High school coaches running paid clinic for players about to enter the highschool

[starsnuffer]

There are upsides and downsides. Just like most decisions in life, there is probably no right and no wrong answer, only what is right and wrong for your daughter (not you, your daughter).

If she's an awesome player with a great attitude and work ethic, she'll make whatever team she tries out for. Focus on that. The rest of that sales pitch is for mediocre players. We all know that no one on this forum has a mediocre player for a daughter, so why worry about that? ;/

-W

 

[29dad]

agreed. It's not the clinic itself that is being questioned. It's the sales pitch. If it's within the rules for hs coaches to give clinics, then have a clinic. State your credentials. Make them better players. But don't suggest or imply in any way that someone who pays you money to attend your clinic has a better chance of making your high school team than someone who doesn't. Not cool, imo.

exactly!!!!

 

[Cannonball]

Wow, a comment about helping your dd make the high school team can be taken so many ways. I've said this myself without any agenda to players and parents of the kids that attended the camps. My meaning was that these players would be less nervous around me once they met me. They would be comfortable around the other coaches. They would know some of the drills and expectations before trying out and so, not only would make the 3 tryout days easier but also would give them a chance to practices these drills prior to trying out. I can think of countless positive outcomes from this and yet, some of you perceive the negative that you dd will be cut if she does not attend. I wanted the coaches to know my dd by name and know what she could do prior to trying out. They did because she attended all of their camps. So, she made varsity because the coaches knew her and were able to compare her to those older as she grew up.

As a HS coach, and I can't speak for those running this clinic, we are not all evil!

 

[SoftSocDad]

I completely disagree. There is an underlying veiled threat that I find rather insidious. "Come to our camp and you'll have a better chance of making the high school team" translates to "if you don't come, you probably won't make it." At least that is the appearance, and I don't blame the O.P. for feeling put off.

I don't understand the rush to be a victim here.

Many HS coaches want things done their way. Whether it's batting stance or glove position on grounders, one of the things to keep in mind is that they want the players to succeed the WAY they, the coaches, want them to. Success alone is not the key.

It also helps to be on a coach's radar if you someday hope to play for them.

If some people want to interpret that as "give us money so we'll know who you are", ok, but people who make a habit of assuming the worst are unlikely to find great success in life, let alone softball.

 

[left turn]

The comments so far have been very informative on both sides.

The training is pretty good, not outstanding and not as good as her club team. So it is probably worth the investment from a practical standpoint.

Certainly I do not begrudge any coach from making a living. They probably don’t get completely compensated for the hours and worry. Many are very good.

The “icky’” part centered on their sales pitch. Here is a case in point. They also said they were going to get the local high school baseball coach to work at their facility as well. Their comment was, “Like him or not, you will have to deal with him and you better get used to it.” Most of the community is solidly in the “or not” category. The coach is a monosyllabic knuckle-dragger that rarely coaches his own players on the mechanics. His attitude is that “you have the skills you have when you get here. If I have to teach you the skills you don’t belong here.” His coaching largely consists of recounting how good of a player he was in the minor leagues. What little coaching is done is by the assistants. The only reason you would have this fellow on your staff is only to exploit his position of power over the high school careers of the players.

After their presentation to the local baseball/softball board, my immediate conclusion was this is an openly craven business model to specifically feed off the hopes/dreams/ fears of the parents.

To be fair, not all of the coaches on their roster of the facility are like this fellow. Some of them are quite good coaches that can relate to the players and deliver a quality product.

 

[sluggers]

Talk about paranoia run amok:

Their sales pitch was, “Who else is better to train your daughters than the high school coaches that will coach them? This is a great chance to learn their methods before they get there so they will have a better chance of making the high school teams.” It was not a stretch to paraphrase their sales pitch, “Increase your chances of making the school teams. Come to our clinics run by the coaches.”

Believe it or not, the HS *teams* will not revolve you and your DD. There are these other kids on the teams called "teammates", and many of those teammates (perhaps most) will not have played travel ball. Some will not even play rec ball.

While your DD may be destined to start as a freshman on the HS varsity team, there will be other kids whose dream it is to make the freshman team. Those kids who will struggle to make the HS team need help. (If you want to see "joy", watch a kid who barely made the freshman team pick up her school uniform.)

Those other kids may need help to learn the proper skills to play ball. So, will those kids benefit by some structured softball training? Absolutely. Will it help the kids who perhaps don't have the money or the talent to play summer ball? Will it give those kids a better chance to make the team? Yes.

One of the problems with high level sports is that parents expect school sports to be all about the elite athletes. They want their super-duper DD to play every inning or every second because, obviously, the other kids are inferior and don't deserve the experience of playing school sports.

Come on. Pull your head out of the sand and look at the big picture for five minutes.

 

[left turn]

Sluggers, I believe the vitriol in your response is misplaced.

I believe my DD will be OK. She has worked harder than anybody in her grade.

There is an overriding question of fairness. Is access only for those that can pay for it? And I find the explicit business plan to target 7th and 8th graders for that high school to be morally uncomfortable.

 

[CoogansBluff]

Wow, a comment about helping your dd make the high school team can be taken so many ways.

Yes, it can. Therefore, coaches have to be careful how things look, no matter how innocent, imo. I'm not saying that these coaches are evil. Have no idea of their motives, but let's assume that they are great coaches who are moved to improve the quality of players and teams in the area. Even then, I think it's wrong to 'market' the clinic by suggesting that those who pay them to attend will leave with a better chance of making their team. It's just not the smart thing to say when you are profiting from the camp, imo. Proof of that is the fact that at least a few of us on here don't like it.

Because of the controversy surrounding tryouts, high school coaches are like umpires. Their reputation for fairness must be guarded. They can blame it on parents and fans for being cynical (which they are), or they can be very vigilant about doing anything that might give 'the look' of showing favoritism, no matter how innocent.

 

[left turn]

Yes, it can. Therefore, coaches have to be careful how things look, no matter how innocent, imo. I'm not saying that these coaches are evil. Have no idea of their motives, but let's assume that they are great coaches who are moved to improve the quality of players and teams in the area. Even then, I think it's wrong to 'market' the clinic by suggesting that those who pay them to attend will leave with a better chance of making their team. It's just not the smart thing to say when you are profiting from the camp, imo. Proof of that is the fact that at least a few of us on here don't like it.

Because of the controversy surrounding tryouts, high school coaches are like umpires. Their reputation for fairness must be guarded. They can blame it on parents and fans for being cynical (which they are), or they can be very vigilant about doing anything that might give 'the look' of showing favoritism, no matter how innocent.

Coogansbluff, that is on point. High school tryouts are often controverial - because the parents and players care so much. Being on the varsity is highly prized. I don't sense any ulterior motive by the coaches. They seem to be sincere. But that does not erase the appearance of conflict. This isn't literally a conflict of interest, but it is dancing pretty close to the flame.

As for the facility, I am surprised by the clumsiness of the sales pitch. I am not sure they are listening closely to what each other are saying. It had all of the hallmarks of a strategy developed in an echo chamber of their own thoughts.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

Hmmm, so I guess NONE of us should send our DD's to college clinics for a chance to meet the coaches, get our name in the hat, see the competition, show our interest in the program, tune our skills, meet other prospective players?

Pretty much these things are investments toward making it to the next level. That could be from rec to travel, from MS to HS, from HS to college. There is "motive" in everything we do as far as softball is concerned.

If I'm wrong please send your complaints to www.Greenmonsters.org.