Softball Coach Interview

[Amina03]

Hey All,

I know this is an odd request but it needs to be asked.
I've got a softball project that requires me to interview an individual who coaches (or has coached) softball. Can any of you help? The questions that need to be answered are below. Thanks in advance !!!!


1. What made you decide to go into coaching?

2. What is your coaching philosophy?

3. How important is winning?

4. What type of athlete is most difficult for you to work with? How do you overcome this?

5. How important is planning to good coaching?

6. What motivation techniques work best for you?

7. What do you do with the athlete who is not motivated to achieve?

8. How do you promote your program to get athletes involved in softball?

9. How would an athlete describe you a year or two after he/she has played for you?

10. Some people say that a coach should be special, a role model that should be just as concerned about his/her behavior after 4:00 as before. Others would say that the coach’s life should be his/her own after hours. As long as their behavior is appropriate at school, what they do on their own time is their own business. What do you think?


Thanks again !!!!!

 

[CoachKevin]

Coached from 10U to 2nd year 14U




1. What made you decide to go into coaching?
A - Saw the competition at the local Parks & Rec Dept, and wanted to do something to teach the game to girls.

2. What is your coaching philosophy?
A - To teach the game as it's supposed to be played. Develop not only skills in Softball, but also in life.

3. How important is winning?
A - Winning at all costs, no - but winning is fun I don't care who you are. If you get beat every game nobody is having "fun". You should strive to win every game, but if it doesn't happen it's not the end of the world.

4. What type of athlete is most difficult for you to work with? How do you overcome this?
A - The one that is unwilling to try new things or new concepts. Overcoming this sometimes can be very challenging, the players have to "buy in" to the coaches philsophy

5. How important is planning to good coaching?
A - Planning is very important in coaching, if you don't have a plan for practice then the players know you are just filling time. the older the players get, the smarter they become and will know when your just winging it. I also think the plan has to be fluid and not set in stone. If you are working on a play and the girls just are not executing it, you may have to spend more time on that aspect and less time on something else in your plan.

6. What motivation techniques work best for you?
A - Younger ages, bribes. Starburst's works wonders. At the older ages internal competition typically works to motivate.

7. What do you do with the athlete who is not motivated to achieve?
A - At some point there is a breaking point. At the older ages, the players who want to play keep going, those that don't stop. If a player is saying she wants to play, but doesn't give the effort, benching usually works if she is just being lazy. Sometimes you just have to cut a player because it's not fair to the team if everyone doesn't give their full effort.

8. How do you promote your program to get athletes involved in softball?
A - We have several teams from 10U to 16U. We place ads for tryouts in the local paper, we try to have articles in the paper about the program. Sometimes we run small Softball clinics for players in different age groups.

9. How would an athlete describe you a year or two after he/she has played for you?
A - Hopefully someone that they know cared for them.

10. Some people say that a coach should be special, a role model that should be just as concerned about his/her behavior after 4:00 as before. Others would say that the coach’s life should be his/her own after hours. As long as their behavior is appropriate at school, what they do on their own time is their own business. What do you think?
A - Honestly, I believe that your behavoir should be above the rest no matter what time it is. Softball is a small community and people will associate you with the team you coach. On or off the field, act the right way.

 

[sportinus]

1. What made you decide to go into coaching? In tee-ball they needed a parent to manage the bench, when no one stepped up I volunteered

2. What is your coaching philosophy? Players come first, have solid fundamentals. We also try to sprinkle some life lessons int here.

3. How important is winning? Winning s a goal, as well as good sportsmanship, sound fundamentals, game awareness, ....

4. What type of athlete is most difficult for you to work with? How do you overcome this? i call them "me" players. Players that are only out for themselves and the non-coachable ones. We try to show them that it is a team sport an that we all need to improve on our skill sets.

5. How important is planning to good coaching? Good planning skills is a must, you only have so much time with your team, so you cannot be wasting it by figuring out what do next during the practice.

6. What motivation techniques work best for you? Try to stay positive, do not focus on what they did not do correct but to focus on what they did well and what we need to do next to get the play the way we want it. We do a lot of mini competitions during our drills.

7. What do you do with the athlete who is not motivated to achieve? Try to find out why they are there and build on what we can to get them motivated

8. How do you promote your program to get athletes involved in softball? We are always upfront and honest and try to be clear of what our expectations are.

9. How would an athlete describe you a year or two after he/she has played for you? he made the game fun and treated me like a person.

10. Some people say that a coach should be special, a role model that should be just as concerned about his/her behavior after 4:00 as before. Others would say that the coach’s life should be his/her own after hours. As long as their behavior is appropriate at school, what they do on their own time is their own business. What do you think? I believe that a zebra cannot change his stripes. I think you need to be who you are regardless where you are at. I try to lead by example to my family and team, and also let them know that I make mistakes too.

 

[LadybacksCoach]

1. What made you decide to go into coaching?
Was a parent in tee-ball, very frustrated with lack of coaching when "fundamentals" was stressed.

2. What is your coaching philosophy?
Have fun, learn the game, put girls in the best position to win.

3. How important is winning?
Obviously its important, however, if they're losing and still trying hard and making the plays they should. I have nothing to complain about.

4. What type of athlete is most difficult for you to work with? How do you overcome this?
Flower pickers dont bother me as much as girls that dont want to be there. Atleast the flower pickers are smiling. I try to make sure they have fun to the best of my ability and they're really loafing - I'm grabbing Dad and finding out how to light a fire under her.

5. How important is planning to good coaching?
Essential. Covered pretty well by the previous replies.

6. What motivation techniques work best for you?
So far I have not given my girls any candy, ice cream, etc. I let their parents motivate them that way. I like the motivate with the "feeling like a champion". Also, they shaved my head after a tournament win, but wasnt really my idea.

7. What do you do with the athlete who is not motivated to achieve?
I work with the parent to find out what will help. Talk with them outside of practice, make softball part of their life - not just practice and games.

8. How do you promote your program to get athletes involved in softball?
I will do anything anyone asks of me to help promote softball. So far, really all I do is talk with parents and co-workers about how much fun I have and my daughter has.

9. How would an athlete describe you a year or two after he/she has played for you?
When they're old enough to appreciate coaching, I hope they look back and say "that guy was part of the building blocks of my game".

10. Some people say that a coach should be special, a role model that should be just as concerned about his/her behavior after 4:00 as before. Others would say that the coach’s life should be his/her own after hours. As long as their behavior is appropriate at school, what they do on their own time is their own business. What do you think?
I know quite a few families outside of the diamond now and their daughters call me coach whether its game time or midnight. I'm their coach 24/7 right now.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

1. What made you decide to go into coaching?
A. Local rec needed a coach, and I wanted to try my hand at fast pitch.

2. What is your coaching philosophy?
A. Develop good players, mix fun with seriousness of the game.

3. How important is winning?
A. Just about as important as breathing oxygen to live.

4. What type of athlete is most difficult for you to work with? How do you overcome this?
A. Someone who is listens to a mom or dad that has no clue. Overcome, put her at the top of my list to replace next year.

5. How important is planning to good coaching?
A. A plan is only as good as those who see it through.

6. What motivation techniques work best for you?
A. Revenge. ( for lack of a better word ) I'd try to motivate with who we are playing, what their record is, what I've heard about them, maybe even make up a few ( minor ) things they have said about other competition. Another words, light a fire under my group.

7. What do you do with the athlete who is not motivated to achieve?
A. Replace her with someone who is. ( class A TB and higher all must be motivated )

8. How do you promote your program to get athletes involved in softball?
A. Records, and word of mouth. The softball world knows who is who, even in other states.

9. How would an athlete describe you a year or two after he/she has played for you?
A. A big teddy bear who loves to pull pranks and keep them guessing. The guy who analyzes the whole weekend by looking at the first round of pool games. The guy who's SUV they all jump in ( 11 DD's ) and run eat after a tournament. The guy who works the crowd at the entire ball complex and will talk to anyone who stops long enough to listen. The guy you come to with problems as a player and a person and ill do my best to help. And I hope a decent coach and human.

10. Some people say that a coach should be special, a role model that should be just as concerned about his/her behavior after 4:00 as before. Others would say that the coach’s life should be his/her own after hours. As long as their behavior is appropriate at school, what they do on their own time is their own business. What do you think?

A. Fine line there. Kids arent stupid, so never think they are. Yes, a coach should be a role model on and off the field. I have a Facebook, most of my "friends" are ex or current players. I talk to several everyday about school,ball, life and kid stuff. I love these kids, and am proud to have been a small positive part of their lives.

 

[Amina03]

Thank you CoachKevin , sportinus ,LadybacksCoach,and GOINGDEEP for the quick and awesome responses !!!!!

 

[JAD]

Are you looking for responses from TB coaches or HS coaches? Question #10 made me wonder and I wanted to clarify before I responded.

 

[JAD]

1. What made you decide to go into coaching?
A. Rec league director started a new 10U TB team several years ago and needed a parent to 'step up' and help coach it. DD now plays 14U TB.

2. What is your coaching philosophy?
A. Teach the fundamentals, stress personal accountability for each girl to work hard at practice AND outside of practice.

3. How important is winning?
A. If a team's winning percentage is much higher than .600 they need to 'step up' and play better competition (play up an age group if you have to). Teams learn more playing good teams and losing than they do winning every game they play.

4. What type of athlete is most difficult for you to work with? How do you overcome this?
A. The most difficult kid is one who is disruptive to others at practice and during games. We will have a private discussion with the girl and her parents. If the behavior continues we will cut her.

5. How important is planning to good coaching?
A. It is always good to have a plan, but the plan needs to be 'flexible'.

6. What motivation techniques work best for you?
A. As our team has progressed from a rec all star team to an A-team over the years, our motivation techniques have changed. Now our girls do a lot of push ups and run poles or suicides.

7. What do you do with the athlete who is not motivated to achieve?
There are too many girls who are motivated, so any girls who are NOT motivated get released to go find another team.

8. How do you promote your program to get athletes involved in softball?
A. At this point all of the girls on our team have been playing softball for years.

9. How would an athlete describe you a year or two after he/she has played for you?
A. Tough, but fair. We push the girls to do more than they think they can.

10. Some people say that a coach should be special, a role model that should be just as concerned about his/her behavior after 4:00 as before. Others would say that the coach’s life should be his/her own after hours. As long as their behavior is appropriate at school, what they do on their own time is their own business. What do you think?
A. A coach needs to realize that his/her conduct will be scrutinized 24/7/365. That said, a coach should be able to live his/her personal life without feeling like they are under a microscope.