Crazy stuff people teach

[starsnuffer]

The only thing an AC can say of value is "Where do you want this bucket, coach?"

-W

 

[DD11]

Watched a coach tell her 2B to roll the ball to first. I had to go for a walk after watching our team roll the ball like a bowling ball.

 

[MsDinosaur]

Good subject for another thread! Dw is telling me I need to BUDGET (her new favorite word) for the kids sports camps. I know Ms. Dinosaur and I guy I work with said Mizzou camps are great.

That's true, redhotcoach. DD loves the MU Tiger Jr camp and loves Coach Earl, lol--can't wait till she's 14(?) and able to go to the camp session for the older girls. An older sister (pitcher) of a teammate went last year and was not only very impressed, but got a lot of personal attention from the pitching coach. They have great facilities and staff and the whole venture appears to be extremely well organized and chock-full of softball instruction.

She's been to a couple of Megan Willis clinics too, and of course, we're supremely lucky to have Chaz here. He does a great job with the girls and teaches the NECC method--which is wonderful, despite what that silly AC thought!

I'd love to take her to the NECC summer camp someday, but New Hampshire is a LONG way away. IMO, I would need for it to be a multi-day residential softball-all-day program (like the MU camp) to make it worth the trip and even then, I'm not sure I could sell it to DH. Budgets, argh! :-D Maybe we could squeeze it in in a few years, if we go out to the east coast to make college visits...

 

[MTR]

Y'all need to remember something, people want to see the players do what the instructor wants, not what may be right or works for the player.

It is no different in umpiring. You can have all the books and manuals in the world, but when it comes to training, it is always "I" want to see this, or "I" want to see you do that, and quite often it is more their version of what should be done instead of what the manual is directing the umpire to do.

I would think it is little to no different on the playing side. Remember, this is a business and these folks are not volunteering their time. At some level, there is some form of remuneration and that is okay. But as you all know, whether a Team USA member, a skills coach or just a head coach of a popular program, in all cases the show needs to remain fresh to make their clinic THE clinic that you must attend if you are going to make the big XYZ team.

Nothing wrong with any of it, just remember when doing things like this, one size doesn't fit all.

 

[tghorley]

Thanks MTR for a very useful post. My DGD started going to a D1 catcher for some additional personal instruction on catching. She is a great small D1 school catcher and DGD has become really good friends with her during the college's camp each summer. BFF's I guess you could say. During the first instruction, it immediately became why do you do it that way? PC and NECC. Later, why do you do it that way? PC and NECC. Who showed you that? PC and NECC. Naturally I had to explain to her what NECC was. After working with my DGD for about an hour letting her do her thing, to her credit she was impressed enough to not change anything except some small refinements. Now she is mainly working on her conditioning, quickness, game awareness, etc. Like MTR said, one shoe does not fit everyone.

 

[Greenmonsters]

Ken's "crazy stuff people teach about hitting" got me thinking about all the other crazy stuff people teach.

Atlantabell made mention toward "not expecting to learn a lot at a college camp." I take it a step farther, don't expect the college coaches know anything. A d1 AC told dd she needed to stop catching "baseball style". She wanted her stance feet under her butt up on her toes. She was commenting something about "daddy's teaching what they think....." (I don't know for sure, she mummbled in a condescending manner). I said she had been to NECC clinic learning, and had to describe what that was (a basically said they train catchers around the U.S everyday of the year), she mumbled something. Few minutes later she complained about something else, I said "thats the way Megan Willis teaches and dd liked." A little later it was something else, and Dd said "I got that from a Megan Willis clinic too." AC mumbled something else and rolled her eyes. I said "what did you say!?" AC said "well it sounds like this money hunter you are taking her to lessons doesn't know what she is talking about." Me: "Megan Willis?" Her: "whoever?" Me:"You don't know who Megan Willis is? Team USA? USSSA Pride National Pro Softball? UT Longhorns? Catches for Cat Osterman?"

I told dd after session "forget everything she just said, there is no baseball vs softball style catching.

Sounds like that's a school that should be crossed of the list of any real catcher as long as that coaching staff is in place.

 

[SoGASoftball]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is NECC? Thanks.

 

[Dabears17]

New England Catching Camp. Their DVD is the best $40 I ever spent.
The New England Catching Camp

 

[redhotcoach]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is NECC? Thanks.

They are having a winter vacation mini camp in Sarasota. Dw asked me yesterday if she could take dd and they could stay at her friends house.

 

[Greenmonsters]

They are having a winter vacation mini camp in Sarasota. Dw asked me yesterday if she could take dd and they could stay at her friends house.

Your DD won't find better than NECC. You, on the other hand, outplayed by DW! Ask nicely and they may let you join them.