Problem Parent - What Would You Do?

[Ivy's Dad]

Very good point. I had a very strict scorekeeper this year, and I'd bet a couple of parents would be stunned to learn how few real hits their DD actually had.

I'm all for accurate scorekeeping. Some of the strict scorekeepers are not accurate, though, IMO. If the batter touches first base before the ball arrives (if the fielder made a clean stop and throw), it's a hit whether or not 1B catches the ball. With strict scorekeepers, fast runners can be shorted on their hits.

 

[CoogansBluff]

I'm all for accurate scorekeeping. Some of the strict scorekeepers are not accurate, though, IMO. If the batter touches first base before the ball arrives (if the fielder made a clean stop and throw), it's a hit whether or not 1B catches the ball. With strict scorekeepers, fast runners can be shorted on their hits.

Agreed. ... My scorekeeper is not bad about the scenario you described, but she perhaps gives too many errors on balls that barely nick the glove. Another tough one is fielder's choices. Bases loaded, grounder to SS, throw home, safe. Batter may or may not have been safe at 1B. My scorekeeper doesn't give benefit of the doubt often.

But to keep from drifting off the thread subject, I'll add that in a 50-game season and only 75-100 or so at-bats, a player's batting average might swing 25, 50 or even 75 points just on 3-5 plays that could've been scored one way or the other. Then there's the fact that a swinging dribbler might be a hit, and a line shot might be an out. With only 75-100 at-bats, statistics can be a little deceiving.

 

[Momo'sDad]

I keep my own book on each game. I also watch everything that goes on at each practice, but don't get overly concerned with what's happening in the stands. The only trouble I had all season was managing my Team Mom, who kept trying to coach! I took the advice of those who said to give strong consideration to the parents of the players I might select. I got lucky last time, but while it's impossible to predict the future, I believe it's always a good idea to address tough topics 'in the event of' before they become a problem. A coach may not be able to address everything possible scenario in advance, but if there's a general philosophy in place, parents will have a better idea of what to expect

In your case, a general parent meeting is probably a good idea, and even though I'm just a rec coach, I strongly encourage other coaches to keep their own books, because an honest coach will know the different between an error that would've been a hit anyway or a scored hit that was actually an error. We also tend to know whether or not a plate appearance was productive.

 

[rowdy]

gamechanger.io is a pretty good stat program we have used a couple of years. We do publish all stats but don't use them too much outside the coaches meeting. Some girls have good averages, some have a lot of RBI and some do both. No matter how good you get you will always have players below the team average that will be key to your teams success.