starting a travel organization - need input

[jay]

hi folks. i've been coaching rec ball since 2003 and recently moved up to coaching travel ball. this fall, i'm spearheading the beginning of a new travel organization in our town. i want to solicit softball parents specifically and ask two questions:

1. what 3-5 things do you wish your travel coach was better at doing?
2. what 3-5 things does your travel coach do really well?

thanks!

jay

 

[fastpitch5]

i manage/coach a tb team, so i can offer things i've been told or have heard.

things people seem to like:
1. clear and frequent communication - i like to keep the team well-informed. also talk with parents frequently to include them in their dd's development.
2. staying current - i go to clinics with my dd (sometimes i participate if they let me), i work with local JC coaches to hear/see the latest and greatest teaching methods.
3. stay organized - nothing beats a good plan.
4. this is the girls' team, so they decide on uniforms, team parties, etc. i like to kep the girls as involved as possible so they truely feel like it's THEIR team. the girls really like this.

the big thing parents say i need to work on is delegation. i tend to do most things on my own. i feel like it's getting done "right" when i do it. im sure there's more...

 

[GOINGDEEP]

One of the biggest things is trying to figure out what type of travel team your going to be and what are your goals.

You can either be a trophy hunting team, meaning you look for the weakest tourneys to get in to bring home the plastic. Which is fine if that is your cup of tea, because it's easy to keep the players/parents happy if you win every weekend.

Or you can find the toughest tourneys to get in with the best teams available. This road will not always lead to 1st place every weekend. It's just too hard when you have 5-6 stud teams out of 15-16 teams that are equally as talented. This will better prepare your players in the long run. But, this road needs to be made clear to ALL involved in your TB team from the start. Because there is no coach, no team, no player on the forum that can say they win every weekend playing the best teams they can find. ( within reason )

GD

 

[mudbug]

hi folks. i've been coaching rec ball since 2003 and recently moved up to coaching travel ball. this fall, i'm spearheading the beginning of a new travel organization in our town. i want to solicit softball parents specifically and ask two questions:

1. what 3-5 things do you wish your travel coach was better at doing?
2. what 3-5 things does your travel coach do really well?

thanks!

jay

Travel softball organizations are unfortunately, a dime a dozen. The softball world is literally busting at the seams with them, so badly that in some areas some teams cannot even solicit enough girls to form a team every year.

What we have already is too many mediocre daddy-ball teams with poor coaches that coach teams because no one else would take their daughters. Not enough really competitive stable long-term organizations with very experienced coaches that are dedicated to teaching and developing gifted fastpitch players because they love the game, and the competition, and helping young ladies achieve their goals. If you start a new organization, Id suggest you do it for the right reasons, and plan to be involved in it many yrs. We have too many of the wrong kind already IMO.

Be honest, be organized, know wtf you are doing, be in it for the girls, Not for yourself, or for money, etc., give freely of your time, give freely of your personal resources if need be, YOU will be the organization and everything it stands for will be YOUR reputation. On and off field behaviour, comments, criticism, etc will shape what people think of your organization., and whether or not they want to be associated with it. You will have to be the greatest, most honorable, honest , dependable, hardworking, saintly SOB the world has ever seen.

 

[fosterspoint]

Organization and Communication are big. You probably won't hear anyone tell you if you are doing a good job, but you will never hear the end of it if you are not organized and not communicating.

Make decisions, let everyone know the decision. They may not all like it, but they will respect you for being decisive. They can all debate later whether or not it is the right call, but you are the one who has to make the decisions today. Don't waffle.

Focus on helping each player improve and become successful. In the end, every parent decides if it was a good experience based on their daughter. The team could win all of the games, but if their DD did not improve and play well, it will be considered a bad season for them.

You are not going to make everyone happy. Don't try to make everyone happy. You will end up with no one happy, including yourself.

Good Luck

 

[Wookie]

What everybody else said, plus get yourself a Special Assistant Coach, also know as a Team Mom (or Dad). Have the SAC do the little things - hotel bookings, directions to fields, what uniform they are wearing, etc. Much easier to concentrate on coaching when you don't have to give directionst to the field 30 minutes before game time because someone got lost.

And most definitely take GoingDeep's advice on what team you are going to be. Half of the parents may expect wins while the other half just expect something for their Suzy to do on the weekend. Make the team goals clear to the parents AND the players, and fill your roster accordingly. We just finished our 10U sched and DD is so glad to be moving up since she was playing with two 8 YO's and a handful of girls who did not have the same intensity as her. Hopefully, this will just be a 10U problem and will go away as they get older and only more serious players tryout.

 

[RichK]

i've been coaching rec ball since 2003 and recently moved up to coaching travel ball. this fall, i'm spearheading the beginning of a new travel organization in our town.

It * appears * that there is already a travel program in your town (ie, you recently moved up to coaching travel ball).

Then why "spearhead" a new one?

That's my first question. Too many towns have MULTIPLE travel programs that water down player quality and cause unnecessary competition (and tension between girls and families).

If I'm wrong, I apologize, and wish you best of luck. If I'm right, that would be my first question: do you really need to start a new program?

 

[jacketsfan]

I went through this once. Me and another guy started it - him with a 14u team, and me with a 12. Before long (like months), we had a 10, 12, 14, a 16, and an 18.

The benefit was having other teams and coaches to share experiences with and build the brand. The down side, and it was a big one, is that some of these folks (coaches) that we interviewed and checked out turned out to be duds (extremely unknowledgable) or raving lunatics during games. One guy grabbed a player by her facemask and screamed in her earhole as she went back to the dugout after striking out - not tolerated. Another guy failed to read the rules manual, and protested absolutely every single umpire call - not tolerated.

So, harder than growing was downsizing. Some of those people just couldn't be allowed to be in the same uniform, and had to go.

As far as the daddy-ball comments - brace yourself now. In my case, these kids had been with me for a long time in rec ball, and they wanted to move into TB together. Personally, I don't necessarily subscribe to the idea that, just because someone else had the idea to start a team 10 years ago, means I can't start one now, if it's in my players' best interests. In fact, I really tire of that argument, thought it's a very common one.

We didn't really expect to create an organization, it just sort of happened. Quite honestly, it is a heck of a lot of work. To do over again, I might start a team, but I would not start an organization.

Go in with your eyes open. It's a heck of a lot harder than it looks.

 

[Wookie]

I would say that if you have your daughter's best interest in mind that you should NOT be a coach of any kind. Trust me, it's much harder finding time to work with DD when you're a coach as you have to do a whole bunch of little things constantly, one of which is unfortunately keeping parents happy.

 

[Hollyrockartist]

My dd played on a tb team in the fall. We travelled to practices (as most folks do) twice a week, sometimes three. Were in tournaments nearly every weekend. DD rarely got field time. Last tourney of the season, our organization hosted. DD NEVER saw the field, only the bench. Had three "guest players" brought in....when husband asked the coach was the problem was, he clearly stated "I'm here to win, period." Had we, as parents, known on the front end that our dd wasn't going to play, we would have gone another direction with her. All I can say is for you to BE HONEST with your parents. If there is a girl who needs a little extra and you are going to devote the time to getting her to the tb level, make her parents aware. Funny thing about the team dd was on - played in tourneys that were supposed to be "sure wins" (personally, would rather play tougher teams to make girls better). Team didn't do so hot and most certainly didn't make it to the USFA World Series!!! Good luck!