Who's Coaching Your Kids??

[Cannonball]

Every year for the last 5 years, we have started the spring season off by offering a coaching clinic for our town rec and TB coaches. We have only had one team/organization send coaches. We offer to allow them to bring players and we will work with those players while the coaches are there. That blows my mind. Interesting enough, many of those who do not attend will approach me later for lessons for their dds. In my lessons, I ask parents to stick around. @mudrunner here on this site is one of the few who actually did stick around. I've always said that my goal is to coach myself out of a job. I think that old age is going to finally do that for me. LOL

 

[radness]

Every year for the last 5 years, we have started the spring season off by offering a coaching clinic for our town rec and TB coaches. We have only had one team/organization send coaches. We offer to allow them to bring players and we will work with those players while the coaches are there. That blows my mind. Interesting enough, many of those who do not attend will approach me later for lessons for their dds. In my lessons, I ask parents to stick around. @mudrunner here on this site is one of the few who actually did stick around. I've always said that my goal is to coach myself out of a job. I think that old age is going to finally do that for me. LOL

Keep up that great effort Cannonball!
It would be nice to read how you run that coaches clinic.
Thanks for sharing that!

 

[Frost033]

As for coaches ... unfortunately NO team ever formed because twelve kids got together and said “We need a coach.” The vast majority formed because a coach said “I need a team.”

Disagree 100%. This is how the team I coach got started, kinda. The team I currently coach, and have coached now for 3 years began as a rec team. The parents got together, didn't want to see their girls thrown back into the rec league draft and scattered the following year and asked me if I would continue coaching. I was honored that they would ask me.

I had never coached travel ball. I had some high school experience and rec league, but travel ball is a whole different animal. I've done a ton of learning, and continue to learn every day how to be a better coach.

I feel like posts like this really stink of elitism. Are my girls A level players? Nope. On a good day they can compete with A and can beat many B teams in any given game, but they are a group of girls who likely wouldn't have joined a travel team and wouldn't have grown to where they are today. I get that there are coaches who suck, I've seen them, but I feel like those are the exception, not the rule. At least in my area.

 

[radness]

Disagree 100%. This is how the team I coach got started, kinda. The team I currently coach, and have coached now for 3 years began as a rec team. The parents got together, didn't want to see their girls thrown back into the rec league draft and scattered the following year and asked me if I would continue coaching. I was honored that they would ask me.

I had never coached travel ball. I had some high school experience and rec league, but travel ball is a whole different animal. I've done a ton of learning, and continue to learn every day how to be a better coach.

I feel like posts like this really stink of elitism. Are my girls A level players? Nope. On a good day they can compete with A and can beat many B teams in any given game, but they are a group of girls who likely wouldn't have joined a travel team and wouldn't have grown to where they are today. I get that there are coaches who suck, I've seen them, but I feel like those are the exception, not the rule. At least in my area.

Why stink of elitism to want to help offer coaches opportunities to learn?????

Btw good to read you educated yourself to learn to coach better!

Question? Would you have utilized a coaching clinic also?
Free from local organization?
Or did you?

I find your post is oddly back- handed...
You yourself needed and took on learning...
For example There are giant organzations that could / should offer assistance to the many volunteer coach efforts.

Recognize re-reading your post that seems you are angry thinking this is a jibe and jab at your efforts.
NO !!!!! This is a discussion to help your efforts!!!!!

Learning and growing are
A GOOD THING !!!!

Thankyou for your effort and involvement in softball!!!!


SOFTBALL

 

[Rolling Hard]

My DD has had under 10 private lessons (4 catching lessons from Turbo) since she started to play. A couple with Darrin Nelson (Sluggers) a couple with Andy Trevino (2 for 1 deal couldn't pass up). Because I have witnessed some pretty bad lessons, I was a little leary going in but found myself impressed. (Got lucky?) And damn right I watched every second of the lesson and asked questions too. Both coaches pick up on or noticed something I hadn't. Took their observations and applied. I guess my point is this: If your DD plays travel ball and you want her to develop it is going to take more than that 4 hour practice on Saturday. Let me put it this way, if your DD is playing travel ball and you do not own a bownet, a bucket of balls, a tee, a glove and have some time to work with her she will be at a disadvantage to those that do. Justin Stone and others have enough free drills and info for parents to use.

As far as coaching goes. You want educated, positive and encouraging coaching. Not stick in the mud, know it all coaches that hollers and discourage. Never choose a team that the coach screams or berates your DD. I am encouraged that this type of coaching is on its way out.

 

[The Man In Blue]

Disagree 100%. This is how the team I coach got started, kinda. The team I currently coach, and have coached now for 3 years began as a rec team. The parents got together, didn't want to see their girls thrown back into the rec league draft and scattered the following year and asked me if I would continue coaching. I was honored that they would ask me.

I had never coached travel ball. I had some high school experience and rec league, but travel ball is a whole different animal. I've done a ton of learning, and continue to learn every day how to be a better coach.

I feel like posts like this really stink of elitism. Are my girls A level players? Nope. On a good day they can compete with A and can beat many B teams in any given game, but they are a group of girls who likely wouldn't have joined a travel team and wouldn't have grown to where they are today. I get that there are coaches who suck, I've seen them, but I feel like those are the exception, not the rule. At least in my area.

Frost, I think we are more on the same page than you realize. It’s not elitism. You had a group of parents ask you to coach based on your experience. What I said is no group of kids ever got together and made that decision.

Your situation is an extremely rare situation in my years of experience. Much more often, a parent gets “drafted” to coach rec. The coach gets attached to the group of kids, has some success, and gets delusions of grandeur: my kids need to play competitive ball!

No, those particular kids don’t. That coach just wants to coach competitive ball (or control his own kid’s experience). Some kids might, but not the entire team of completely random kids that coach received a year or two ago. If a coach wants to want to TRULY coach competitive, put in some work. Make yourself a better coach (@RADcatcher ’s point), get some experience (which you have) with somebody else’s travel team, and then hold tryouts and put together a team.

I’ve seen it too many times. Every year I was in the rec program, I had at least one coach do this. Each team was about 5% of our participants. No team lasted more than a year once they left. One or two of those kids would stay in competitive. One or two would come back. The rest would quit the game because of that coach’s need to satiate his/her ego.

I see it every year in the competitive programs I umpire for. New teams come every year with green parent-coaches. They come to the plate meeting with no line up card. Their players are in the concession stand line when they should be on deck. They show up 15 minutes before game time. They get crushed 22-0 every game. Then fewer and fewer kids even show up each week. By the end of the year, teams have open spots on their schedules because this team can’t show up. But hey, they spent a lot of money, got the cool expensive uniforms the rec league wouldn’t purchase, and the coach is now a “competitive coach”.

 

[Rolling Hard]

Since Frost is using this website there is a good chance he is ahead of most coaches. He is showing an interest in getting better. Not relying on what or how he was taught when he was a kid.

 

[guyonabuffalo]

I LOOK FORWARD TO AN ORGANIZATION WHO DECIDES TRAINING THE COACHES
IS IMPORTANT !!!!

I look forward to one of those as well. Unfortunately they are few and far in between IME.

I was one of those dads who stepped up to coach my daughter's first year 12u travel team. Half of her 10u team aged out so I decided to take that half and find other girls to play. I didn't know exactly what I was doing but I'm a passionate baseball/softball fan and had more in-depth knowledge than most, but I researched and educated myself on areas that my knowledge was lacking. We were part of a larger organization that had other successful teams and the 18u team was a national team. I was excited that I'd get to learn from some of the more experienced coaches but that never happened. They never even asked about how we were doing or if we needed any help with anything, even though I reached out many times. They were happy to collect our sanction fees though.

Fast forward 2.5 years later and we are no longer part of that organization and I am no longer coaching. Most of the girls we had on the team left for another team. First it was the good players that left, then we just couldn't find enough warm bodies to maintain a team. We found DD another team close by and honestly it was probably the best decision we've made.

Do I blame that all on the organization? No, not all of it. Though, it would've been nice to have been able to rub elbows with and pick the brains of some of those that had the experience and success at the higher levels. Training new coaches in an organization would be an awesome thing but sometimes even just making themselves available is a great start.

 

[marriard]

*Good points made in this post marriard!

For discussion will address a couple.

1. There isnt a huge pool of ready made coaches who are missing out.
( Good point. Not a line of knowledged coaches waiting to coach)
Hmmmm?
There is actually a huge pool of self titled coaches who are not missing out.
True many are not ready/knowledged to coach.

2. Coaches are coaches because someone had to step up or wanted to step up.

*This maybe a key to whats going on!
Why do new teams start???...
When there are already so many with tryouts always posted!!
Different scenario's to start a team,
for example,
Ego vs. Good intentions.
____________________
Low quality team experience
can lead to teams splitting up because low development, low success, people get frustrated, coaches cant agree or get along or one right the other is an idiot. Team splits or revolving door players/coaches.
Really tears softball apart.
Because of the density of players and maybe density of the repeated team/coach fallout...finding a season worth staying for can tell is taking a toll on developing players.

*The result is
Many people go to weekly
Fielding clinics
Hitting lessons
Catching clinics or lessons
Pitching lessons of course

*These have taken the place of coaching knowledge.
And in some cases replacing what used to be the role of the coach.
*Unfortunetly % of those that do not do these things are falling behind on the learning/development curve.

Its great everyone gets to play somewhere!!!!
However there is a seperation in talent levels to greater degree.
*Posibly do to greater % playing can see it more.

If players are able to go get educated....and org's offer clinics to pay to go, in some cases mandatory fielding and hitting weekly outside of team practices....
Then why leave coaches out?
Org's make bank on clinics.
Offer coaches free clinic would only help org players be successful. Probably pay to go to clinic people/some coaches would want.

Educate the coaches!
True some may not listen,
(Heck not everyone likes to go to school.)
Others want to learn and grow to be a successful coach!

The organizations know they created this system of
"Bring in anyone who wants to coach a team....
We will make money at our clinics."

I LOOK FORWARD TO AN ORGANIZATION WHO DECIDES TRAINING THE COACHES
IS IMPORTANT !!!!

Even if people think its just
another money grab,
It would be nice to have
TCS , PGF, USA preps. & others offer coaching clinics with seasoned softball coaches teaching.
It could be offered in many states.

LETS GROW SOFTBALL

Our org absolutely coaches our coaches. We have a mentor program for new coaches in the travel program. We have rec clinics all the time. We do a lot. But then that is part of why we have grown fast and been successful. I know of several other programs that do the same.

Our org doesn't exist to make money - it exists to get girls playing the sport. That is why we fought to get rec softball under our control. It would be easy to make it a cash grab, but we invest heavily into our players.

Many of the local sanctions offer something or have offered something coach-wise - sometimes a cash grab, sometimes valuable coaching instruction and sometimes both (or neither) . The local private training org and instructors donate their time to our program (which sure gives them access for new students, but also helps our league widely). Training is there if the coach wants to find it.

You can lead the horse to water....

... and the reality is there is always going to be upper level programs and lower level programs with good coaching or bad. Sports involve playing contests. If someone wins 80% off their games, then someone is losing 80% of theirs. I have met D1 college coaches who shouldn't be allowed to coach t-ball and 12U-B coaches who are the absolute best coaches you will ever find.

I am not saying more shouldn't be done - I just think that you are not looking at a much broader picture of what has and is being done beyond travel.

 

[radness]

Our org absolutely coaches our coaches. We have a mentor program for new coaches in the travel program. We have rec clinics all the time. We do a lot. But then that is part of why we have grown fast and been successful. I know of several other programs that do the same.

Our org doesn't exist to make money - it exists to get girls playing the sport. That is why we fought to get rec softball under our control. It would be easy to make it a cash grab, but we invest heavily into our players.

Many of the local sanctions offer something or have offered something coach-wise - sometimes a cash grab, sometimes valuable coaching instruction and sometimes both (or neither) . The local private training org and instructors donate their time to our program (which sure gives them access for new students, but also helps our league widely). Training is there if the coach wants to find it.

You can lead the horse to water....

... and the reality is there is always going to be upper level programs and lower level programs with good coaching or bad. Sports involve playing contests. If someone wins 80% off their games, then someone is losing 80% of theirs. I have met D1 college coaches who shouldn't be allowed to coach t-ball and 12U-B coaches who are the absolute best coaches you will ever find.

I am not saying more shouldn't be done - I just think that you are not looking at a much broader picture of what has and is being done beyond travel.

Guyonabuffalo & Marriard
Two great posts to read!
Both sharing important differences in your softball experiences!!!
By being completely opposite!!

Pardon Marriad, i deffinetly look at the bigger picture!!!
Do not have a narrow perspective.
Rather take in the big picture and see a need that could grow softball more!!!!

Just to share....
I am involved at multiple age levels with students + following there team experiences. As well knowing the parents who take on coaching and in too many cases the "figure it out on your own" that happens as the organizations do nothing for the coaches.

Example ( one of many)
One org here charges $100 per player mandatory must go to org workout.
X 20 teams
With 12 players per team thats
$24000 dollars.
The coaches have to run stations at the clininic only a few seasoned coaches get paid.

Some of the coaches dont even know how to teach proper or basic skills and just either throw balls or hit grounders. Cant teach correct footwork on fly balls things like that.

IMO this is TERRIBLE!
( not terrible to run a clinic, terrible they offer no instruction to grow coaches)
Any org that will be doing something like this should take atleast one day and run there own coaches thru every station so all coaches can learn what their own players will be doing!!!

Not to put big boots on here,....
Just sharing....
I see and hear because i'm involved in softball and following all sorts of teams and organizations!
Also from what upper level seasoned travel coaches and college coaches are sharing about skill levels.