The Saga of Rebuilding a School Program: A parent-coach's journal

[MightyMO]

We were talking during the session and she said "I'm worried, but it's not about my ability. It's about hearing people talk, and the chanting and noise. We really need to work on that soon." We had been talking about it anyway, and I had showed her the Yoko Ono video, which she thought was hilarious but agreed we couldn't play around the other girls..haha.

She told me later that she had let the other stress go. She's not worried about losing or performing badly. She's just chillin now. She just had to do some self talk I guess. The kid has many layers, and it's been good to see her start conquering some of the mental hangups we all get at times.

Be careful about this early on. I talked to my DD a lot when she first started about being even keeled in the circle and not letting things get to her. She eventually got to a point where she was sometimes too even keeled. Almost detached at times.

My daughter is very competitive (she comes by it naturally) and taking that competitiveness out of her sometimes hurt her performance. She's a better pitcher when she pitches with "fire" and it has been hard to get her to show emotion in a positive way since I spent so long hammering on not letting things effect her in the circle.

All of that said, and after 12 years of playing softball, she was telling me that she was pissed during her last high school game because of the opposing student section. They were calling her and the other senior starter by name during their at bats to try and rattle them. She wasn't bothered by them doing that. She was bothered that our student section wasn't being as loud and disruptive.

 

[Northball]

Be careful about this early on. I talked to my DD a lot when she first started about being even keeled in the circle and not letting things get to her. She eventually got to a point where she was sometimes too even keeled. Almost detached at times.

My daughter is very competitive (she comes by it naturally) and taking that competitiveness out of her sometimes hurt her performance. She's a better pitcher when she pitches with "fire" and it has been hard to get her to show emotion in a positive way since I spent so long hammering on not letting things effect her in the circle.

All of that said, and after 12 years of playing softball, she was telling me that she was pissed during her last high school game because of the opposing student section. They were calling her and the other senior starter by name during their at bats to try and rattle them. She wasn't bothered by them doing that. She was bothered that our student section wasn't being as loud and disruptive.

Wow, you have enough fans that you can separate them into sections! Ours are almost all parents and some grandparents. Any students that show are either related to or "interested" in a player. Part of changing the culture is generating buzz and excitement for the fans so they keep coming back to support the girls.
Gotta ask what kind of seating is available for your fans? Just thinking on the fly here whether it is better to have seating that tends to funnel people closer together for a sense of community and makes them more raucous or spread them out so everyone can sit/stand where they prefer and enjoy the game.

 

[PJR202]

Wow, you have enough fans that you can separate them into sections! Ours are almost all parents and some grandparents. Any students that show are either related to or "interested" in a player. Part of changing the culture is generating buzz and excitement for the fans so they keep coming back to support the girls.
Gotta ask what kind of seating is available for your fans? Just thinking on the fly here whether it is better to have seating that tends to funnel people closer together for a sense of community and makes them more raucous or spread them out so everyone can sit/stand where they prefer and enjoy the game.

LOL. I was gonna reply with the same thing. The closest we've ever come to a student section is when the girls' bodyfriends and brothers showed up and took over the small bleachers. They were relentless, even going so far as to comment on the colors of the batters' shoe laces. That night was the first win for what was essentially a brand new HS team.

Most of our fans sit in personal chairs right behind the fence/wall. A typical game is probably 40-50 people. Essentially all parents, with a few player friends sprinkled in there.

 

[MightyMO]

Wow, you have enough fans that you can separate them into sections! Ours are almost all parents and some grandparents. Any students that show are either related to or "interested" in a player. Part of changing the culture is generating buzz and excitement for the fans so they keep coming back to support the girls.
Gotta ask what kind of seating is available for your fans? Just thinking on the fly here whether it is better to have seating that tends to funnel people closer together for a sense of community and makes them more raucous or spread them out so everyone can sit/stand where they prefer and enjoy the game.

Don't get the wrong idea, we are a small school and don't have some big softball stadium.

We have bleachers basically between home plate and the dugout on both the third and first base sides (behind the fence). We have parents and fans that set chairs up behind the fence directly behind home plate, and others that that sit past the dugouts on both sides in their chairs. On good days (good weather, big games, etc) we fill the bleachers pretty well. The "student section" is really just the group of students that sit together on the bleachers.

The game I was referring to was a state playoff game, and the first one in 10 years. And it was on a Saturday. So it was well attended to the point of "standing room only" in some areas.

 

[PJR202]

Don't get the wrong idea, we are a small school and don't have some big softball stadium.

We have bleachers basically between home plate and the dugout on both the third and first base sides (behind the fence). We have parents and fans that set chairs up behind the fence directly behind home plate, and others that that sit past the dugouts on both sides in their chairs. On good days (good weather, big games, etc) we fill the bleachers pretty well. The "student section" is really just the group of students that sit together on the bleachers.

The game I was referring to was a state playoff game, and the first one in 10 years. And it was on a Saturday. So it was well attended to the point of "standing room only" in some areas.

Sounds like our setup. Same layout and individual chair arrangement. School of 450 kids.

 

[PJR202]

Wednesday was official practice #1 for the season. Despite knowing the next three months will be a grind for our household, I'm pretty excited. We're trying to get DD1's last of her 60 hours of driving in so she can get her license. That'll simplify a lot of things for us logistically in the evenings. She only works 3 miles from the house.

I hadn't mentioned this because I don't know who may be reading, but it looks like the HS team may have picked up a pitcher on transfer, and she's very solid. If all works out with the transfer, I expect she'll be the HS ace. Seems to be a pretty solid hitter as well, and a good kid. This could be a complete game changer for the season.

Hitting-wise, HS lost their second and fourth best hitters. Nothing insurmountable, but if things work out for the girls we have, I think the 1 through 6 slots could be pretty solid. The cheerleader homerun bruiser is back, and already yelling at herself for swinging at the high ones. Cracks me up.

DD2 is improving her pitching every session. Starting to hit the spots I put in front of her. She pitched some at-bats Wednesday and did very well. No walks. Even got one to bite on her change-up, whuch made her laugh. It's still rough but is coming along. I think it'll be halfway decent for the start of the season.

DD2's hitting has really come along as well. All that time lifting weights us paying off. Last night at the cage she told me she wants to try contact lenses. I had bugged her abou it some recently but I'd left the subject alone. She said she thinks seeing her glasses frames and mask/helmet frames at the same time could be hindering her some. I tend to agree. I need to get my prescription updated anyway, so I'm making appointments for both of us.

The MS team is looking great. Tons of confidence, great field play, and if the HS transfer works out, out 8th grade HS pitcher will be free to pitch MS games. That would be a huge help because the two I've been working with on the MS team are functional, but still not what I would consider reliable.

MS hitting is loads better. They've worked twice a week since July on all aspects of the game and it really shows. When that 7th grade class gets to HS we could have a very solid program.

 

[MightyMO]

First official practice was yesterday. HS had a few new

Sounds like our setup. Same layout and individual chair arrangement. School of 450 kids.

You're about 4 times our size...

 

[PJR202]

You're about 4 times our size...

Wow. How the hell do you field a team??

 

[Northball]

Don't get the wrong idea, we are a small school and don't have some big softball stadium.

We have bleachers basically between home plate and the dugout on both the third and first base sides (behind the fence). We have parents and fans that set chairs up behind the fence directly behind home plate, and others that that sit past the dugouts on both sides in their chairs. On good days (good weather, big games, etc) we fill the bleachers pretty well. The "student section" is really just the group of students that sit together on the bleachers.

The game I was referring to was a state playoff game, and the first one in 10 years. And it was on a Saturday. So it was well attended to the point of "standing room only" in some areas.

Wow! With your above-mentioned school size, you've got some great support for those kids!

 

[DryHeat]

Wow. How the hell do you field a team??

No kidding.

DD's HS had 900 kids this year......





...in the freshman class.