High School softball issue

[Shiloh]

Ah, sorry. Not a good situation.

This likely isn't really about weighlifting - it's about control and respect, and I don't mean that in a negative way.

The coach likely just wants your DD to show some respect for what he's trying to accomplish, i.e. respect for his process and his coaching. By circumventing his weightlifting suggestions for 3 years, you're probably not making him feel like his time and his team are important to your DD, although you are 100% right in thinking ROTC workouts, school, and TB are > HS softball weightlifting.

So, as others have suggested, if you can screw up the courage, go and talk to him 1:1. See what kind of a program you can work out with him. Maybe attendance at weightlifting 1 day a week? 2 days a week?

You could also avoid "the conversation" and have DD just make his workouts a priority for a couple weeks - I'm sure he'll be pleasantly surprised! Then let him know after that that she'll have to scale down a bit in favor of other activities. That's a much easier conversation to have.

*******

My DD's high school offers weights and conditioning a couple times a week. Although she regularly goes to the gym, she also attends as many of these HS sessions as she can. Says they're easy and it's social time. She gets to show off and talk to the baseball players.

 

[Northball]

Is required WT the norm for other schools in the conference? Wondering if the coach is trying to keep up with the Joneses or maybe trying to get an edge over them.
Just my bubble here, but if a coach tried to dictate what classes kids take during the school day, said coach would be run out on a rail. Kids may CHOOSE to train during school, others usually find time outside of class time.

 

[nixxy311]

Ah, sorry. Not a good situation.

This likely isn't really about weighlifting - it's about control and respect, and I don't mean that in a negative way.

The coach likely just wants your DD to show some respect for what he's trying to accomplish, i.e. respect for his process and his coaching. By circumventing his weightlifting suggestions for 3 years, you're probably not making him feel like his time and his team are important to your DD, although you are 100% right in thinking ROTC workouts, school, and TB are > HS softball weightlifting.

So, as others have suggested, if you can screw up the courage, go and talk to him 1:1. See what kind of a program you can work out with him. Maybe attendance at weightlifting 1 day a week? 2 days a week?

You could also avoid "the conversation" and have DD just make his workouts a priority for a couple weeks - I'm sure he'll be pleasantly surprised! Then let him know after that that she'll have to scale down a bit in favor of other activities. That's a much easier conversation to have.

*******

My DD's high school offers weights and conditioning a couple times a week. Although she regularly goes to the gym, she also attends as many of these HS sessions as she can. Says they're easy and it's social time. She gets to show off and talk to the baseball players.

She will do the WT workouts that are being done after school. She just doesn't have the time or space in her schedule to take a WT class during school. She is willing to do the work - she never misses practices, etc. There just aren't enough hours in the day really to be able to do what he wants. The first time we asked him about it - he said he would give her some exercises she could do at home instead if PT wasn't getting her what he wanted.
I'm pretty proud of the fact that DD is always top girl in ROTC PT - even beating most of the guys - so it's not like she isn't working in ROTC.

 

[nixxy311]

Is required WT the norm for other schools in the conference? Wondering if the coach is trying to keep up with the Joneses or maybe trying to get an edge over them.
Just my bubble here, but if a coach tried to dictate what classes kids take during the school day, said coach would be run out on a rail. Kids may CHOOSE to train during school, others usually find time outside of class time.

That's what I was thinking honestly. We are in one of the best divisions in our state so it's really hard to do well. Teams that we beat easily made it to the state playoffs because they were in an easier region and bc of the region we're in, we were too low to make it. So I am curious what these other teams are doing and if he has asked around to see.
And it's not like he won't be able to have them do whatever he wants from March until Aug w/o having to force them into a WT class during school. Will doing WT during the season really make you that much better? We still have people doing digital here so in order for kids to even do WT, they've had to come into the school just for that. Unless they have something at home. I don't think that is going to get the results he wants.

 

[Shiloh]

She will do the WT workouts that are being done after school. She just doesn't have the time or space in her schedule to take a WT class during school. She is willing to do the work - she never misses practices, etc. There just aren't enough hours in the day really to be able to do what he wants. The first time we asked him about it - he said he would give her some exercises she could do at home instead if PT wasn't getting her what he wanted.
I'm pretty proud of the fact that DD is always top girl in ROTC PT - even beating most of the guys - so it's not like she isn't working in ROTC.

Forgive me, but it doesn't make sense that a coach would be able to force a player to take an academic class.

Is it for credit? Do other sports in the school require this?
Hard to draw a full circle here, seems like something is missing.

 

[Cannonball]

We have athletic pe where they use the Bigger, Faster, Stronger Program. My dd took it and got all of her work in throughout the year. At our HS, if it is game day, athletes in the season have a stretching program to do. We only have so many slots and you have to be a sophomore or upperclassman to get in. Athletes in season get this class as the last class of the day. I asked my HS softball players to enroll. If they didn't, that was up to them. We seemed to always have a bunch enrolled. We did make it known that weightlifting is an important part of college softball and that those colleges will expect these players to be knowledgeable about lifts and the weight room.

 

[Shiloh]

We have athletic pe where they use the Bigger, Faster, Stronger Program. My dd took it and got all of her work in throughout the year. At our HS, if it is game day, athletes in the season have a stretching program to do. We only have so many slots and you have to be a sophomore or upperclassman to get in. Athletes in season get this class as the last class of the day. I asked my HS softball players to enroll. If they didn't, that was up to them. We seemed to always have a bunch enrolled. We did make it known that weightlifting is an important part of college softball and that those colleges will expect these players to be knowledgeable about lifts and the weight room.

That's really smart.

Do the kids get PE credit for this class?

 

[Cannonball]

Yes they get a PE credit. This class has measurements and participants have to set goals, track performance and do "tests" lifts at given times in class. They also have other things to do which involve cardio. It is an intense class.

Edited to add:

When a student athlete is introduced to this class, they have to do "skills" tests demonstrating the proper lifting techniques for all of the standard lifts before they are allowed to establish their base lifts and set their goals.

 

[Strike2]

After the first parent meeting a couple years ago we did directly email the coach asking about it and it seemed like it was a non-issue as long as she was in ROTC. We didn't do any txt back and forth with the coach - as the player handles most of that unless there is something that requires a parent. We were letting her handle it. I hope that whatever he talks with them about resolves this.
As for ROTC - students are required to take at least 3 years of it and it is something that I think is more important tbh than weight training. Starting in March, the players will be doing Mon-Thurs workouts (which does include weight training after school). We play SB in the fall so spring is mostly just for travel.

Your story includes some texting back-and-forth of an apparent misunderstanding and disagreement. Apparently, a couple of years later, the coach's perspective changed. That is why I suggested a face-to-face that would included you showing up with some ideas to constructively address all concerns .

I agree that ROTC participation is valuable. If I were the coach, as someone who spent over two decades in uniform, I'd be looking for a way to accommodate. This is a communication and expectations issue. You and the coach now view the previous agreement differently. Sometimes, a parent face-to-face needs to happen...doesn't have to be contentious.

 

[nixxy311]

Forgive me, but it doesn't make sense that a coach would be able to force a player to take an academic class.

Is it for credit? Do other sports in the school require this?
Hard to draw a full circle here, seems like something is missing.

This would be a school class for elective credit really. You are required to take one semester of PE but that's usually handled freshmen year or during the summer prior to freshmen year. So anything PE after that is strictly elective. As far as I know football is the only other sport that may require it but it's only for the varsity players. But even then - I still think there should be a way to opt out if you are really wanting to take certain classes and do not plan on doing football in college.