new 12U team...dad is an assistant and...opinions please

[coachtucc]

after two practices I get these two e-mails from the my assistant...
1) Based on what you've seen so far, what are you thinking for who is where in defensive positions? We need to start placing kids where they will be playing and get them comfortable there with a lot of practice.
2) My reply was this:
no positions are locked and all ladies must learn two positions!! Remember...fall ball is for experimenting with different positions and getting to know each other!! To give each young lady a permanent position now is unfair!
3) His reply was this:
We can mix it up and experiment during the league play however its good enough to win , but when we go into any tournaments we have to play the best person at each position so we win every tournament!!


Advice please!!!!

 

[shockcoach]

What are you looking for, player development or winning at 12U at all costs? Who is the captain of the ship? I'd tell this guy to cool hist jets for a bit. He sounds somewhat overzealous right after tryouts.

 

[lawdawg]

You need to define your roles very soon. This could get out of hand if left unchecked. I am always willing to listen to my assistant coaches but ultimately I make out the line up and that is not subject to debate. I'll discuss it individually with an assistant or a parent but that conversation always ends up at same place - no democracy in line-up decisions and I'm doing what I truly think is best to achieve our team goals for the game (whether that's winning, developing, experimenting or just trying to build self esteem of a kid).

 

[coachtucc]

since we are a new team...I am looking to develop....we have some good talent but it is very raw and unrefined...winnign at all costs in 12U would be unfair, in my eyes, to these young ladies...by the way, I don't have a daughter on the team!!

 

[PlanoHeat]

Time to have a "come to Jesus" with the guy quick. Lay out what your intent is and what your plan is for the fall and tell him to take it or leave it.

 

[PAcoach]

You need to define your roles very soon. This could get out of hand if left unchecked. I am always willing to listen to my assistant coaches but ultimately I make out the line up and that is not subject to debate. I'll discuss it individually with an assistant or a parent but that conversation always ends up at same place - no democracy in line-up decisions and I'm doing what I truly think is best to achieve our team goals for the game (whether that's winning, developing, experimenting or just trying to build self esteem of a kid).

Bingo. Agree 100%. ROLE is a word we use on our team all the time. Everyone has one. Know, understand it and don't overstep it. As an asst coach, i know my role at practice and at games, at times my role changes and i'm fine with that. The only time i get involved with a line up is if the head coach asks about one of my outfileders and if a injury would keep her out or if she was ready. Their can only be one leader and one message. As asst coaches, we just reinforce whatever message the manager/head coach says. When you have one goal, one message and it is passed down and accepted from coaches, players and parents, you're gonna have some success.

 

[Wookie]

I agree with everyone else about defining roles, especially for the coaches and parents. You may also want to make sure that everyone is aware of YOUR plan - fall ball is for developing and learning who can play where, we will be competitive but not have a 'win at all cost' mentality, etc. This needs to be clearly defined by YOU and conveyed to all parties involved. If this is a problem with anyone, maybe this team is not for them!

I explain to the players and the parents that everyone will play two positions in pool play, but in elimination play the players will play the position that is best for the TEAM. I also tell them that there is a possiblity that they may just be a hitter or sit at some point. And I never play someone in a position that they do not practice - it does them no good and usually ends up hurting the team. I saw this last year (not as a coach) and it drove me nuts since the coaches put girls in positions that they never played and got upset when they didn't know what to do.

 

[Coach JV]

Time to pull the reins on your runaway pony. If you are in fact a 'new' team, it will
take time to develop position-wise. Take your 'obviously outfield' girls and break them off
into OF drills. Take what you believe are the strongest IF and rotate them thru positions.
Then bring the OF girls in and run them the same way. You will find out alot of what you have
to work with. Have another coach hit the reps so you can roam and evaluate. Get assistant under control
before next practice

 

[stephanie]

time to get off email, too, and have a face to face...people tend to misinterpret words on a screen...they can't tell your tone and mood.

 

[fastpitch]

Doesn't sound so bad. I think he's just looking for your thoughts and to get a better understanding of what you are planning to do. There probably are girls who are better suited towards certain positions and maybe he's looking for that type of input. I'm sure he means well. He is volunteering just like you (unless you are paid) and may just be a little excited to get things going.