Overworking the kids?

[Screwball]

On two occasions, coaches have been proud they made at least one 12-13 year old throw up during a practice that involved running and conditioning, and it was not hot out.

On the other side, when the story gets around, I have heard parents say they don't want their girls in that type of program.

Ages ago, of course, I was in an intense softball program from about 12 on and played at least two other sports, during which we had hard conditioning training. My brothers played 'pee wee' football and baseball under the same organization, and those practices were hard. But none of us was EVER made to throw up. My softball program was dominant as was the football team (not the baseball team for some reason).

In college, we lifted weights and ran miles on miles for softball. Again never made to throw up, with the trainers being on watch.

I am trying to understand how this helps girls....Please enlighten me.

 

[Ken Krause]

I dunno. Softball's not the kind of sport that requires that level of endurance. As I said in the newsletter, it's not the type of sport where the best-conditioned team often wins in the last five minutes.

More to the point, I'm not sure what pushing young kids to the point where they throw up accomplishes. It can't be healthy. I've certainly been tempted at times to do it over the years when the girls needed a little "inspiration." But I've never actually done it.

Seems like there are better ways to do whatever they wanted done. But there is certainly a contingent of "old school" types out there who think coaching = being mean.

 

[PEPPERS]

After Christmas break the basketball coach at my daughter’s high school warned the team to be prepared to run till they threw-up, to encourage the girls to run over holiday break. He sat trash cans in all 4 corners of gym and ran the kids until some of them did get sick. I don’t agree with it, but this is his style of coaching.

I also witness a softball practice at a college located in Chattanooga, TN where they worked for about 2 hours in 100 degree weather. The coach had them do the drill where they placed five balls between third and home, the player fielded the balls one after the other, threw to first and then ran to first and caught the throws from the next player. They would go through about 4 times each, then sprint from one side of the outfield to the other and a number of them were getting sick, this was a 2 hour routine with out a break.

I think a coach really needs to be careful taking kids to this point of getting sick, I can’t see it being good for the kids and could cause some other medical problems. The first problem I think of is dehydration which can cause everything from passing out to more serious problems.

Running and being in shape is important, but in my opinion should be worked up to gradually.

 

[mstree323]

could happen if its just intentionally anaerobic and meant to build up their wind. running timed 400's and miles, or just a set of sprints for a set time. 8-10 12 second sprints with a short break between.

i've had it done to me both ways -- as punishment and not -- but it's not always just mean.

 

[Ken Krause]

I think part of it has to do with the intention. If your goal is to make kids throw up, and it doesn't end until someone does, you have some pretty whacky priorities.

If it occurs accidentally, that's different. I remember being in gym class in high school. We were doing the President's Physical Fitness tests, among which was the 400 yard shuttle run -- which is essentially like ladders. I really wanted to post one of the top scores (hard to believe looking at my avatar now, but once upon a time I was pretty fast) so I gave it everything I had. Ran the four shuttles back and forth, ran through the finish and directly to a water fountain where I threw up. But that was self-induced as a result of effort. It wasn't like the teacher made me run endless shuttles until I threw up.

Softball is a game, and games are supposed to be fun. You have to know where the line is between working toward a goal and just being a jerk.

 

[joemcq51]

Last year in rec all stars, my DD's coach was a complete idiot. He had 9 days to get a team of "all stars" ready for competition. 100 degrees out and they spend the first hour of each practice running more than I ever did in football. First 3 practices, I saw countless kids throwing up and sitting out of drills with heat related issues. I am certain that someone in the league finally said enough because he backed off. Team certainly could have spent the time in the cages or working on defense. Anyway, I am sure when they got knocked out of the tournament, it was due to the lack of conditioning and not the coaching or talent. Funny how some people view that as a disciplined coach. Personally, I view it as a bully who is trying to make up for his lack of softball knowledge by showing how tough they are to a bunch of kids. I want my DD playing for a coach, not a drill sargeant.

 

[starsnuffer]

I think conditioning is important in youth sports. Yes, it may not be a huge factor for anyone other then the pitcher in order to win games, however I feel that as a youth coach, it's part of my job to make sure kids are healthy and as athletic as possible. We want to play softball, not look like softballs.

That said, I don't agree with "running until you throw up". Mostly this just tells me that the kids don't condition regularly and the coach is doing this as punishment or to prove a point, which isn't really good coaching either way you spin it.

A better conditioned athlete is better able to maintain concentration and control for longer practice sessions, even when those sessions do not necessarily include running or other aerobic activity. If half your team is "tired" after two hours of hitting, throwing, catching, and fielding and that third hour of pre-season practice where you might have game situations and other drills that require a bit of brain function is going to be wasted. Conditioning also helps prevent injury.

-W

 

[SBFAMILY]

I hear this mainly in high school sports. We have a high school soccer coach that has this attitude. Not a favorite with parents or kids.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

If anyone reads TN. women's basketball coach Pat Summitt's books, she runs her players sometimes until they puke - if she finds out that they have been out drinking. She has relaxed her practices over her career, because she found out what is important.

When I was coaching at a small college, one of my recruits asked me how much she would need to run and I said "from the dugout to the circle."

I am almost certain that my DD did not do much running in HS. One night the coach was mad and ran them after a loss (out of the blue) and my asthmatic DD almost ended up in the hospital.

Recently, I heard of an All Star coach that ran one of my students right into shin splints. Some common sense goes a long way when coaching.

The best advice I ever heard was, if the team is running, so is the coach.

 

[Ken Krause]

The best advice I ever heard was, if the team is running, so is the coach.

In that case, from the dugout to the circle would be about right with my team.