Softball trending down?
- Thread starter sportinus
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Our local league has had consistent numbers the last several years. This year our biggest problem is finding coaches. This year we had an 8U coach no show tryouts and draft and when I finally reached him he advised me he changed his mind. We then had a 10U coach draft a team only to contact us 3 hours later to say they changed their mind. We were fortunate enough to find replacement coaches with some parents that stepped up for both 8U and 10U; however, we are one coach short for 14U group and have had zero success in finding a coach. We have reached out to every parent on the team and all have turned it down. We are now facing a tough decision of having to either tell 11 girls they have no coach and will be unable to play or combining them with our other team and having a team of 22 girls. Before anyone asks I am unable to do it because I work a full time job, am president of the league, and coach 2 teams already.
You may want to mention where you are located. You never know who is lurking but never posting. 
Have you reached out to former coaches who's kids have left the league? At that age we have 2 of the 6 mangers who no longer have kids in the league but just love coaching. You may get some "hell no" reactions but you might also be surprised that someone would be willing to take it on. Might not hurt to at least ask.
Sweet Lou offers an excellent suggestion. I am already considering this once my DD ages out of TB, etc. Either that or umpiring. I will see where the local organization has the greater need when I am ready. It can be difficult to find umpires locally as well.
Another idea is to use a mentoring approach. At one point our rec league moved from one team to two teams. We were able to find a person that was willing to coach, but she wasn't sure how to run practices. So I suggested having the two teams practice together. I ran the practices and explained what I could to the new coach. We did several practices and several mixed squad scrimmages. Then I tried to assist at any games that did not conflict with games my team was playing (as long as we didn't play the same night I was typically able to help at her games). It worked very well and she is still coaching a team.
Lacrosse is a big challange to softball here in my neck of the woods.
- May 10, 2010
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Out league just about always has good numbers. Mainly though the numbers start tapering off about 12. The problem is there are kids that just want to play and have little or no asperations of being a stud player. Thats ok but they get mixed in with teams that have been together or are put together. They loose games and all the sudden parents want to win and kids do not return the next year because they had a bad expeirence. I wish rec leagues were all draft, even going as far as having a pitchers draft so teams stood a chance of having some sort of pitching. Cant do that because that would seperate the kids from playing with there freinds with little thought of making new ones. Lack of coaches is a problem but who wants to volunteer when its win at all cost with the parents and the kids play for fun. I have seen some dads and moms that were great with the kids but did not win get run off to never be seen again. Our rec league wants it both ways volunteer,have fun, but all stars is right around the corner and that is another can of worms.
We have reached out to former coaches, former board members, etc. I live in the West Central Texas area and everyone around here eats, sleeps, and dreams football.
- Aug 20, 2013
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Ad in the paper, local groups on FaceBook,(we have tons here for yard sales, current events and such). No harm in advertising your coaching needs there. Local schools and churches.
Could you offer to pay the coach or offer some incentive?? If the parents won't step up, tell them they have to post the ad on their FB pages, churches and schools and such. A season of 22 kids would be no fun in my book, so the parents really need to step up to help find someone if they aren't willing to coach themselves.
Silly really. Most of them will be at all the practices and games anyway. Why not step up?
Last thought, contact all the middle school and high school programs. These programs will benefit from this age group playing. Our oldest DD coach last year was the assistant softball coach from the high school. Maybe some of the seniors would like to take it on as a community service project. Best of luck!
GG
Could you offer to pay the coach or offer some incentive?? If the parents won't step up, tell them they have to post the ad on their FB pages, churches and schools and such. A season of 22 kids would be no fun in my book, so the parents really need to step up to help find someone if they aren't willing to coach themselves.
Silly really. Most of them will be at all the practices and games anyway. Why not step up?
Last thought, contact all the middle school and high school programs. These programs will benefit from this age group playing. Our oldest DD coach last year was the assistant softball coach from the high school. Maybe some of the seniors would like to take it on as a community service project. Best of luck!
GG
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