What actually do you call the style that Coach Lisle teaches and why do a lot of softball coaches hate it?

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I don’t like his complete stride with open hips then torque hips and bring barrel through at approximately same time. That’s what I got from watching his videos no back leg drive or separation. Seems like he is swinging with the power of his core muscles instead of using lower body combination. Jmho I’m just a rec coach bucket dad.
 

CoachLisle

CoachLisle.com
May 19, 2014
54
18
Santa Clara University
I've had a rule in my coaching career to never ever go on the message boards. I can see now why that was such a good rule as Coronavirus Cabin Fever got me to stumble into here.

I know for many, the label of job-hopping selfish egomaniac will be one I'll wear for a while. A big part of me is deeply hurt by this public impression of me, I'm also aware of criticism that comes with coaching and social media.

If there was ONE thing I could convey to people who don't really know me, it would be that there is ALWAYS another side of the story and that I have always tried to put the needs of my family and student-athletes ahead of my own.

Most won't care, but if you are interested in seeing my career thru the lens of a father of five with a stay at home wife, my hope is that I can move you one inch closer on the empathy spectrum.

My yearly salary totals:
2002 - 2005: Berean Christian HS: $1,500 each year.
Reason left: Offered first college coaching job + my degree

2006: Patten University: $3000 + my degree
Reason left: I was working 40 hour a week graveyards, plus coaching, plus school full-time. It wasn't a long term solution.

2007: St Mary's HS $3500 + $40k teaching job
Reason Left: I was offered my first-ever head coaching college job.

2008: Gallaudet University: $12k coaching + $20/hour Admissions Counselor
Reason left: The job was promised to go to $75K after the season. Budget cuts nixed that and we made the decision to move back home to family. One of the most rewarding years of my career.

2009 - 2010: Ygnacio Valley HS: $1,900 per year +camps/lessons.
Reason left: Ygnacio Valley was a very low-income school without a lot of support. My family was barely making it by and in the summer of 2010, I lost my rental because of it. For 3-4 months I lived out of my car and on friends couches. Was the hardest year of my life.

2011 - 2012: College Park HS: $1,900 per year +camps/lessons
Reason left: The grind of trying to make a living full time hustling coaching, camps, lessons and coaching HS was really hard on my family still. My wife became pregnant with my 3rd kid (we now have 5). I decided to pursue college coaching again.

2013: University of Oregon: Volunteer/Camp $
Reason left: I was paid a total of $900 in my time at Oregon. We moved there with $6,000 saved up and when we left, our family and friends paid our cell phone bill, groceries and even bought us diapers. My father drove a UHaul with all of our stuff down as my family moved in with my in-laws completely broke and jobless.

This was the end of my coaching career. I told my family/friends I was giving it up. They all agreed and said that I should have given up years ago. I got a job at $44k selling payroll at Paychex. It was so very hard but I knew I had to put my family first and my dreams away. That summer, Cal State East Bay (D2) asked if I'd be willing to coach part-time and Paychex allowed me to. My wife allowed me to as long as I didn't quit Paychex. I was offered several D1 full-time paid coaching jobs (UNLV and a few others).

2014: Cal State University - East Bay: $24k
Reason left: I was called the summer of 2014 by the Head Coach at Santa Clara University (D1) and was told that if I volunteered assistant the following year the job would go to $40K plus. I wouldn't have to move and it was an answer to prayer for the Paychex job that I hated.

I was the main speaker at the NFCA Convention for hitting in Dec 2014. The next day I launched a very homemade version of The Hitting Vault. It had some success and I was able to almost make a living from it.

2015: Santa Clara University - Volunteer/Camp $
Reason left: I drove over 3+ hours EVERY day for the year. I made a total of $13,000. And guess what? The position did not go full-time after the year. I think I spent more than $13,000 in gas on the year.

2016: Menlo College - My first "full-time" coaching job after 14 years of coaching
Reason left: I was paid $44k. If you live in the Bay Area, you know that it doesn't even cover rent. I drove over 3+ hours every day for the year and with the cost of living in the Bay Area, we couldn't afford to move any closer. I really really didn't want to leave but we couldn't find a way to make it work for year 2. I begin to really focus on The Hitting Vault and camps/clinics to try to make ends meet.

2017-2018: South Carolina - an incredible opportunity.
Reason left: I posted about this on social media last year. It was a combination of my phone ringing off the hook for head coaching jobs and me buying into my own hype (like an idiot) and chasing some head jobs. But that's only half the reason why I left. Because I love Bev Smith and everything she did for me, the other personal reasons I left will stay in my heart.

2018 - Mizzou Baseball - Volunteer Assistant
Reason left: The ONLY reason I took the Mizzou Baseball Volunteer position was that TWO different SEC Athletic Directors told me that the vote for a 3rd paid assistant was 100% going to pass. 6 months later (nov 2018) I was told by our AD that vote most likely wasn't going to pass. This was a HUGE setback to my family and many others. Another time of me asking God "you sure my calling is coaching?"

2019 - Chicago White Sox - Hitting Strategist
Reason left: I'm not going to get into the details of leaving this job other than saying two things: 1) A quote from a superior when I left "The organization just wasn't ready for you yet, and that's my fault. I'm sorry" and 2) My calling is coaching student-athletes. Working every day to develop athletes both on and off the field and pro-ball didn't allow that.

If you read this far, thank you. Hopefully, that sheds a little light on my crazy career. I've made SO MANY mistakes. Just reading all that back to myself, I'm face-palming myself.

I hope everyone is staying safe during this time and I send my thoughts/prayers to everyone affected by it.

Thanks everyone.
 
Dec 2, 2013
3,410
113
Texas
Thank you for the personal insight into your journey. I know that you care about your players, and coaching in the round ball world is not easy, but it is rewarding. Having a good feeling in your heart doesn't pay the bills. You do what you have to do lead your family, impact and improve players' skill sets and the rest will take care of itself.
 
Jun 13, 2019
30
8
There will always be haters and you cant please everyone. You don't owe anyone an explanation. I will say this though, my DD has benefited greatly from your program. It definitely works for her.
 

CoachLisle

CoachLisle.com
May 19, 2014
54
18
Santa Clara University
i think "Matt's" swing really isn't all that different than most - it's all in HOW he teaches it that sets him apart from others and makes his stuff very useful for me as a coach

I've seen multiple instructors and coaches teaching the same basic swing......for me it's all in the how....

either way I like Matt both as an instructor and as a guy - I've met him a few times, took my two eldest DD's to one of his clinics, they worked with him in a group of 20 and I was there as a coach - and he was great to work with

I appreciate all that Tim. Thank you.
 

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