Tryouts

[texasheat]

So you keep girls even if they are not prepared for this level of ball - no matter what?

Ahhh, answer a question with a question. I'll make deal with you. Answer my question first and then I'll answer yours. Mine, that you haven't answered yet, was "Why do you coach?"


Now lets be honest. It's obvious that you didn't truly want an answer to your question, you just wanted other people to validate your feelings. Every time someone answers it differently than you like, you question it!1 Carry on and cut them. Good luck to your team. But I am still interested in your answer to my question.

 

[TXJames44]

Ahhh, answer a question with a question. I'll make deal with you. Answer my question first and then I'll answer yours. Mine, that you haven't answered yet, was "Why do you coach?"


Now lets be honest. It's obvious that you didn't truly want an answer to your question, you just wanted other people to validate your feelings. Every time someone answers it differently than you like, you question it!1 Carry on and cut them. Good luck to your team. But I am still interested in your answer to my question.

I ask questions because I like to understand the “why” behind things. I always like to dig deeper. As a Coach and as a business owner, that is a trait that has helped me a lot. Not one time did I disagree, I just asked for more info. In fact, I have taken all advice into account.

Now onto your question......why do I coach?

I coach for many reasons. Growing up I played A LOT of different sports at decently high levels. I reflect back on the impact a good coach has on you, and the negative impact a bad coach can have as well. I want to bring my experience and passion to the kids to help have a positive impact on them as athletes and people. I believe that sports can mirror real life and what you learn now can have a positive impact on your future. I still today take lessons I learned in sports and apply them to real life. Providing kids with positive role models can have a lasting impact. My goal is to help them grow as athletes and young ladies. Teaching them hard work, attitude matters, competitiveness, empathy, and how to deal with winning and losing (and many more things). I coach for a lot of reasons. I have coached different sports from 4yo to HS, but this age (12u) has new and different challenges.

I have also learned that my philosophy going into the season did not align with the thinking of girls at this age. My philosophy was development and growth. The girls followed that philosophy and have been working their butts off. And guess what happened???? They started to have success and as they tasted success, they wanted to win. I put zero emphasis on chasing $4 plastic trophies, but earning a 1st place trophy with hard work looks different through the eyes of 11/12 yo kids. Each girl on the team has individual goals for growth and improvement this season, but come tournament time, the goal switches to a team focused goal of winning. I tell them that my goal is that we compete hard with 100% effort, but they want to win. Their enthusiasm and focus is contagious. Win or lose, we try our best and have fun doing it. In fact, we get 1-2 requests per week asking about tryouts because we have such a fun group. Other kids/parents want to play for us.

 

[texasheat]

Your reasons for coaching do not seem to line up with the type of coach that would cut players on a class B team. It is your team, your philosophy. Why would you let the girls on the team determine your philosophy? Sure they want to win, who doesn't, but it's about priority. I didn't see winning as a reason for you coaching so why would you make it one for the girls' sake? Do you think an 11 year old girl has better grasp of the proper philosophy than you do?

 

[Fastpitch_Dad]

Your reasons for coaching do not seem to line up with the type of coach that would cut players on a class B team. It is your team, your philosophy. Why would you let the girls on the team determine your philosophy? Sure they want to win, who doesn't, but it's about priority. I didn't see winning as a reason for you coaching so why would you make it one for the girls' sake? Do you think an 11 year old girl has better grasp of the proper philosophy than you do?

Wow. The guy is trying to figure out it or justify a decision already made or something but does that make a difference to any of us?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[TXJames44]

Your reasons for coaching do not seem to line up with the type of coach that would cut players on a class B team. It is your team, your philosophy. Why would you let the girls on the team determine your philosophy? Sure they want to win, who doesn't, but it's about priority. I didn't see winning as a reason for you coaching so why would you make it one for the girls' sake? Do you think an 11 year old girl has better grasp of the proper philosophy than you do?

I never said that the girls determined my philosophy or that it has changed. Winning or losing is just an outcome, and not a philosophy. Our philosophy has never changed, but the team buying into it has produced a better outcome than anticipated. Development/growth and winning does not have to be mutually exclusive.

Also, I never said I was going to cut anyone. I was simply looking for ideas on what other coaches do. If I was going to cut players, I would have made that move months ago.

 

[texasheat]

Well you keep asking questions about the players that are at the bottom of the roster, in a way that indicates you are not happy with the responses that have said to keep them on the team.

When you ask "Should they be included “just because”? " and when people respond YES, you follow up with "So you keep girls even if they are not prepared for this level of ball - no matter what? ", it's seems as though you are fishing for an answer that lines up more with what is in your mind. Because the question you are asking has already been answered once.

If your philosophy is actually what you said it was, winning is not the goal, so why not keep the girls you keep asking about?

 

[TXJames44]

Well you keep asking questions about the players that are at the bottom of the roster, in a way that indicates you are not happy with the responses that have said to keep them on the team.

When you ask "Should they be included “just because”? " and when people respond YES, you follow up with "So you keep girls even if they are not prepared for this level of ball - no matter what? ", it's seems as though you are fishing for an answer that lines up more with what is in your mind. Because the question you are asking has already been answered once.

If your philosophy is actually what you said it was, winning is not the goal, so why not keep the girls you keep asking about?

I’m not fishing for an answer to validate my decision. As I said, keeping the girls is my focus. I’m more curious if anyone has a counterargument. When is cutting a kid a good thing? Maybe never, but at what point are you actually helping them by letting them go? I’ve been cut by teams in various sports, and it made me stronger and better. Other kids might give up and quit. Sometimes a little tough love might be the right answer. Again, not saying that is what I would do, but I am curious.

 

[texasheat]

I’m not fishing for an answer to validate my decision. As I said, keeping the girls is my focus. I’m more curious if anyone has a counterargument. When is cutting a kid a good thing? Maybe never, but at what point are you actually helping them by letting them go? I’ve been cut by teams in various sports, and it made me stronger and better. Other kids might give up and quit. Sometimes a little tough love might be the right answer. Again, not saying that is what I would do, but I am curious.

I think at certain levels, cuts are fine. But B class is a developmental level so if kids aren't at that level yet, coach them up there. It can be done in this sport. You can turn a player into a B Class player with reps. You can't make them a true A Class player, but you can get them to the B Class level. Even the worst of athletes can be coached up to the B Class level.

 

[uncdrew]

So you have a player on your B team who is decent. You have a new girl come to try-outs who is better than that girl at hitting, better at the position she mainly plays, and parents who seem better and more helpful.

Hmmm...

 

[coachje]

Does anyone have a player commitment letter they have received or sent? Something I could send to my team for the fall.