grumbling, rant, or how do we approach the coach

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

Mar 28, 2014
1,081
113
If it's batting 7th vs. batting 5th, yeah it's not many. And with a smaller highschool schedule, it's not as magnified. I agree to just enjoy the ride on high school ball, as there's so much whackyness with politics and who you know, and coaches not knowing the game as well, etc.


But from #9 to #1 it's a ton. On our travel teams the #1 batter has 96 Plate Appearances and the #9 batter has 68. Who do you want getting 30 more at bats, almost 50% more? The better hitter, that's who. <-- assuming you want to win games.
True but we aren't talking about winning games, we're talking about whether he should go complain to the coach about his daughter's position in the batting order. Big difference.
 
Feb 13, 2021
880
93
MI
Went back and reread the early parts of this thread. There is going to be no more than 1 PA/game difference no matter where you hit in the order, the number of ABs will be different depending on outcomes. The HC has his philosophy of what sort of batter he wants where in the order. IF (capitalized, bolded, italicized) your DD is concerned about the number of the slot she is hitting in, I would approach it first by having HER (without you and/or DW there for moral support, this can just look like you put her up to asking the question) talk to HC about his thoughts about why certain batters hit where in the order. Then clarify her role in the order. If she wants a different role, she then needs to work on that part of her game (contact, power, base stealing, OBP) that will get her into whatever number hole she thinks is best for her. She needs several pieces of info, what role each position in the order fills in the HCs scheme, how she fits into the role she CURRENTLY has, and what she needs to get into the role she WANTS to have.
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
Its better to talk about goals with a coach. Than question things.
 
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113
This has changed tone from the original question a bit. Started with asking for advice on weather to ask the coach for a different role, evolved into people on the the internet discussing how girls they have never met should be coached.
let the coach coach and if she wants a different role in the lineup or the team talk to the coach, he will say yes no or maybe.

Always been my approach as well.

One of my daughters has no problem at all approaching the coach, asking questions, etc. Other one is shy and really doesn't like to do it. However, she got up her courage and asked if she could try 3B some day at practice. We'd been working on it solo for months. She's now the starting 3B.
 
Jun 26, 2019
256
43
True but we aren't talking about winning games, we're talking about whether he should go complain to the coach about his daughter's position in the batting order. Big difference.
I dont see what winning has do with anything other than that a coach may be reluctant to change a lineup while the team is winning. Who cares? Like I said If the player wants a different role the player can ,and should, talk to the coach, but ultimately it is the coaches decision. Some parents have a hard time fully accepting that.

There are plenty of posts on how a lineup should be constructed that really don’t pertain to how she should interact with her coach. Not that that is a problem, i just feel the conversation shifted a bit. The more I read, the more it seems the parent is more concerned with the batting order than they should be, and I am not trying to be insulting or negative when i say that. More like take a deep breath she will be fine if she keeps hitting. Like i said, I do strongly encourage her to ask coach for a little more base running time and less courtesy runners
 
May 6, 2015
2,397
113
like I said initially, big part of my reason to post was to vent. . . accomplished

as to some other points, she did put in the work this past offseason, and improvement was clear, she is now one of the most productive players on team at the plate. nothing changed in the lineup from last fall.
 
Mar 28, 2014
1,081
113
It's fine to get a little frustrated, we all have. No doubt about that. I know you're mainly just venting and that's fine. Would rather you vent to us than go to the coach and vent to him! But the fact is every coach is different and you have to adjust to their methods because it is their team, not yours. There's no doubt that part of being a fan includes analyzing the coach's decisions, whether it be 12u softball or MLB. Just keep it all in perspective. The batting order is not worth fretting about.

So grab a seat and enjoy the games and enjoy watching your DD play. Either that or spend every game frustrated about the uncontrollables like batting orders, lineup rigidity, wind, rain, opponents sand bagging, bad umpires, etc..... which would make for a miserable existence.
 

sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,132
113
Dallas, Texas
It's fine to get a little frustrated, we all have. No doubt about that. I know you're mainly just venting and that's fine...The batting order is not worth fretting about.

So grab a seat and enjoy the games and enjoy watching your DD play. Either that or spend every game frustrated about the uncontrollables like batting orders, lineup rigidity, wind, rain, opponents sand bagging, bad umpires, etc..... which would make for a miserable existence.

That is some really great advice.
 
Apr 26, 2019
222
43
I love this! I've always told my girls if the bottom third of the lineup can get the top of the lineup back to the plate, they'll win a bunch of games!!
#truth

Our bottom third reach base more reliably, through walks or hits, than any other portion of our line up outside out #1 batter.

Having 1 2 or even 3 on base when she she gets to the plate has scored us many runs. As for our #1 batter, well she is on her own. Our #2 hitter inevitably strikes out and same with #3. That said, #3 may and I repeat MAY hit a weak ground ball and be thrown out at first since she is timed with a calendar and not a stop watch.
 

Latest posts

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,468
Members
21,443
Latest member
sstop28
Top