more -- games and practices.

On the team she is on, she's succeeded with 2, 3 and 4 but not so with number 1 -- learning how to play. There's not a lot of emphasis (and frankly not a lot of time) on her basketball team for individual instruction and as I watch the team, and her, play and practice I see so many things * I * would want to fix. Now I give her as much side instruction as I can, but basketball is best taught as a team game and I can't get a team out on my driveway : >

To me, this just re-emphasized (in a different sports context) the importance of putting our girls in a position to learn how to play play properly, above all else, especially when they are young...if you do that, when they are older, they can take those skills to any team environment (and sharpen or keep up certain skills with private coaches as they need it).

 

[Screwball]

Amen RichK