High school softball coach requires players to have a minimum of one second running time between the fastest and slowest player on the team. Coach spends 30 minutes each practice trying to achieve this and has not been successful. Can he accomplish this or is it a waste of time? I can see this happening at the college level but not at high school level. Please help me understand. Our HS team has won, at best, 8 games in the last three years under this coach.
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Oh, dear. Yes, I guess you could accomplish it. IF you don't have a girl that is 2.6 seconds down the line. There are some very slow girls at the HS level.
But, I don't see Coach's point in trying to accomplish this, especially if he/she has other things that need worked on.
Just out of curiosity, is she/he running with the girls, too?
But, I don't see Coach's point in trying to accomplish this, especially if he/she has other things that need worked on.
Just out of curiosity, is she/he running with the girls, too?
That seems like a silly goal and unreachable unless you pick a Team based solely on reaching this goal. Sorry you are to fast, slow down a little bit and try out again next year.
Start each player at their baseline and improve individual players speed.
Start each player at their baseline and improve individual players speed.
- Apr 1, 2010
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Yes! DING DING DING, we have a winner! The best way to achieve this goal would be to choose only players whose speed is near enough to the median. Leave the speedsters and the slow sluggers off the team. I'm sure the coach's opponents would be quite pleased. :-D
I understand wanting speed on the base paths, but to limit yourself with the 1 second variance is IMO just stupid. If all he wants is speed, then I suggest joining the coaching staff on the track team.
- Dec 28, 2008
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Seems like a great plan to me. As soon as I achieved that with my team we started working on a 2" height difference. It was tough but when that was done we focused on a 2 shade of eye color difference. We didn't have much time to catch, throw or hit or score runs but that is kind of secondary.
Help the team accomplish the goal by strategically watering the field the night before ... fast girls run in the mud (will slow them down) and gradually shade the amount of water to once side so the slowest girls running on the hardest dirt. Should level the playing field and then ... they can get to work on softball.
All jokes aside this seems like an odd thing to do. I can't see a real upside in telling some players who God has not granted much speed to that they are the ones dragging the team down. You can improve mechanics, you can improve speed but you can't go from slow to fast. Or like was stated above you are telling the fastest players that they are hurting the team by setting the bar to high. "Stop taking those speed and agility courses. Stop doing core training. Let the rest of the team catch up." Seems like the emphasis is all on competing against each other and resenting each other.
Help the team accomplish the goal by strategically watering the field the night before ... fast girls run in the mud (will slow them down) and gradually shade the amount of water to once side so the slowest girls running on the hardest dirt. Should level the playing field and then ... they can get to work on softball.
All jokes aside this seems like an odd thing to do. I can't see a real upside in telling some players who God has not granted much speed to that they are the ones dragging the team down. You can improve mechanics, you can improve speed but you can't go from slow to fast. Or like was stated above you are telling the fastest players that they are hurting the team by setting the bar to high. "Stop taking those speed and agility courses. Stop doing core training. Let the rest of the team catch up." Seems like the emphasis is all on competing against each other and resenting each other.
