GameChanger stats - used by Coaches or Program Managers?

[Traps71]

I do--and have done--GC for my DD's travel teams. I consider myself at least semi-competent, try to follow NCAA softball scoring rules, etc. I agree with the post above that, over time, things tend to even out even if some (or many) would question your judgment on this or that individual play. I find there are, on average, one or two calls a game where you think it could go either way and just have to make a judgment (with benefit of the doubt typically going to the batter).

We just completed our fall season and I think the aggregated stats for each player and for the team paint an accurate picture of what happened. For example, the offensive stats clearly show who the best offensive players were, which matches up with what a coach (or parents) would simply observe by just watching the games. The data pretty clearly supports the head coach's decisions about the line up on bracket day, with perhaps one exception.

Also agree that scorekeeping is a thankless job. Nothing worse than trying to play catch up on a crazy sequence or events, or when you inadvertently put the line up for the opposing team incorrectly, or your device overheats in the middle of scoring a game. There are still frustrating anomalies in GC too, such as not being able to assign an error on a FC play when that is the reason the preceding runner was safe.

 

[Chris8]

I do--and have done--GC for my DD's travel teams. I consider myself at least semi-competent, try to follow NCAA softball scoring rules, etc. I agree with the post above that, over time, things tend to even out even if some (or many) would question your judgment on this or that individual play. I find there are, on average, one or two calls a game where you think it could go either way and just have to make a judgment (with benefit of the doubt typically going to the batter).

We just completed our fall season and I think the aggregated stats for each player and for the team paint an accurate picture of what happened. For example, the offensive stats clearly show who the best offensive players were, which matches up with what a coach (or parents) would simply observe by just watching the games. The data pretty clearly supports the head coach's decisions about the line up on bracket day, with perhaps one exception.

Also agree that scorekeeping is a thankless job. Nothing worse than trying to play catch up on a crazy sequence or events, or when you inadvertently put the line up for the opposing team incorrectly, or your device overheats in the middle of scoring a game. There are still frustrating anomalies in GC too, such as not being able to assign an error on a FC play when that is the reason the preceding runner was safe.

things tend to even out even if some (or many) would question your judgment on this or that individual play

100% on this. I listen to my college baseball games on radio. Great play by play guy and the color guy is former MLB player. Every once in awhile a play occurs...there's a pause and then "the official scorekeeper recorded that an error......" or "the official scorekeeper scored that a hit"..... It's clear from the inflection in his voice that there was a bit of a disagreement on the official scoring...but it is what it is...at that point. I just find it interesting even with really experienced folks...there's still those calls...

There are still frustrating anomalies in GC too, such as not being able to assign an error on a FC play when that is the reason the preceding runner was safe. those anomalies drive me nuts...and they never happen in a slow manner..it's a bang bang event of things happening on the field usually followed up by more action.....trying to keep up is a challenge sometimes. I prefer the 1/2/3 innings when we're fielding

 

[radness]

There are still frustrating anomalies in GC too, such as not being able to assign an error on a FC play when that is the reason the preceding runner was safe. those anomalies drive me nuts...and they never happen in a slow manner..it's a bang bang event of things happening on the field usually followed up by more action.....trying to keep up is a challenge sometimes. I prefer the 1/2/3 innings when we're fielding

Well then theres that issue
_______________
Does game changer offer a 'how to' practice, learn, test yourself quiz?

Perhaps questions on fielded scenario's with multiple choice answers?

Oh wait is that a question or a suggestion?

 

[Orange Socks]

GC comes in handy for family members to follow the game online when they can't be present. When grandma is following and we are out of state, and the game has been delayed. Oh no! Get ready for the texts. Who's doing GC? Why hasn't it started? What's going on? How come I can't see the stats?

 

[radness]

GC comes in handy for family members to follow the game online when they can't be present. When grandma is following and we are out of state, and the game has been delayed. Oh no! Get ready for the texts. Who's doing GC? Why hasn't it started? What's going on? How come I can't see the stats?

Dang i'm in the grandma catagory

 

[flash277]

Our scorer has a " if you get a glove on it, it's an error" rule of scoring. My DD was charged with a few errors at 2B when she laid out for hard hit ground balls that just hit the tip of her glove. If she did nothing, it would of been scored a hit. Also she got a few deep shots that had the OF sprinting for them and go off the tips of their outstretched glove. They were ruled errors on the outfielder. I never said anything to him, it that's which don't but much stock into gc.

 

[texasheat]

Part of me wants to just skip a tourney and watch them scramble.

Yeah that is when the circling vulture, aka "the person usually most eager to do GC is one that doesn't know crap" swoops in to save the day by filling in for you and then never relinquishes the admin capability back. Lol.......

I've seen it happen TWICE, by softball mom's who two games earlier when watching GameChanger while AT THE GAME (Why do they do that?) asked the GC person questions like "What is defensive indifference?" (parent of kid who "stole 2nd base) and "what constitutes a passed ball versus a wild pitch" (parent of the catcher). And they want to keep score? Hahahahaha......

Then you see the 3b short arm a throw to the first basemen and the 1b gets charged with an error for not picking it clean. GC person is 3b mom Hahahahaha..............my Lord it's hilarious to watch these people who don't know crap but think they know it all. It's worth the monthly team dues in entertainment value alone to get to watch these people.

 

[bmakj]

actually, it may not even out over time.

our GC scorekeeper I do not believe knows that WP is a scoring option (DD is a pitcher of course, and our wildest, but also fastest one) when runners advance.

at same time, Ss makes a diving stop in outfield grass of hard hit ground ball up middle, scored as FC, even though runner from 1B reached before SS could make the short throw to second (no way in hell they were throwing out batter/runner). rocket GB down 3B line that nearly reaches fence, scored as single and advancing on the throw (batter was 3 steps away from 2B when OF made first throw).

tell DD and DW, take GC stats with a huge grain of salt (about 5 lb grain I think is about right).

 

[cnardone]

GC comes in handy for family members to follow the game online when they can't be present. When grandma is following and we are out of state, and the game has been delayed. Oh no! Get ready for the texts. Who's doing GC? Why hasn't it started? What's going on? How come I can't see the stats?

This is so true. My mother just can't make it to games anymore. She sits on the edge of her seat, phone plugged in, waiting on every pitch like it was game 7 of the World Series. She does know better than to call me, when something slows down. She bothers my wife instead .

She has noted that "Whoever does the CG for the Req team is terrible. Whoever does GC for the travel team is much better."

 

[AW95SY]

When I've done stats for DD's & DS's teams that it works if I am having conversations with the coach about how they are using the stats. Often the Coach will ask me to focus on a certain area because they think they are seeing something (Like WP/PB) but have too much to worry about during gameplay to be sure, and we talk about their criteria for evaluating that item so they can have confidence in the numbers. We also talk about how much effort does it require for an error to be ruled a hit and vice versa, that way a SS with great range doesn't get penalized for going all out, and a tentative OF can be encouraged to go harder without fear of making a mistake holding her back. Usually DD's coaches aren't using the stats to make roster decisions but rather are using them to figure out how to make the team better.

The parents of DD's current 16U team get it and there is a constant amount of good natured chatter throughout the game about what we all just saw. They all trust the coach, and understand that access to GC is a privilege not a right, so I am having a lot of fun with it.