Syracuse.com Survey of Coaches

[CoachKevin]

What if both have worked hard to develop their skill? Sometimes a lesser skilled player has actually worked harder. Are you rewarding the more skilled, or the harder worker?

That's a good question. I'm not a HS Coach, but have been around our HS program a lot. There are several factors that should come into consideration when looking at a Sr vs a lower class grade playing time. Have both players attended everything (winter workouts, weight room, fundraising, ect)? If both players have attended and committed the same amount of time, I would probably split time with the two. I am not in the opinion that just because you are a Sr, you automatically get a free ride. When you go to College... There is always somebody better than you in whatever you do.

 

[Tatonka]

What if both have worked hard to develop their skill? Sometimes a lesser skilled player has actually worked harder. Are you rewarding the more skilled, or the harder worker?

So really, how hard is it to give everyone some love and let them each play some innings throughout the season? Many schools throughout the country can barely field a complete team, let alone Varsity, JV, Freshmen level teams. Be active with your subs...don't make a kid practice everyday, dress for the game, leave school early and miss classes, ride the bus, carry the equipment, etc., and then have them sit through entire games while (often a blow out one way or another) while some other kid is on the field just because they are a senior. How does that build a successful program? Or to treat a JV/Freshman team as second class and force them to miss tourneys/games because Varsity may need a back up [player to ride the pine. O schedule games against the weakest competition you can find and then just try to run up the score in a totally classless way? Have coaches that won't even show up for scheduled practices? Schedule games vs other schools that don't even have teams? Not bother keeping a score book when you do play? And on & on. But I suppose that asking those questions isn't PC or indicates a helicopter parenting mentality (sarcasm font enabled for those who need to have it pointed out). Again, if you have a great program/good coach...fantastic, good for you. If not and softball is important to your kids and they really want to have a chance to play for their school and with their friends it's a bitter pill to swallow and sit idly on the sidelines. Four years goes by fast.

 

[schwabach]

So really, how hard is it to give everyone some love and let them each play some innings throughout the season? Many schools throughout the country can barely field a complete team, let alone Varsity, JV, Freshmen level teams. Be active with your subs...don't make a kid practice everyday, dress for the game, leave school early and miss classes, ride the bus, carry the equipment, etc., and then have them sit through entire games while (often a blow out one way or another) while some other kid is on the field just because they are a senior. How does that build a successful program? Or to treat a JV/Freshman team as second class and force them to miss tourneys/games because Varsity may need a back up [player to ride the pine. O schedule games against the weakest competition you can find and then just try to run up the score in a totally classless way? Have coaches that won't even show up for scheduled practices? Schedule games vs other schools that don't even have teams? Not bother keeping a score book when you do play? And on & on. But I suppose that asking those questions isn't PC or indicates a helicopter parenting mentality (sarcasm font enabled for those who need to have it pointed out). Again, if you have a great program/good coach...fantastic, good for you. If not and softball is important to your kids and they really want to have a chance to play for their school and with their friends it's a bitter pill to swallow and sit idly on the sidelines. Four years goes by fast.

During tryouts, the HS coach needs to make the hard decisions regarding who to put of the roster. What he should not do is maintain an overly large roster in effort to keep people happy. And, unless there are very large skills differentials, seniors who played varsity as juniors should be on the roster.

Once you have rosters much larger than around 12, you are setting yourself up for unhappy players. Having said, that, I do think that the coach should make strong efforts to give everybody on the roster some playing time.

Beyond that, the coach needs to read the school environment. Some schools are more competitive than others and putting winning above seniority. At other schools, the seniority is somewhat more important.

 

[Softball scholar]

So really, how hard is it to give everyone some love and let them each play some innings throughout the season? Many schools throughout the country can barely field a complete team, let alone Varsity, JV, Freshmen level teams. Be active with your subs...don't make a kid practice everyday, dress for the game, leave school early and miss classes, ride the bus, carry the equipment, etc., and then have them sit through entire games while (often a blow out one way or another) while some other kid is on the field just because they are a senior. How does that build a successful program? Or to treat a JV/Freshman team as second class and force them to miss tourneys/games because Varsity may need a back up [player to ride the pine. O schedule games against the weakest competition you can find and then just try to run up the score in a totally classless way? Have coaches that won't even show up for scheduled practices? Schedule games vs other schools that don't even have teams? Not bother keeping a score book when you do play? And on & on. But I suppose that asking those questions isn't PC or indicates a helicopter parenting mentality (sarcasm font enabled for those who need to have it pointed out). Again, if you have a great program/good coach...fantastic, good for you. If not and softball is important to your kids and they really want to have a chance to play for their school and with their friends it's a bitter pill to swallow and sit idly on the sidelines. Four years goes by fast.

That's always a tough thing about softball is judging talent and skills including intangible skills. Its very subjective and you always have differing opinions. Sometimes coaches weigh the value of different skills. For example a freshman might appear to be a better fielder or hitter or pitcher, but the coach might have worked with Sr. for more time and trusts the Sr. in pressure moments or maybe likes the SRs leadership skills. A good coach has the ability to get more people involved, and can communicate and be transparent as to why they're making playing time decision. This goes for travel and HS ball.

 

[CoogansBluff]

I'm in the minority on this, as proven by previous discussions on this board, but I don't object to coaches rewarding seniority to a point. I don't have a problem starting a senior over a slightly more skilled freshman if the on-field consequences are fairly inconsequential. Is it likely to cost us a championship? Or maybe just 1 game? If it's not going to make a hill of beans, then a 1-year starter and a 3-year starter might serve kids and the team better than a 0-year starter and a 4-year starter. You might have better morale and motivation and win more in the long run.

 

[CoogansBluff]

Beyond that, the coach needs to read the school environment. Some schools are more competitive than others and putting winning above seniority. At other schools, the seniority is somewhat more important.

Good point. I agree. One of the problems with discussing HS sports is that all programs are so different in their resources, their talent, etc. You wouldn't coach them all the same.

 

[Snotbubbles]

A good coach puts the best team on the field. What's your point?

My point is that sometimes the skill of a player isn't the only contribution that a coach should consider. Sometimes there are players that are "heart and soul/glue" types. You see it a lot in sports, teams that have high turnover sometimes struggle and teams that spend a long time together have a bond. Sometimes, inserting a player into the mix destroys the chemistry that a team has.

 

[schwabach]

My point is that sometimes the skill of a player isn't the only contribution that a coach should consider. Sometimes there are players that are "heart and soul/glue" types. You see it a lot in sports, teams that have high turnover sometimes struggle and teams that spend a long time together have a bond. Sometimes, inserting a player into the mix destroys the chemistry that a team has.

That's a really good point. The best softball team my DD played on was the one with the best chemistry. We played in a weekday summer league with few weekend tournaments and ended the season one game above .500. But for the league championship, these girls were firing on all cylinders and we won.

And with the exception of a couple of bad losses, you couldn't tell from the dugout if they were winning or losing because they were always having fun.

 

[MTR]

Even if it was a senior and the better player was a freshman?

I don't know if you can see where I'm going with this but this might be that seniors last year to play organized softball. Where the freshman has another 3 years to play.

IOW, when the failing student spends more than one year in a class, you pass her simply because she has been there longer than the other students.

 

[MTR]

My point is that sometimes the skill of a player isn't the only contribution that a coach should consider. Sometimes there are players that are "heart and soul/glue" types. You see it a lot in sports, teams that have high turnover sometimes struggle and teams that spend a long time together have a bond. Sometimes, inserting a player into the mix destroys the chemistry that a team has.

Okay, on the other side of the coin, where is the incentive for the underclassmen to, at least, make the effort to improve