One...Rough...Season...

[ConorMacleod]

Just finished up the roughest season that I've ever coached. 3-29 in 12U 'C'. Yes, we had the youngest and most inexperienced team in our league. But I certainly didn't expect this. Improvements by entire team, but the talent level was woefully short of others in our age group. My DD was our #1 pitcher (and is probably a #2 on every other team). My expected #2 pitcher quit lessons in middle of season, and then quit team altogether. My expected #3 had to step up and eat innings way more than I wanted her to. Another player moved halfway through season. We had to scramble to have 9 players for second half of season.

We finished with 4 straight beat downs in the last tourney. Outscored 35-2, and there is a 5 run rule per inning! My DD takes a beanball off left forearm. Out for most of Saturday. And she is by far and away my top hitter and run scorer, besides the best pitcher. #3 pitcher is all I have left (with 8 players total). She had to toe the rubber in back-to-back games, and also on Sunday. She pitched 9 innings, walking 35 batters. And there wasn't a thing I could do. My DD came back with injury and played CF and batted left handed for the first time ever. She also scored the only 2 runs we had all weekend (1 pre injury, 1 post injury).

So, I will now step back for the month of July and determine if I should be coaching again. Or if I want to...

 

[aneasy643]

Did the girls have fun? Did any of them tell you they want to play again?
As hard as it is to lose you can't give up. What would it teach the girls? It's also hard to remember as a coach that not all girls who play desire to be the top players on the top teams. But if you make a difference to even just one young lady you're doing more than a lot of folks could. Keep your head up coach. I don't know your players personally but I bet you mattered to them.

 

[ConorMacleod]

Maybe I just need to hear that the season mattered. Maybe I'm taking it more personal than the girls. Maybe I'm just doubting my abilities. I should point out that I'm not quitting on them. There will be a new set of tryouts and new teams for the coming year. All players will be assigned to a team. And there could be new coaches/parent volunteers as well. My #1 goal every time I coach is; when the season is over, every player on my team wants to sign up for the next season. I had a player quit this year, but I'm still hoping the rest still play the game after this season.

My proudest moment came before the last tourney. We had 8 players available. I put a vote out to the players and said; do we play with 8 and take the automatic out, or do we call it a season and pull out of the tourney? They voted 8-0 to play. And then one of the players 9 year old sister, who plays on an 8U team, stepped up and played right field for us. BTW: the 8U player had a line drive base hit. Her first ever base hit off player pitch.

 

[Slappers]

We finished up our year at 5-17. Got handed a few beat downs again this weekend but they were different than the beat downs we took in the fall. This past Saturday we were down 10-3 in our last at bat after the clock expired. Ended up winning 11-10. Girls had a lot of fight in them. I am proud of them.

Take a step back, regroup, and start all over again. My record doesn't matter, only to my ego for the purpose of my team. We aren't out scholarship chasing and that stuff. Just a group of girls that want to play at a higher level and more often than they would be able to otherwise.

 

[RetiredCoach]

One of my favorite quotes, the next best thing to playing and winning is playing and losing.

 

[coach james]

Parents expecting guests to pay dues

If I need another player for a long weekend and I call a friend to get his dd to come as a back up player/pitcher. Her abilities and speed helped us win. However, I'm getting friction from my regular parents about whether or not the subs are paying the tourney dues ($20 per player per tourney).... advise?

 

[RetiredCoach]

If I need another player for a long weekend and I call a friend to get his dd to come as a back up player/pitcher. Her abilities and speed helped us win. However, I'm getting friction from my regular parents about whether or not the subs are paying the tourney dues ($20 per player per tourney).... advise?

You do not ask an emergency sub for money. Enough said?

 

[Sweet Lou]

If I need another player for a long weekend and I call a friend to get his dd to come as a back up player/pitcher. Her abilities and speed helped us win. However, I'm getting friction from my regular parents about whether or not the subs are paying the tourney dues ($20 per player per tourney).... advise?

If you had subs why did you need another player? Just curious. If I was paying so my DD could sit while guest player got time I'd probably be a unhappy too.

Now if you were asking her because you didn't have enough to field a team, I'd be happy she could make it so the girls could play and would not expect her to pay.

 

[coach james]

We only currently have 10 full time players. (Lost two girls to McDonalds last month) My #1 pitcher has a nagging knee injury that prevents her from getting full resistance and has lost quite a bit of speed. My #2 pitcher only tops out at about 47/48 mph (way too slow for 16u) so I called in my friend whose dd played for me for a couple years. She is now hitting 65 mph and has a big stick as well. Parents are acting pissy because she is filling a roster spot without having to pay her $20 weekend dues... I explained that she was a guest and was there to help and I didn't ask for $... it flew over like a lead balloon.

 

[Sweet Lou]

It sounds like you made the right call then.