TB Coaching Question

[02Crush]

I dedicate a ton of my time on and off the field and have for years. I have a job, a family and other responsibilities. I do not get paid. Nor do many of my counterparts. Not sure I agree with paying someone to coach youth sports. Your paycheck would seem to eventually become more important that a players abilities. Do we take the better player or the more affluent family. I know this opens a can or worms but it is an unspoken reality.

 

[Rmc1981]

I dedicate a ton of my time on and off the field and have for years. I have a job, a family and other responsibilities. I do not get paid. Nor do many of my counterparts. Not sure I agree with paying someone to coach youth sports. Your paycheck would seem to eventually become more important that a players abilities. Do we take the better player or the more affluent family. I know this opens a can or worms but it is an unspoken reality.

I hear and agree in great part. For the other guy, this is his job. He gets paid good money from sponsors to develop players. That's his perspective and I'm fine with it. I'm coming from the other side. I love coaching and the game of softball. I don't need a paycheck by any means. A little help with gas now and then would hurt, but I'm not asking for it.

When you say you're not sure if you agree with someone getting paid to coach youth sports, how far do you take that? Is it ok to get paid if you coach for the middle school or the high school, but not ok to coach a 14U or 18U select team that does take time away from your family and job etc? Not saying I disagree with you, just wondering where you draw the line.

As for the question you raised about which player to take...that depends on the scenario. I have a guy who sponsor any girl I felt deserved to be on the team but legitimately did not have the means. Without him, I'd be forced to take the family that can pay OR can raise the money in fundraisers or sponsorships. I want every girl to have a chance, but I personally can't afford to pay their way.

 

[Rooster's Dad]

If your goals and the organization's goals match up then take the money and run the team.

 

[Sweet]

Our coaches are dads. They do not get paid, but the team pays for a shirt to wear to tournaments. Our team does hire professional instuctors who attend a few practices a month. Our players are expected to take (and pay for) private lessons on their own.

 

[PA SB Dad]

Where I live, there is an impression (often a mistaken impression) that expensive = elite and free = not so good. Tutoring is a good example. My DW is a former HS teacher, and was planning to offer tutoring in biology and chemistry to HS students. She was planning to charge $50 per hour. A friend told her she would never get any students to tutor. DW asked if she was charging too much. Her friend told her the opposite, most are charging $100 per hour and have more kids than they know what to do with. Someone charging less is seen as inferior.

This does not necessarily translate to coaching, though I do think it applies in many cases in youth sports, particularly in travel soccer and baseball. In RMC's case, the guy is trying to build a brand, and that brand is that you get access to superior coaching for a price regardless of "talent" (this may be a bit harsh, I'm sorry). I don't necessarily see anything wrong with it, as private instructors do the same thing. We have had many discussions in the Pitching forum about "good" and "bad" PCs, and they all get paid. At the end of the day, it is the parents' decision what they are willing to pay for and what results they expect. I think most kids (I am not talking about "elite players") will improve to a degree when they just have someone to play with, whether that is a parent, coach, or another player. It is just a matter of deciding whether the parent has time, the kid has other kids in the area to practice with, or if paying a coach to teach is worth it.

 

[coach james]

As a tb coach I usually get hit with the extra expenses from where others have fallen short. I cant disclose that amount for fear my wife may read this... I do it because I love the kids and the game, but we as coaches will usually pay on average twice as much per year than our players.

 

[02Crush]

When I say youth sports I am talking about 10U & 12U. I suppose I could see certain scenarios where at age 13 and up you could need to settle in with paying someone. However paying does not mean better. There are a TON of great coaches who get little to no recognition and in many cases do not want it. No Pay. No Reimbursement. And to make things better....they pay for the privilege through over investment in equipment and players. Sometimes when a family is short and having a player who is a part of the family play can mean covering for her...and they do that too.

I have yet to see an organization return what it promises in college opportunity around here. Yet it is promised everyday. What I see are parents willing to spend the time and money that do not realize they are doing all the work to ensure this oppoortunity. Somehow being a part of an organization adds confort I suppose. But at the end of the day it is the player and parents determination that will give a player an chance at college. Not the organization. The org does not pay for those lessons, the gas, the time in the yard, the letters written by the player, the camps to get the players name out there and exposure to new thinking of the game. I could go on and on. In the end, play where you are welcome, your player gets time on the field and enjoys themselves. Playing reps matters. School/Grades matter. You doing the heavy lifting to give your player a chance at college ball matters. This is of course assuming your DD wants this. m2c

 

[MNFastpitchDad]

I coach a 14U travel team (DD on the team). Organization offers all HC a $2500 salary for HC & Assistants to be paid out as the HC sees fit. I donate 100% of the money back to the team with extra tournaments, buying team sweatshirts, sox, pizza, needed equipment, training facility rentals, etc. Most of the coaches within the program do it the same way, although some do use a portion of it to pay for their daughter's registration costs.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

Not only do I not get paid but like many other coaches I end up paying for little things that add up to quite a bit over the season. You won't hear me complain though, we are talking about teaching a game to children.

What's even more interesting is the fees that people charge for private hitting and pitching lessons...

 

[Phathead]

Larger Orgs the head coach gets paid, if they have a child, those fees are usually waved. Asst coaches get some sort of % discount on fees.

Mom @ Pop teams the coaches get no discounts. Matter of fact most HC wind up paying much more out of pocket for the "little" things that are needed. Covering a player's tournament fees if the parents are $$ short, last minute stops for replacing/repairing equipment for prac/games, some kid runs out of food/drink money at tourneys, extra gas picking up kids for prac/games, covering cost of pick up player ( if needed ), etc.

I am the same. I have rented facility for some practices, I usually come up short on repayment for tourny entry fee split by team, etc. I have never once felt short changed cause I do enjoy doing it.