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Apr 28, 2014
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If you are a fan of Hockey you are seeing many old style command and control type coaches being raked over the coals for the methods they used. No one questions the toughness or grit of an NHL hockey player, yet here we are with many All Star caliber players talking about how certain coaches worked and the affect it had on players. And it’s not looking good for the coaches.

It’s a new world and coaches will have to adapt.

I agree. Not a great parallel but I work in a leadership position where I oversee many 18-35 year olds. I have been in this role for 20+ years. If I were to lead them today the same way I did in the year 2000 it would not fly. Certain things are no longer acceptable. That said young people still want to be pushed and need accountability, the leader just needs to evolve in how that's accomplished.
 

Josh Greer

DFP Vendor
Jul 31, 2013
934
93
Central Missouri
I agree. Not a great parallel but I work in a leadership position where I oversee many 18-35 year olds. I have been in this role for 20+ years. If I were to lead them today the same way I did in the year 2000 it would not fly. Certain things are no longer acceptable. That said young people still want to be pushed and need accountability, the leader just needs to evolve in how that's accomplished.

I tend to agree. I think the best coach's are those who can customize their instruction in a way that each player thrives. However, with that said, and in your experience, do you feel the product is as good as it was with the previous generation? I just wonder if we aren't swinging the pendulum to far. Entitlement is already rampant and I feel that respect for authority is a dying attribute.
 
Apr 28, 2014
2,316
113
I tend to agree. I think the best coach's are those who can customize their instruction in a way that each player thrives. However, with that said, and in your experience, do you feel the product is as good as it was with the previous generation? I just wonder if we aren't swinging the pendulum to far. Entitlement is already rampant and I feel that respect for authority is a dying attribute.
I will say it's much harder to find quality talent then it was 20 years ago. Its still there but you really have to sift through the talent pool to find great employees.
 

marriard

Not lost - just no idea where I am
Oct 2, 2011
4,312
113
Florida
I tend to agree. I think the best coach's are those who can customize their instruction in a way that each player thrives. However, with that said, and in your experience, do you feel the product is as good as it was with the previous generation? I just wonder if we aren't swinging the pendulum to far. Entitlement is already rampant and I feel that respect for authority is a dying attribute.

This is what every generation says about the next generation.

The product is better than it has ever been. For fastpitch - it was California and pockets of good play. Now the level of fastpitch play is high nationwide.

When most of us grew up you didn't have the ease of communication so you didn't get to hear about the person doing something on the other side of the country or even another country. We also didn't have the same setup for nationwide travel. Also we all have the perspective of remembering what we remember - and as a kid or even as an adult you miss a lot of things.

But the same cast of characters were still there - daddy ball coach, weirdo who shouldn't have been allowed near the fields, backdoor politics, insane parents, etc, etc. They just get out more now :)
 
May 29, 2015
3,731
113
While I can see @marriard’s view that “the product is better than ever” I would say that depends on what metrics you are using. The high levels of play are improved, but the overall quality — or the disparity from the top to the bottom — is far worse as “the product” has become watered down.

As organizations have made grabs for money and power, the “natural” system has been destroyed (I won’t even say “disrupted” anymore). Levels of play (and instruction) are all over the map and are driven by dollars and delusion, not actual play.

I also agree that (almost) every generation says ”that” about the next generation. However one piece of that puzzle that we lose site of is that the previous generation is the one that taught/enabled those beliefs/values in the next generation. Those things are not inherently born into us.
 
Jun 6, 2016
2,714
113
Chicago
I feel that respect for authority is a dying attribute.

Nah, what's dying is assumed respect. The younger generation doesn't respect people just because they're told they're supposed to, it seems. And that's a good thing. You talk about entitlement? Nobody is entitled to that level of respect (we're not talking about basic respect for other human beings; different concept). Respect ought to be earned in all circumstances.
 
Jun 7, 2016
275
43
@man in blue: I dont see how having more athletes playing is a bad thing. If the high level is improved, great. Everybody below that has something to shoot for. How is that a bad thing. Should they all just play rec ball?
Do we only allow only SEC teams to play college football? As long as the athletes are getting opportunity, I'd say thats a good thing.
 

marriard

Not lost - just no idea where I am
Oct 2, 2011
4,312
113
Florida
The high levels of play are improved, but the overall quality — or the disparity from the top to the bottom — is far worse as “the product” has become watered down.
As organizations have made grabs for money and power, the “natural” system has been destroyed (I won’t even say “disrupted” anymore). Levels of play (and instruction) are all over the map and are driven by dollars and delusion, not actual play.

- 25 years ago there was really limited fastpitch in Florida. So yeah, the product is astoundingly better. If you want a view of fastpitch in Florida go have a chat with Dot Richardson.
- The number of Fastpitch college teams have rapidly increased - and continues to increase. The college investment in college is amazing and while it used to be pretty much the PAC10 - now it is spread out across a lot of conferences - the options for players are incredible.

I expect there will be cycles as things change - the money grab has been disrupted in Florida because competition for that money has come in and disrupted it. Competition is driving better customer experience which is good for everyone. The best 'big name' orgs pushing the quick money grabs out as again, people start to figure it out. And so on.

Sure, rec is a mess right now in many areas... that has been replaced by low-level travel in a lot of areas. How players enter the game has to be solved.
 
Jul 22, 2015
851
93
Nah, what's dying is assumed respect. The younger generation doesn't respect people just because they're told they're supposed to, it seems. And that's a good thing. You talk about entitlement? Nobody is entitled to that level of respect (we're not talking about basic respect for other human beings; different concept). Respect ought to be earned in all circumstances.

I think you nailed it. SO MANY coaches/teachers/employers have missed this. They are offended when they aren't offered a level of respect/deference that they have not earned, and then they further compromise themselves by not giving the kids any level of respect in return. I just don't know how or why you expect someone to respect you when you give them no basic level of respect at all. I've taught my kids to respect authority, but they see through people who don't return that respect so quickly. I think the days of unconditional respect for a position without regard to the actual person involved are long gone and that's probably for the better.
 
May 29, 2015
3,731
113
@man in blue: I dont see how having more athletes playing is a bad thing. If the high level is improved, great. Everybody below that has something to shoot for. How is that a bad thing. Should they all just play rec ball?
Do we only allow only SEC teams to play college football? As long as the athletes are getting opportunity, I'd say thats a good thing.

That‘s not what I said at all.

I said it depends on what metric you are using. Quantity or quality. Expansion of the sport is a great thing. Dilution is not.

Should they all play rec? I didn’t say that either. However, in many areas you CANNOT play rec because it has been destroyed by the notion that you have to play “competitive”. Competitive isn’t competitive in many areas, it’s just expensive rec.

When you equate ”C” leagues in USA or USSSA to playing rec, it is a tremendous disservice to the game as a whole. Yes, the quality is the same, but the cost is vastly more and prevents players from entering the game. Why? So a letter-named org can get a cut and a delusional dad can say his daughter played competitive.

Rec ball and community programs ABSOLUTELY have a place. The loss of rec is NOT a good thing for the sport.
 

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