Parents and their "star"

[Screwball]

Our organization has lately "labeled" winter and preseason practices as being geared towards certain skills and positions, such as agility practice, catchers, etc. I thought this was a good idea, so seemed like a good idea for me to also let people know what we would/might work on next practice.

I notice parents tend to not show up at practices where their daughters' skills may not be up to par with the rest of the kids there, such as when the daughter is #2 or #3 pitcher. Or when they hear next week's practice involves timing for sprint speed to first base.

Maybe we should not label practice or play our hand in advance. However some skills need to be addressed in certain ways so we have the proper equipment, players, etc.

The kids don't care what they are "natural at" versus not and would come if they were old enough to drive!

Talent may show up on game day with less practice, but teamwork does not. #2 pitcher WILL be called on; you would think they (with parent's guidance) would work to be #1.

I guess I am having one of those days.....

 

[chinamigarden]

Our organization has lately "labeled" practices as being geared towards certain skills and positions, such as agility practice, catchers, etc. I thought this was a good idea, so seemed like a good idea for me to also let people know what we would/might work on next practice.

I notice parents tend to whine and not show up at practices where their daughters' skills may not be up to par with the rest of the kids there, such as when the daughter is #2 or #3 pitcher. Or when they hear next week's practice involves timing for sprint speed to first base.

Maybe we should not label practice or play our hand in advance. However some skills need to be addressed in certain ways so we have the proper equipment, players, etc.

The kids don't care what they are "natural at" versus not and would come if they were old enough to drive!

Talent may show up on game day with less practice, but teamwork does not. #2 pitcher WILL be called on; you would think they (with parent's guidance) would work to be #1.

I guess I am having one of those days.....

Have you made it clear that attending practices will influence who gets the starting positions and how much playing time the girls receive?

 

[Amy in AZ.]

It is too bad that you are trying to do something good and are running into this road block. It seems that you are going to have to get the girls to want to be there.

The first thing that comes to my mind, is pizza.

But, you could also have goals like - you need to earn 8 out of 10 stars and you get the tee shirt, softball, etc.

 

[starsnuffer]

Ug, that's a tough situation.

You might want to be a bit more vague in how you label your practices, "offensive" practice (could be batting or running, bunting, whatever), "defensive" practice, and so on.

-W

 

[Amy in AZ.]

OK. I have a long fuse. But, that would have gotten on my last nerve.

Are you in a part of the country where football is king or something? Why do people take their commitments, so lightly?

 

[SoftSocDad]

Strange observation, as almost every young rec player out there has something she can or should work on during the preseason. Unless it's specifically for pitching, there's no need to label anything other than to say you're having a preseason 'skills clinic'. Those who want to come will come and those who don't won't. Even many families who do want to be an active part of softball don't really get into it until springtime. Around here, we don't get a lot of girls going until basketball is done, but fortunately, many of those girls are decent athletes and get up-to-speed more quickly than the less athletic girls who only play softball.

 

[quincy]

Where are these free hot dogs? Does my DD need to be on the Team for me to have a couple? Do I have to stay for the entire practice? (I know it is really not funny)

Being a Rec. parent, my DD has not been to any of our League’s pre-season practices, I have been to most of them. She has had other priorities. That seems to be the case for most the other parents that I have talked to. Some really do, some of the parents are just lazy. Being lazy appears to be the exception opposed to the rule.

If our League advertised what was being working on, we would make more of an effort to go to the practices of the skills she was not good at, not the other way around. Most the parents I have talked to would do the same thing. My DD does not know anything about Catching, if there was a catching practice we would go out of our way to be there.

 

[starsnuffer]

Out here it's more of an issue with other sports. One basketball league just had their finals last weekend, and another league is just starting up. I get my players in fits and starts, and try to schedule practice early, because they're all going to basketball practice afterwords, at least I get them fresh.

-W

 

[Wookie]

They should be called "practice" or "pre-season practice" and leave it at that. Within the designated practice time, there should be multiple stations with a coach/trainer at each, both offensive and defensive. Split the girls up into groups that are different at each practice and have them rotate stations every 10, 15, 20 minutes. If a parent complains about it not being "structured" offer them a station to be in charge of and instruct them on how to instruct the girls. Also go into the detail of the purpose and outcome of each station, each drill - what you are trying to accomplish for each individual girl, what you look for to evaluate, and how you instruct once you see a deficiency in their technique, as well as what you do when you see that a girl has mastered that drill. Eventually they will learn that what you do is more than what they see.

If they complain that too much is being done at one practice, explain to them that a game is not a static event - each player will have to field, throw, run, hit, etc. under non-structured time constraints and have to do it constantly - i.e. they have to be able to do it all during a pitch, an at bat, a ball in play, during an entire inning, for an entire game. If they complain that dd needs work on "x" and you only spent 15 minutes doing that, explain to them that they have 6 days, 22 hours until the next practice that THEY, the parent, can work with them on that skill. When they say something like "well that is your job as a coach to do that" (and they will say it), ask them if they help their kids with homework even though they spend ~6 hours/day with a teacher and ask why they would be willing to do THAT but not spend 15-20 minutes playing catch?

Parents want the best for their kids, and there is nothing wrong with that. I have a problem when the parent puts the onus on someone other than themselves to see that THEIR dreams are fulfilled for THEIR kids. I have no stake in someone else's child, but for some reason many parents think I do. And based on the tone of your OP, it seems like this is the situation that you are in as well.

 

[quincy]

I know for a fact it has to do with skills that expose two players' in particular weaknesses.

That is unfortunate for both the Players and Parents.

I do not think this is your case but the one thing that annoys me is when someone asks my DD to perform a skill she is not capable of. I know it happened to me growing up too.

A poor example but if the Team says let’s see who can hit the ball over the fence. She would compete even though it is impossible for her to do it. She could have had the best hitting instructor her entire life, the best equipment know to man, a hurricane force wind behind her, etc. The ball isn’t going over the fence no matter how long she hits balls.

Now if the drill was let’s see how far you can hit a ball, she would have fun and enjoy herself even though some of the other girl’s would clobber her.

I am sure that is not your case, it is just the only type of scenario I can think of that my DD would bail based solely on evaluating/ working on a skill.

Good luck.