Coaching in a Chinese fire drill!

[Coach Al]

This is my first year back in this organization in 16 years and I am in 9u. Last year I coached in another organization an didn't care for the way things were run by the board and decided to go back home. Unfortunately, not enough girls signed up and I couldn't get my own team. so I am helping on a team run by a wife and husband. They have no sense of organization, they are nice people, but the team is a mess. We had no parents meeting, even though I suggested it. Because of this the parents have nothing to go by. We started with 11 girls and were looking for 1 additional girl. We have had no more than 7 girls at any practice and never know who will show up, they never call. Kids drift in for practice up to 15 minutes late and nothing is said. All I can do is advise them, but they are not receptive. We lost another girl last week who decided she doesn't want to play, I think the parent just signed her up without asking her. With 10 girls we are in real danger of forfeiting games with vacations and the fact that 1 girls comes in late on Wednesdays for religious reasons. This isn't easy, but I am keeping my mouth shut and going through the motions. I hope I don't sound arrogant but I have been around and I know this is going to be a disaster!

 

[redhotcoach]

Al, I think you are just going to have to write this season off and enjoy it for what you get. Then next season do everything you can to get your own team. I know some of us do not make good assistant coaches. Sure you can play the role, but it eats you up inside. Sometimes I wish I could quit work and coach all of my kid's teams. Right now it is my 7 yr dd's team that gets to me. Coach has only scheduled a few practices, then he cancelled half of those. I was able to watch one of the practices, what a joke. I mean take an hour, research a good practice, and plan it out...just a little bit. I may over email parents a bit, but this guy doesn't email anything. Two weeks ago game was rained out...league emailed parents about an hour before game, but he didn't try to contact anyone to make sure they knew.
New coaches can know absolutely nothing about softball before a season and end up good. Read a book! Look on the net! Learn something and teach it to the girls! Put a little effort into it.

 

[Coach Al]

Al, I think you are just going to have to write this season off and enjoy it for what you get. Then next season do everything you can to get your own team. I know some of us do not make good assistant coaches. Sure you can play the role, but it eats you up inside. Sometimes I wish I could quit work and coach all of my kid's teams. Right now it is my 7 yr dd's team that gets to me. Coach has only scheduled a few practices, then he cancelled half of those. I was able to watch one of the practices, what a joke. I mean take an hour, research a good practice, and plan it out...just a little bit. I may over email parents a bit, but this guy doesn't email anything. Two weeks ago game was rained out...league emailed parents about an hour before game, but he didn't try to contact anyone to make sure they knew.
New coaches can know absolutely nothing about softball before a season and end up good. Read a book! Look on the net! Learn something and teach it to the girls! Put a little effort into it.

Basically, I have written it off. I will try working with my DGD and get her better and hope I don't have this problem next year. I was the driving force that created the girls program in this organization in 1990 with high hopes. Unfortunately many people have low and short term goals.

 

[druer]

Don't take this the wrong way, I'm just trying to challenge you not condemn you ... I'm pretty shocked by your quickness to dismiss considering your signature line. If you are aiming high you don't give up just because someone else is aiming low: If the coach didn't want to have a "parents meeting" to start the season no problem. You could have had a bar-b-que and invited the other parents and coaches instead. Odds are good that conversation would have turned to softball at some point during the evening. A player arriving late for remaining firm to their beliefs is a great thing. There are way to many folks that turn their back on 1 commitment for another, so take it upon yourself to try and bring her up to speed when she does arrive. If a player didn't want to play, be thankful that the parents have finally allowed her to get out of something that they wanted but she didn't. Come up with a list of team communication/fun games that you can play 10 minutes before practice starts to make the players want to show up early instead of arriving late. Lot's of things you can do with or without the coaches "permission" when you are aiming high, instead of giving up because others are setting the bar low.

Instead of writing these folks off, try and persuade parents to cough up the money to send the couple on a retreat that involves a coaching clinic as soon as you can. Whether they are doing a good job or not, they are giving lots of their time for these other parents that provides them the chance to have "alone" so convince them that giving the coaches "alone" time is the right thing to do. That just may benefit you next year when you do coach, as they'll give you a retreat. Have someone who's close to them volunteer to keep their daughter for the day/weekend so they have no excuse not to go. If you make it a clinic and retreat like hotel stay with a massage or something it would probably be received much better. In the long run, they will become better coaches and will have you to thank for it. It may not resolve anything this year, but it sends a great message to the parents about what a "team" should be for the future. Walking away and giving up, is something that people do to often. The other parents on your team haven't seen all of the bad things you have in your years, so set a good example for them.

Hope you can turn it around, as it does sound like a bad situation.

 

[Coach Al]

I am appreciate the input. Things have gotten worst. Found out I more girl may not play, no idea why. I had two parents tell me they are at wits end and will talk to the board, in a way I welcome this. It all boils down to a lack of organization skills. Dalton, I know of what you speak. Everything was done except the bar-b-que. I am not quitting, I have too much time and work in this to stop. I might have to find another angle. I made enemies 20 years ago when I started this and I haven't stop doing that. When you change things it seems this is what happens.