Coaches of top level travel programs

[Fury_Mike]

There are 3 types of coaches as far as I'm aware. There are coaches that work on fundamentals and develop players skills. There are coaches that can recruit the top players and win at the highest levels. Then there is the rare breed of coaches that can do both. I call this a rare breed because in todays' society of wanting and expecting immediate gratification, the parents usually won't let their DD's stick around those teams long enough to see the teams coached by those rare breeds succeed. Believe me, it's not all on them either. The second type of coach is out there heavily recruiting from those teams coached by the first type of coach and the rare breeds coach. The only problem with that is those types that are actively recruiting are always looking for the next best replacement and will cut those that are no longer developing because those coaches don't know how. The players will see little field time or cut at years end or even mid-season. That now puts those players that were cut or saw little PT a year or more behind their peers.

One set of characteristic that I see I nearly all of the “rare breed” and most of the 1st type is that they are non-parent coaches, and very passionate about learning/teaching the game.

 

[Bullseye]

I see coaches of more mid-level programs using either “coach has 30 years of experience” or “coach was a former D1 player” as selling points, etc.

Are there any commonalities in terms of background among coaches of the top National travel teams/programs?

Based on my limited knowledge, it would seem that many if not most top level programs are in fact led by coaches who don’t possess either of those characteristics.

Good coaches don't care about their social media title.

 

[Beeg]

Just b/c a coach played in D1, or even asst. coached in D1, doesn't make her a good coach for younger kids.
I knew of a HC who really knew her stuff. But unfortunately, she just started coaching the younger level, and played her starters 90% of the time in the SAME position. In college, true, that's what you should do, but not at the younger level when these players need developmental time. The starters may be happy with playtime, but there wasn't any attempt to develop them in different positions. The rest of the non-starters got to play 10% of the time. Just b/c she thinks a player should be a 3B doesn't mean the HS or college coach agrees.

 

[radness]

Just b/c a coach played in D1, or even asst. coached in D1, doesn't make her a good coach for younger kids.
I knew of a HC who really knew her stuff. But unfortunately, she just started coaching the younger level, and played her starters 90% of the time in the SAME position. In college, true, that's what you should do, but not at the younger level when these players need developmental time. The starters may be happy with playtime, but there wasn't any attempt to develop them in different positions. The rest of the non-starters got to play 10% of the time. Just b/c she thinks a player should be a 3B doesn't mean the HS or college coach agrees.

Well that same scenario happens with travel ball coaches who never played softball.

 

[Strike2]

One set of characteristic that I see I nearly all of the “rare breed” and most of the 1st type is that they are non-parent coaches, and very passionate about learning/teaching the game.

Hard to generalize. I've seen more than one example of that first type in a parent coach who is extremely passionate about teaching fundamentals. DD's long-time coach was one such example. Someone who definitely marched to the beat of a different drummer, he wasn't as good at marketing / recruiting, but could make most anyone a better player who did what he said. Conversely, I've seen non-parent/younger ex-player coaches who seemed to do little but sit on a bucket and yell...while DD's team beat them.