....but ignores all suggestions.
Just some background. - I coached TB for organization X for over 10 years, all age groups from 10U to 18U. I then moved to HS coaching 8 years ago but have continued to watch organization X teams in the summer as some will end up at our HS.
OK on to the situation. At the last round of organization X tryouts I spoke to the org president and offered to help out with practices for the younger age when I have available time because the TB coaches are parents who have little to no experience. So the org X President put out an email to the coaches explaining this and left it up to the individual coach to respond if interested.
I got 1 response from a 1st year 10u coach. The first time I am able to show up is for the 3rd practice he held. I tell him I will observe for a while and then offer suggestions. He agrees.
To my horror he is teaching them the old throwing method (L drill, wrist flicks, etc.). Throws are all over the place. Following that he goes immediately into infield positions hitting them ground balls with no instruction. It was a good thing they had masks on, and throws were "just a bit outside." So during a water break I tell him new studies have shown that there is a better more efficient less stressful way to throw called HLT. He tells me that he taught his 13 yr old son to throw the old way with no problems and see no advantage to HLT. I asked him to give me 2 poor throwing players for 20 minutes over the next 4 practices and maybe I could show him why it's better. He said no. I then asked him if I could roll balls to the infielders because their fielding technique needed help. He said no he wanted them to get used to the ball off the bat not some easy rollers. I tried to explain that this was only the start of a fielding progression, but that went in one ear and out the other.
Then he went to OF practice hitting fly balls from the plate to 7 kids across the OF. I've never seen such a goofy practice. No instruction other than "gotta catch that ball" or "don't let that ball get by you". I asked him if I could throw balls to a line of players to get them used to catching on the run. Once again the reply was no that he wanted them to get used to the ball off the bat not some easy fly balls.
I felt like telling this guy that this was my first and last practice but held my tongue. I feel sorry for the kids because at this age they are like sponges to instruction and they are getting none from him. Do I give this another chance or let it go?
Just some background. - I coached TB for organization X for over 10 years, all age groups from 10U to 18U. I then moved to HS coaching 8 years ago but have continued to watch organization X teams in the summer as some will end up at our HS.
OK on to the situation. At the last round of organization X tryouts I spoke to the org president and offered to help out with practices for the younger age when I have available time because the TB coaches are parents who have little to no experience. So the org X President put out an email to the coaches explaining this and left it up to the individual coach to respond if interested.
I got 1 response from a 1st year 10u coach. The first time I am able to show up is for the 3rd practice he held. I tell him I will observe for a while and then offer suggestions. He agrees.
To my horror he is teaching them the old throwing method (L drill, wrist flicks, etc.). Throws are all over the place. Following that he goes immediately into infield positions hitting them ground balls with no instruction. It was a good thing they had masks on, and throws were "just a bit outside." So during a water break I tell him new studies have shown that there is a better more efficient less stressful way to throw called HLT. He tells me that he taught his 13 yr old son to throw the old way with no problems and see no advantage to HLT. I asked him to give me 2 poor throwing players for 20 minutes over the next 4 practices and maybe I could show him why it's better. He said no. I then asked him if I could roll balls to the infielders because their fielding technique needed help. He said no he wanted them to get used to the ball off the bat not some easy rollers. I tried to explain that this was only the start of a fielding progression, but that went in one ear and out the other.
Then he went to OF practice hitting fly balls from the plate to 7 kids across the OF. I've never seen such a goofy practice. No instruction other than "gotta catch that ball" or "don't let that ball get by you". I asked him if I could throw balls to a line of players to get them used to catching on the run. Once again the reply was no that he wanted them to get used to the ball off the bat not some easy fly balls.
I felt like telling this guy that this was my first and last practice but held my tongue. I feel sorry for the kids because at this age they are like sponges to instruction and they are getting none from him. Do I give this another chance or let it go?
