High School coaches

[Doug Romrell]

TB players choose to be on a specific team and are selected by that team based on their abilities. It is a mutually beneficial situation.

HS players are more or less a hostage to a school/program based on their home address. Good or bad HS coaches must play the hand they are dealt. For both it is a situation based on circumstance, not choice.

Comparing the two is apples to oranges.

I would add that when players have no choice (due to home address and school boundary), there is a tendency for some coach(es) to develop a "god complex." I believe having choice is always better than having no choice. Competition for players brings about better coaching than when there is no choice. Not just better coaching in terms of how the game is played, but better in terms of keeping narcissistic tendencies under control.

 

[BobInMadison]

...................

 

[JAD]

I believe a good HS coach evaluates the players overall level of development. Fundamentals and understanding of the game are not hard to determine. The season is short. Working with the kids that need it vs. "fine tuning" the already good players is a better plan. Of course, its all about pitching, so my pitchers see their private instructors and all we do is work with them on calling the game & handling game pressure. I'm not a pitching guy, so why would I ever mention mechanics? Even if I was, no kid like contradictions.

One of my pet peeves with DD's HS experience was the coach refused to make accommodations for his pitchers to continue private pitching lessons during the week. We always had to move DD's pitching lessons to Sunday afternoons during the HS season, which also meant my DD was practicing/playing 7 days a week. Considering pitching is THE most import element to winning one would think that the coaches would encourage their pitching to continue private lessons since 98.2% of HS coaches are not qualified to conduct a pitching lesson.

 

[CoachJD]

One of my pet peeves with DD's HS experience was the coach refused to make accommodations for his pitchers to continue private pitching lessons during the week. We always had to move DD's pitching lessons to Sunday afternoons during the HS season, which also meant my DD was practicing/playing 7 days a week. Considering pitching is THE most import element to winning one would think that the coaches would encourage their pitching to continue private lessons since 98.2% of HS coaches are not qualified to conduct a pitching lesson.

I'm basically begging my top pitching prospect (ask Doug about her... lots of potential, but green as grass) to find a way to go to pitching lessons, but it's just not feasible for her.

But I never considered the timing of it all. I think I would permit my pitchers to leave practices early if they were going to a private lesson. They're still practicing, after all. In fact, I'd probably encourage it if it were only once a week or so.

 

[Bob516]

Gives ya 80 hrs for 30 kids with

30 kids? Do you have varsity and JV, or just one team?

 

[FP26]

One of my pet peeves with DD's HS experience was the coach refused to make accommodations for his pitchers to continue private pitching lessons during the week. We always had to move DD's pitching lessons to Sunday afternoons during the HS season, which also meant my DD was practicing/playing 7 days a week. Considering pitching is THE most import element to winning one would think that the coaches would encourage their pitching to continue private lessons since 98.2% of HS coaches are not qualified to conduct a pitching lesson.

This is a great topic and probably worthy of its own thread. Honestly I have had mixed opinions about it over the years. In most situations, I would absolutely agree with your opinion above. After watching how our high school practices actually work, the pitcher does little more than stand in the circle and field the occasional ground ball. She then takes some hacks in the cage and may do some throwing depending on the day. But she is rarely included in other things. So, in my opinion, the pitching lesson would actually be more valuable to the program than the school practice. However, DD is a team captain, and currently the only girl on the varsity team that plays travel ball. The coach relies on her experience and relationship with the other players to help at practice. Almost as an assistant coach in a way... So we do what we can to adjust the pitching lessons to accommodate practice. However, I do have my own personal pet peeve here. The compromise we worked out is that the head coach will give DD the practice schedule a week at a time, and then DD will schedule her lessons accordingly. Sometimes the coach will make a last minute change to the practice schedule (for no apparent reason) and then DD has to scramble to adjust her lesson. One time last year she was unable to adjust her lesson and the coach gave her permission to skip practice.

 

[Cannonball]

We are lucky in that we have a former school record holder who also holds records at her university volunteer as our pitching coach. She shows up when she can get to practice after work and the pitchers know the routine. They grab their gloves etc. from wherever they are in practice and get to the pitching area. Same with our catchers or whomever is designated to catch the pen that day. Note, we don't always have our catchers catch a pen. They do other work including their own specialized catching workout which they do with our other coach who holds several records at her university as a catcher.

I understand the problems some have with a pitcher and pitching coach but then again, the HS Coach would then have to allow every player who says that they have a hitting coach a to attend hitting lessons.

 

[Jay Bolden]

As a HS and TB coach, I have always allowed my pitchers to leave practice to attend thier pitching lesson. I do pitching lessons as well, and I know that the 1 on 1 time as a pitcher is crucial. So I have never had a problem with pitchers leaving practice early to go to a lesson as a HS coach. After all it's only going to benefit us as a team. I just ask that they come about 15 mins early the next practice and work on some defensive fundamentals or hitting to make sure they get their reps there as well.

I'm also pretty excited to to Louisville in the next couple of weeks and see Mike White present. One of his presentations is on: Coach Mike White (Oregon)
“Championship Bullpen Workouts”

Can't wait to learn and grow!

 

[IndyHScoach]

I would have to double check our state rules to see if that would be allowed (practice with private coach during team practice time.) I have coached tennis and it is illegal for a player to leave or miss team practice to workout with a private coach. They may do it on their own time but not during scheduled team practices.

There was a team that was in the week of semi-state tournament and a player had missed two practices that week because she was "sick." The coach had a suspicion and followed up on it. She(coach) went to the park that the player was known to take her private lessons and she(player) was there with her private coach. The player was then removed from the team for breaking the rules. Player had a chance to win state, so know your rules.

 

[JohnnyO]

30 kids? Do you have varsity and JV, or just one team?

last year was varsity and JH, this year could be all three