PARENTS YOUR UP!

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Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
:) in other words you are sharing a similar experience as others! 👍
Lol..I was never under the impression that adolescent/pre-adolescent girls never stopped listening to their parents ;) That said we are not in a position financially to seek outside instruction so in my case if DD wants to improve we will have to figure something out. I am not going to ask my wife to put my 2 YO in daycare so she can get a job so my kid can take hitting lessons..Of course maybe I can get a second job? The gas station down the road has openings..
 
Nov 26, 2010
4,784
113
Michigan
From age 8-13 I was parent coach. After that I was parent/fan.

It came to a point where I knew she understood the game, in practice, better then I did. We had a conversation where I capitulated that she had a better understanding of the game "in the moment" and she agreed that my view and experience gave me an better understanding of what was happening in the big picture.

We had our conversations about softball in that way after that and she and I were happier.
 
Jul 22, 2020
46
8
Current assistant coach starting this fall but was a parent in the stands up until then. During games/tourneys I let her be coached, whether I agreed with it or not. I didn't try to overrule what the coaches were telling her and I didn't try to undermine them in practices either. At home we have our own little practice sessions, where we focus fundamentals for infield and outfield. We then end with hitting and I will make some adjustments if I see fit or I see it helping her. I try and teach her the game with some situations and help with little drills in the backyard to get her form or strength up as well.

I tell my DD, "That on the field, the coach is the coach and anybody else are just fans (her mother, family, etc). I really don't like seeing parents walk up to the dugout to try and coach their kid if they miss a ball or strikeout. Seems a lot of these kids are so nervous and afraid to mess up bc they know their parent is going to stomp over and embarrass them in front of the other kids.

We have some solid coaches with ball experience, so I've never blatantly told my DD the coach is wrong and do this instead, but if I did have an issue with what a coach was teaching I want to question it aside from everything else, not to disrupt the games or practices
 
Jun 26, 2020
204
28
Never coached unless I was asked to. Shagging flies at practice but always worked with my girl on pitching and catching.

Now at 18u it's time to take over. I've seen enough garbage on the field and the teams at the age where they can benefit from my coaching. Luckily coaches stay away from my girls along the way
 
Jun 23, 2018
222
63
Texas
I am an amateur Sports Psychologist, re-stater of Hitting and Pitching Coach instructions, Head Sherpa, chauffeur, and ATM to both DD and DW.

Have not officially coached DD since 2nd yr Rec 8U (12U now). Rather pay for someone else to do it (I'd take a 2nd job if I had to). I work with her on things at home (pitching, hitting fielding), but have found life is much easier to make suggestions, but not instruct. Battles get neither of us anywhere.
 
Aug 27, 2019
640
93
Lakewood CA.
So for those of you whose DD's take hitting lessons. She hits at the lessons and then with her team maybe once a week. Then what? Does she only hit those 2 times a week or do go hit with them any other times? If so how do you handle that if you know what the instructor is trying to teach her? Say nothing if she goes astray? If you say something then you are still "coaching" her...right?

Edit: Glad my issues could motivate a thread topic @RADcatcher ... :rolleyes:
In my DD's case on days she does not have hitting/catching lessons or team practice she does tee work on her own. I also will soft toss and front toss her sometimes. She understands her swing and knows what her hitting coach wants her to work on.

She also does catching drills and I will catch throws and chuck balls in the dirt at her. She also does fitness training twice a week with her hitting instructor. I'm really proud of her because she does this all on her own. I don't really need to push or motivate her at all.
 

osagedr

Canadian Fastpitch Dad
Oct 20, 2016
280
28
DD understands hitting at a higher level than I do. We work together constantly; my role is just telling her what I see (mostly while doing front toss)( and trying to get her to conceptualize things that are happening in a different way when needed. Pitching I am a bucket dad mostly but again, can explain what I see happening and then she knows how to correct if necessary.
 
Mar 8, 2016
313
63
I have a lot of roles. I help coach DD's travel team, I keep score for her HS team and we spend a lot of time at the field with me throwing front toss and working on defense. I also play amateur psychologist. Mostly I give her tips on what I see and talking about the mental aspects of hitting and fielding. I have loved all of it. She has a hitting coach she sees every 3-4 weeks so a lot of the work is up to us. It was great when she started feeling things that were wrong with her swing. I think that is when she took ownership of her swing and her development as a hitter really grew. Of course her HC once told me my most important job as assistant coach was to drive dd to games. It was meant as a joking dig at me but in reality I couldn't have been happier that he had such a high opinion of dd.
 
Apr 26, 2015
704
43
Parent/fan.
Never coached, never wanted to.

I do attend her hitting lessons with her. Occasionally between games she will ask me what went wrong/right with her swing to see if I see what she is feeling but I don't usually offer correction/instruction.

She is much more knowledgeable about her game than I am. I just love to watch her play!


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