- Feb 8, 2009
- 272
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How much thought do you give to the student's work habits or opportunity to practice relative to what you teach?
Does the ability to work affect your approach ?
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Cannonball
Ex "Expert"
- Feb 25, 2009
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- 113
A LOT! My dd typically hits every day. Presently, she can't due to a hip injury. She did play this weekend but struggled with pain. She is not a natural athlete but is a hard charger. It is her ability to out work everyone else that ensures her success. She knows this and has accepted it. She is having a hard time now not being allowed to hit. We play in a "Recruiting Showcase" this upcoming weekend and so, she will have to start working Wednesday. That is all the time we can afford to let her rest. Of course, if she can't, we will stop and rest some more.
To me, it's everything. People give way too much credit to coaches. But as I tell my students, if it were all about the coaching then EVERY player that coach works with would be as good as his/her best students. They're not.
There's a curve that involves time, effort and improvement. The more work you put into proper practice the less time it will take to make real improvement. The less time and effort you put in, the more time it will take, no matter how good the instructor is.
- Jan 15, 2009
- 584
- 0
I completely agree. A great coach is someone who can take a player that is willing to out work everyone else and get her the most progress in the least amount of time. I'm not sure why in sports people don't figure this out sooner.
If your kid was taking piano lessons but never practiced in between lessons would you expect her to make great progress. You could switch teachers or double the number of lessons, but unless there is work going on in between it's going to be little or no progress. Some teachers are better than others at inspiring kids to practice more, but in the end it's the kids internal drive that will dictate their level of success. I think it's many parent's misconception that it is their willingness to drive their kid in a car that dictates this, but they are wrong, wrong, wrong.
- Feb 8, 2009
- 272
- 18
Have you ever told a girl they are wasting their time, either due to a lack of desire or a lack of ability?
Cannonball
Ex "Expert"
- Feb 25, 2009
- 4,881
- 113
Yes. I was a baseball coach for a loooong time. I had a young man with tons of talent on the mound. We had another that we knew had a chance to get drafted. The kid that had the chance to get drafted and did eventually worked so very hard. The other never worked. We were in a scrimmage and the kid on the bump hit the other kid a couple of times and I grew angry. Instead of yelling, I asked him to step to the side for a talk. I told him how much talent he had. I told him how much I thought of him. Then, I told him that I thought he hit the other kid on purpose. He told me he did. I asked why. He said that he knew that I'd get mad and then, eventually, he would never get put into games. He hated being a pitcher and baseball. Was I shocked! I called his dad in and we had one of those meeting that few coaches want to have. I gave the kid a week off to decide what to do. I told him that I didn't want him on the team if he didn't want to be there. He returned in a week and played the rest of the year and had a great year. He didn't go out as a senior. We get along really well now and he appreciated my efforts. He just couldn't keep playing for his dad.
I have never told a student she is wasting her time based on her ability, but I have asked a couple of students not to come back due to lack of desire or effort.
I look at teaching as a partnership between the instructor and the student. If one of us is not interested in the results the partnership will not work and we are wasting each other’s time and the parent’s money.
I agree with Strikker. I do not charge, but my time is limited. If someone does not want to take the time to practice, then tell them to find someone else to teach them. Way to many kids want to learn that can replace them.
I've never told anyone they lack the ability to play, but I have suggested to a few that lessons may not be a good use of anyone's time or money. There are usually two reasons I will have that talk, with the player or with the parent.
One is an unwillingness to change. I tell them if you want to pitch or hit like you pitch or hit already, go ahead and I wish you the best of luck. But you don't need to pay me because you already know how to do what you do.
The other is the lack of effort mentioned previously. These are kids who just don't seem to care. I one of those for a couple of years, and even suggested to her father that she didn't want to be there because as soon as we'd start she'd complain that this hurt or that hurt. The father told me he asked her if she wanted to continue lessons and she would say yes. But eventually after little progress and a lot of bellyaching on her part he saw the light. What I remember about her lessons was I couldn't tell who watched the clock more closely -- her or me.
I will work with anyone who wants to give it a go. They don't need to be hugely talented. I've helped a lot of kids with minimal talent and/or athleticism become successful within their own sphere, i.e. if they're in Little League they become the top pitcher in Little League, or if they want to pitch in HS or travel ball they get the opportunity whereas they wouldn't have before. Not all have the ability to pitch in college, but neither do all have the desire. Most just want to have fun and feel good about themselves at a particular level. I can help them do that.
But first they have to want to. Without that, they're just throwing money and time away.
One is an unwillingness to change. I tell them if you want to pitch or hit like you pitch or hit already, go ahead and I wish you the best of luck. But you don't need to pay me because you already know how to do what you do.
The other is the lack of effort mentioned previously. These are kids who just don't seem to care. I one of those for a couple of years, and even suggested to her father that she didn't want to be there because as soon as we'd start she'd complain that this hurt or that hurt. The father told me he asked her if she wanted to continue lessons and she would say yes. But eventually after little progress and a lot of bellyaching on her part he saw the light. What I remember about her lessons was I couldn't tell who watched the clock more closely -- her or me.
I will work with anyone who wants to give it a go. They don't need to be hugely talented. I've helped a lot of kids with minimal talent and/or athleticism become successful within their own sphere, i.e. if they're in Little League they become the top pitcher in Little League, or if they want to pitch in HS or travel ball they get the opportunity whereas they wouldn't have before. Not all have the ability to pitch in college, but neither do all have the desire. Most just want to have fun and feel good about themselves at a particular level. I can help them do that.
But first they have to want to. Without that, they're just throwing money and time away.
