What kind of team (HS/Travel) would you rather coach?

[Anthony Vertuccio]

1) A super talented team but they have no work effort
2) A semi-talented team with some girls who work very hard and some who don't work hard
3) A team with little talent that works super hard

 

[LTBlazers]

number 3
I have coached all three types and by far number three was the most rewarding and we had the most fun

I also prefer travel over High-School

 

[CoogansBluff]

What age? And how developed is the talent? With #1, are you talking about a group of raw athletes, or players who are already very good but lack any drive to get better?

As long as the kids are respectful and do the basics, like show up to practice and listen, then it wouldn't matter much to me.

The best coaches (not saying that I'm one) embrace whatever challenges that a team presents. It would be fun to inspire the talented team, and to overachieve with the less talented team.

 

[quincy]

#2 will drive you nuts, the other choices are OK.

 

[JAD]

In reality most teams are like #2. There will always be some players who work harder than others, and there will always be some players who are more "gifted" than others. The old saying "hard work beats talent when talent does not work hard" applies....

As a coach the choice is #3. My goal is not to win games, but to provide a positive environment where the girls have fun, improve their skills, and increase their love of the game. Some of the best teams I have coached ended up with losing records. You will also find at the older age groups that no one cares about winning trophies - it is all about improving and getting ready to play at the next level.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

Talent wins more times than it doesn't. Always go with talent for travel ball.

 

[RubberBiscuit]

I pick option 4.

All the others suck equally

 

[33pitchfast]

Number three and that is easy! The 2 worst teams my daughter played for where a couple of the most talented you could put together. NO ONE wanted to be there including me or my daughter. Currently I think there are only 3 of the girls still playing travel, out of the 12. And it is the 3 that looked like they wanted to be there.

 

[Jojo]

I'd like to add;
#4. Just playing for fun.

My DD is a high school coach and she coaches at a private school in a wealthy area. Basically none of the girls have any work ethics, everything is handed to them. They are not playing for college scholarships because their parents will pay for any school they want to attend (if they provide the grades). So they are just playing for fun.

This may be an ideal choice for some coaches, but not my DD. She wants a team that wants to work and improve. She doesn't feel she does her job as a "coach", when they don't want coaching. The other coach for the team is not very knowledgeable about coaching and so he loves it. To each his own.

 

[Little Angels Softball]

If given these choices, I'd take #1 for sure.

I'd only take #2 if #1 were somehow unavailable.

I want no part of #3.