Boys can coach youth softball

[Momo'sDad]

Momo, my examples above were TB except for the awesome HS coach I mentioned. I have seen a lot of rec coaches in my area (male or female) that are just not good. They do not belong on the field. I'm not saying all rec is bad softball, but in my area it is, period.

I have a good friend that coached as an assistant in a well respected TB club in our area at the 10U level. She now coaches for another TB club in her town. She told me the move was due to the fact the first club was male dominated at every level and they did not want her input on coaching. She is an outstanding coach in my opinion & we now both coach for a 3rd club on different teams & we are lucky to have her. Our GM makes a point to seek out good women coaches & it just makes sense to me. Many times my wife (we coach together) can relate to a problem a kid is having much better than I can. Teaching fundamentals is not a problem for me, but handing an emotional conflict or understanding what is needed to correct the situations is where she can handle the situation with ease. Don't get me wrong, my wife coaches the game & helps run practices. She calls pitches because I believe she is the best one to do it. I don't want you to think she is just there to handle touchy-feely stuff...

For me, one of the most important points of consideration is that we all have the potential to bring something of value to a team environment. In some instances, a person can be a great pitching or hitting instructor, but might be a terrible head coach for any number of reasons. In other cases, someone might be really good at all the on-field stuff, but be unable to organize a uniform order or manage overprotective parents who think their daughter should be batting #1.

To be effective in our jobs as coaches, we need to know our limitations and be able to fill our staffs with others who complement our deficiencies. I don't disbelieve you when you say that your wife is more emotionally in tune with your players than you can be, but I'm not going to agree that a woman will automatically have a better emotional bond with a young girl than any man ever could, because that's not a universal truth.

In yesterday's practice, 2 players got hit with a thrown ball, and 1 player showed early signs of heat exhaustion. Of the 3 girls, the 1 who was a little overheated went to the female coach, 1 who got hit in the fact came to me, and the 1 who got the bloody nose applied direct pressure, ran to the bathroom to handle it herself, and was back on the field in 5 minutes.

3 different players, 3 different situations, 3 different responses.

 

[Lozza]

Why would you have boys coaching if they're playing a different sport? If they play softball that's different, but that's not common in America.

 

[Momo'sDad]

Why would you have boys coaching if they're playing a different sport? If they play softball that's different, but that's not common in America.

Boys = men