When success shows up....

[radness]

This is where the coach communicating what they are seeing, and the reasons why what the kid is doing won't work at current level, along with the parent knowing enough to understand the argument put forth and whether or not it makes sense, are important. Contrary to the narrative hinted at , there are some people/parents who have never coached who have been around the game their whole lives or who have taught themselves the game once their kid got involved, who know what is going on...

Add...
Talent / success showing up is a great thing to develop.
That communication point is excellent and perhaps critical!
That should be part of a decision to join team or not.
Not just change what your doing for each tryout. No No!
IMO Tryouts should be for players to show a coach what they can do first!
Unfortunetly just because someone is a coach doesnt mean they know what there doing, or what the next level is about. Brings up good point cannonball made....
GO WATCH UPPER LEVEL SUCCESS AND LEARN ABOUT IT!

Since so many people do have instructors. Also tend to have multiple coaches throughout sb....
it seems justifiable to be able to ask why change with an answer from coach.

 

[CoachJD]

I envy the coach who has so much talent that he or she has the time to tinker with their most successful players.

 

[Jdaddy]

I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned this here, but DD has never gone to a private instructor in her life. At 10-12U played for a great coach who taught her fundamentals, catching and a lot of situational stuff. During this time I found DFP. I started asking questions. A long time member here befriended and me and helped me understand some of the intricacies of a high level swing. He even went so far as to make an instructional video for DD. I really dove in to learning all I could about hitting and catching, so I could separate good instruction from bad.

DD Went to a national org in 14’s where a former teammate had went the year before. My first question was “How’s the coaching?” The HC had been an AC for TN Mojo ‘21 (his youngest played there) and the AC had been with Frost Falcons. They were both from proven organizations, knew how to run a quality practice and made kids better. We had a very successful summer for a first year 14U.

There was a coaching change, not for lack of success, but because the powers that be decided to give that team to very prominent name in softball. Another good coach, but it just left a bad taste. Five families left that team before tryouts. Second year 14’s never mind, big mistake, lol. I ended up helping coach a team that fall once this team imploded after the summer season, just to keep the girls playing.

DD had several opportunities to go back to national organizations, but she decided around the time that her goal was not to play D1 ball and trips to Colorado and Cali would be a waste of money. However, she ended up playing on a talented regional 18U team full of committed ‘17 and ‘18 grads along with two other uncommitted ‘19s. The reason we made this jump at such a critical recruiting time was again coaching. The co-head coaches had been to, or won HS state titles multiple times and had decades of coaching experience.

My point being, after DD playing for a really good coach at 10U, I realized the value in good coaching and playing for teams that actually practiced well. That was always the number one priority in choosing a team. Could DD have been better spending thousands on lessons, maybe, but it’s not the only way to be successful in softball. Or at least it didn’t used to be.

 

[Westwind]

“Recruit .400 hitters and leave them alone”. -Warren Buffett

“First do no harm.” -Hippocrates 370 BC

My favorite quote. "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown" Luke 4:24

I used to do quite bit if instructing at conferences and seminars. The guy that was my mentor always said “You are not an expert until you are more than 100 miles from home”. I thought it was merely a cute sentiment until I found out how true it is.

 

[MikeP]

My DD, while only 10 (12U), hasn't gone to any private instructors either. Then again she hasn't learned much of anything skillwise from her official coaches. From what I have seen on the field (albeit I am not privy to what goes on in practices for other teams) , at the younger levels at least, around here the TB coaches are garbage for the most part. DD's org has a "Ponzi scheme" going where if you want to get decent skill instruction(fielding at least, I have watched them teach hitting/throwing and it leaves a lot to be desired imo) you have to pay for camps put on by the org head's private company...no thanks. I am looking forward to the time when she has some coaches who know what they are doing..it will make my life a lot easier

Biggest advantage of my DD's org at the moment is the org head gave me the keycode to the indoor facility so I can go hit/field with my kids any time we want to

It sounds like you're in the same boat as us. Having said that, dd landed on a new team last fall with an awesome head coach. She has coached at 2 D1 schools and it shows compared to what we are used to. She will have a tough decision after this summer as to weather to stay with this team or go and it will be mostly dd's decision. There are several factors that will probably make her want to move on, but maybe not since she really likes coach. Our biggest problem will be the fact that there are only a couple of local options that are legit A or B level teams. At what age do you bite the bullet and resign yourself to driving 1 1/2-2 hours to tryout for higher level teams? She will move up to 12u in the fall and that was always our agreed upon age, but dang that's a lot of driving This is definitely a C level team at the moment and I don't see us getting a ton better.

 

[Jdaddy]

My DD, while only 10 (12U), hasn't gone to any private instructors either. Then again she hasn't learned much of anything skillwise from her official coaches. From what I have seen on the field (albeit I am not privy to what goes on in practices for other teams) , at the younger levels at least, around here the TB coaches are garbage for the most part. DD's org has a "Ponzi scheme" going where if you want to get decent skill instruction(fielding at least, I have watched them teach hitting/throwing and it leaves a lot to be desired imo) you have to pay for camps put on by the org head's private company...no thanks. I am looking forward to the time when she has some coaches who know what they are doing..it will make my life a lot easier

Biggest advantage of my DD's org at the moment is the org head gave me the keycode to the indoor facility so I can go hit/field with my kids any time we want to

I know a lot has changed in the past 8-10 years, but DDs first team was not part of an org. We practiced in an old gym on the winter and a ROUGH rec field through the season. Coach would bring his own drag to every practice, lol!

 

[_MIA_]

I know a lot has changed in the past 8-10 years, but DDs first team was not part of an org. We practiced in an old gym on the winter and a ROUGH rec field through the season. Coach would bring his own drag to every practice, lol!

DD played rec 1st too. She moved to TB when she started playing kid pitch.

 

[Jdaddy]

It sounds like you're in the same boat as us. Having said that, dd landed on a new team last fall with an awesome head coach. She has coached at 2 D1 schools and it shows compared to what we are used to. She will have a tough decision after this summer as to weather to stay with this team or go and it will be mostly dd's decision. There are several factors that will probably make her want to move on, but maybe not since she really likes coach. Our biggest problem will be the fact that there are only a couple of local options that are legit A or B level teams. At what age do you bite the bullet and resign yourself to driving 1 1/2-2 hours to tryout for higher level teams? She will move up to 12u in the fall and that was always our agreed upon age, but dang that's a lot of driving This is definitely a C level team at the moment and I don't see us getting a ton better.

Just my opinion, but there’s no need to jump to A until 14U. I would stick with the good coaching as long as your DD is improving.

 

[radness]

I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned this here, but DD has never gone to a private instructor in her life. At 10-12U played for a great coach who taught her fundamentals, catching and a lot of situational stuff. During this time I found DFP. I started asking questions. A long time member here befriended and me and helped me understand some of the intricacies of a high level swing. He even went so far as to make an instructional video for DD. I really dove in to learning all I could about hitting and catching, so I could separate good instruction from bad.

DD Went to a national org in 14’s where a former teammate had went the year before. My first question was “How’s the coaching?” The HC had been an AC for TN Mojo ‘21 (his youngest played there) and the AC had been with Frost Falcons. They were both from proven organizations, knew how to run a quality practice and made kids better. We had a very successful summer for a first year 14U.

There was a coaching change, not for lack of success, but because the powers that be decided to give that team to very prominent name in softball. Another good coach, but it just left a bad taste. Five families left that team before tryouts. Second year 14’s never mind, big mistake, lol. I ended up helping coach a team that fall once this team imploded after the summer season, just to keep the girls playing.

DD had several opportunities to go back to national organizations, but she decided around the time that her goal was not to play D1 ball and trips to Colorado and Cali would be a waste of money. However, she ended up playing on a talented regional 18U team full of committed ‘17 and ‘18 grads along with two other uncommitted ‘19s. The reason we made this jump at such a critical recruiting time was again coaching. The co-head coaches had been to, or won HS state titles multiple times and had decades of coaching experience.

My point being, after DD playing for a really good coach at 10U, I realized the value in good coaching and playing for teams that actually practiced well. That was always the number one priority in choosing a team. Could DD have been better spending thousands on lessons, maybe, but it’s not the only way to be successful in softball. Or at least it didn’t used to be.

Really like these stories of parents paying attention to the dynamic!
What young people can pontentially gain from a team/coach. The value of a situation or not.
Thanks for sharing this!

 

[radness]

My DD, while only 10 (12U), hasn't gone to any private instructors either. Then again she hasn't learned much of anything skillwise from her official coaches. From what I have seen on the field (albeit I am not privy to what goes on in practices for other teams) , at the younger levels at least, around here the TB coaches are garbage for the most part. DD's org has a "Ponzi scheme" going where if you want to get decent skill instruction(fielding at least, I have watched them teach hitting/throwing and it leaves a lot to be desired imo) you have to pay for camps put on by the org head's private company...no thanks. I am looking forward to the time when she has some coaches who know what they are doing..it will make my life a lot easier

Biggest advantage of my DD's org at the moment is the org head gave me the keycode to the indoor facility so I can go hit/field with my kids any time we want to

Like it another story of parent paying attention!