Parent and Player Question

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Sep 3, 2015
14
0
My team was recently eliminated from the playoffs and during our final game we were leading 2 to 1 going to the last inning and we were the visiting team. With one out and a runner on third I changed my pitcher. the new pitcher gets the 2nd out and is one strike away from ending the game before issuing a walk. Both runners score on the next hit and we lose 3 to 2. The mother of the pitcher takes her daughter from the team before we meet as a team and states that I should have never pitched her in the game because it was too much pressure. This girl is eligible to be on the team next season. How should I address this? With the player or parents or both. I'm a 2nd year coach, btw. Coach M.
 
Jun 11, 2013
2,619
113
I would address it, but not together. The kid needs to know that you put her in because you believe in her. Make sure she knows she didn't lose the game, the team did. The parent on the other hand I would tell her that it's not acceptable what she did. She may pull her anyway, but if you have any chance to make the kid feel better do it. She has to live with this mother all of her life so she deserves a break.
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
Just about anyone can pitch with an 8 run lead....but the cream rises to the top when the game is on the line and every pitch is critical!
 
Dec 19, 2012
1,428
0
I wouldn't address it at all. It was a coaching decision. Do you address to parents all coaching decisions you make? You must have had a reason why you replaced pitchers otherwise you would not have done it. The mother claiming it was too much pressure for her daughter is a bunch of bullcrap and is nothing more than an excuse for her daughter allowing the winning run cross the plate. If her daughter finished the game with a save you would have never heard anything pertaining to pressure; you would have heard how her daughter was calm, cool, and collected with ice water running through her veins.
 
Sep 3, 2015
14
0
I changed pitchers because our starter had ran out of gas. This pitcher had come into many games this season and gotten us out of trouble. I seriously doubt I would've heard anything if her daughter would've got the final out and we won. I wasn't planning on addressing it just wasn't sure if I should. I told everyone else on the team that it was a team loss me included not anyone individually. Thanks for the insight so far.
 
Jul 16, 2008
1,520
48
Oregon
I wouldn't address it at all. It was a coaching decision. Do you address to parents all coaching decisions you make? You must have had a reason why you replaced pitchers otherwise you would not have done it. The mother claiming it was too much pressure for her daughter is a bunch of bullcrap and is nothing more than an excuse for her daughter allowing the winning run cross the plate. If her daughter finished the game with a save you would have never heard anything pertaining to pressure; you would have heard how her daughter was calm, cool, and collected with ice water running through her veins.

I would say yes and no... I do believe you need to address the parent about taking her DD away from the team meeting. This is unacceptable. I agree I wouldn't address the coaching decision with the parent at all, but I would talk to the pitcher and let her know you believe in her, that is why you put her in. And you still believe in her and would do the same thing again. Bottom line, the team didn't score enough runs.

Question to you though. You had a 1st and 3rd situation with 2 outs. Did you just allow the runner to go to 2nd uncontested?
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
I would talk to my pitcher and confirm my confidence in her....in the open...in front of the whole team. I wouldn't address the issue with the parent unless the parent brought the issue to me.
 
Jun 12, 2015
3,848
83
From a coaching perspective I have no idea what you should do. As the mom of a pitcher that just seems so strange to me. First of all, I'm not often going to complain about my kid getting put in to pitch. I mean, sure, if it's her 4th game of the weekend or something but in general, no. If the coach puts my daughter into a high pressure situation like that I'm happy he has that faith in her. Secondly, it is my opinion that of all the players on the field, the pitcher must have the thickest skin. The position requires a mental toughness, being in the literal center of everything often with the game hinging on what you (and your catcher of course!) do. If mommy's little snowflake can't handle it perhaps she's not a pitcher (but I do agree, it's probably more that SHE couldn't handle it, not the player).
 
Aug 29, 2011
2,581
83
NorCal
Sounds like the parent will very quickly get the reputation as "that parent".

Which is a shame because she sounds like a kid that has potential if you felt you could call on her in the last inning of a playoff game to try and protect a 1 run lead.
 

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