Not sure if he really knows the game?

[fastpitchdad8]

This is what my daughter showed me. This was given to her by one of the seniors on the team. The upper classman said that another player gave it to her a few years back:

----

Do you remember why you play?
or has it been too long?
Is it because you've worked so hard?
Or because you love being part of a team?
Do you love the roar of the crowd?
Or the anxiety before the game?
Do you play because you don't want to let anybody down?
Or do you play because you don't want to let yourself down?
Is it because you love the sound of a perfect hit
Or because you would rather be on this field
Than anywhere else in the world?
SOMEWHERE
Between the athlete you've become
The hours of practice
The teammates who've believed in you
The coaches you've hated
The fans who cheer you on
And the YEARS of blood, sweat, and tears you have put into this spoort
Is the little girl who picked up the ball,
Fell in love with the game,
And never looked back.

Play for her.

------------------------


-W

Thanks for this. Awesome

 

[Out in Left Field]

Duh Nano:

How many parents have played softball? How many parents have coached softball? How many have credentials, background checks, CPR, and the other classes? Has nothing to do with being a parent.

It is being arrogant and thinking you get to punch people or threaten to punch them or be macho on a board. It is not acceptable to b & moan when you don't volunteer or apply to coach.

I have made players cry, although I never yell or abuse; the kids have thin skins sometimes and finding out they are not V material after years of daddy ball rec coaching hits them hard. Emotions are part of the game and the player needs to handle it; she can also go to the AD, counselor, etc. My school has a channel for the kids who feel bullied to use.

Personally, I would have never let a bully coach see me cry when I was in HS. If the parent has an issue go up the chain of command and be the role model for your child.

 

[nanotech14]

Duh Nano:

How many parents have played softball? How many parents have coached softball? How many have credentials, background checks, CPR, and the other classes? Has nothing to do with being a parent.

It is being arrogant and thinking you get to punch people or threaten to punch them or be macho on a board.

I have made players cry, although I never yell or abuse; the kids have thin skins sometimes. Emotions are part of the game and the player needs to handle it; she can also go to the AD. Personally, I would have never let a bully coach see me cry in HS. If the parent has an issue go up the chain of command and be role model for your child.

Duh OILF, I guess just because so many of your post. You seem to act like no parents know more then you. After all your nothing more then a HS coach.

 

[riseball]

Enough with the credentials to coach HS softball! Few if any credentials required have anything to do with softball. I know I coached HS softball. Been there done that. If you can fog a mirror, watch a power point presentation, take a quick quiz, and pass a weak background check, you too can become certified. But that does not mean you are even remotely qualified since even rudimentary knowledge of the game is not a requirement. That much is proven daily on softball fields across our great nation.

 

[SCDad]

Makes me thankful we play for top notch high school coaches. Have no answer to OP ... just thankful.

Where we play almost all the coaching is done behind the scenes ... ONE on ONE ... for no one elses ears. As it should be, in order to win.

My DD has been fortunate enough to win four (4) significant championships in her ball playing life. At 9, at 12, at 14 and at 16 years old. Up to this post I wanted to think it was because of my DD.

After reading this post ... I realized all (4) of the different coaches and teams ... used a one on one style of coaching. Sure bitching a player out in private. But never hearing a public word ... EVER ... about who did what.

Just thankful and blessed for the coaches who have shown the way.

 

[YOCOACH]

Enough with the credentials to coach HS softball! Few if any credentials required have anything to do with softball. I know I coached HS softball. Been there done that. If you can fog a mirror, watch a power point presentation, take a quick quiz, and pass a weak background check, you too can become certified. But that does not mean you are even remotely qualified since even rudimentary knowledge of the game is not a requirement. That much is proven daily on softball fields across our great nation.

I think we have already done this on I don't know how many other threads. No matter the level of play, whether it's rec, TB, MS, HS or College, there are always going to be good coaches and bad coaches. The difference is that in rec and TB, there are always choices to be made and if the family doesn't feel they have a good coach, they can always move teams. In MS and HS ball, most families/players don't have that choice. Those teams are a limited talent pool for the coaches and a limited talent pool for the coaching staff as well. In many areas of the country, the coaches are teachers. Some know the game intimately and some don't. Just because they are teachers doesn't mean that they don't know anything. Then again, it doesn't mean that they know anything more than being able to teach something even if it's wrong. Likewise the other areas of the country where outside coaches are hired. You will always get some that look good on paper but know nothing about the game and others that will be very knowledgeable and good coaches. The only difference between outside HS coaches, College coaches and the teacher/coaches is that the outside coaches and college coaches that are bad won't last very long. The teacher/coaches can possibly coach until they retire 30 years later since no one else will take the job unless the school board steps in. The OP addressed a situation in which the coach berated his DD in front of the team for over 30 minutes by his account. Is it right? No. Forget the rest of this BS about who is a good/ bad coach/certifications and call the AD. Let him know what is going on and get the coach removed or at a minimum, reprimanded.

 

[doublenickel]

No coach has a call for a fastball over the plate, so that story is suspect. Like I said the parents need to get perspective even if a coach made a mistake. If you want to be the coach, apply, because schools are always looking for coaches especially at MS level. The pay stinks, that's why and the job is in the middle of the day. I would guess the parent first would not qualify to coach, and would make many mistakes him or herself.

Yelling at a kid is never appropriate. But that would be dealt with by calling the coach's boss.

There is a call for fastball over the middle of the plate, usually the number one and either the catcher sets up where the coach calls the pitch or there is a number corresponding to a certain part of the strikezone...so yes there is a call for that pitch

 

[YOCOACH]

No coach has a call for a fastball over the plate, so that story is suspect.

Your ignorance of the game at both the TB level and the HS/college level never ceases to astound me. Many coaches have this call and I've seen it called even at the D1 college level. There are numerous times when a coach will call this if their pitcher is struggling hoping to to get her settled in and/or hoping to surprise the batter since they rarely see it at the top levels. If I'm not mistaken, J-train threw several of these exact same pitches two nights ago.

Edit to Add. Posted at the same time as doublenickel....sorry

 

[riseball]

I also use it in our hurry up defense when we are trying to move the game to the next inning in a timed game. Drop balls down the tube hoping for 3 quick grounds balls and another shot to score some runs.

 

[sluggers]

No coach has a call for a fastball over the plate, so that story is suspect.

You are wrong. My DD was pitching her first college game in the fall against Texas Tech. She fell behind 3-0 to the cleanup hitter and her coach (now the head coach at New Mexico State) called for a fastball down the middle. The ball was last seen above an oak tree past the left field wall.

The OP addressed a situation in which the coach berated his DD in front of the team for over 30 minutes by his account.

That is *NOT* what the OP said. There was a different post that said the coach yelled at his DD for 30 minutes at a team meeting. All we know is that the coach yelled at her when she was on the field, and then yelled at her on the way back to the dugout, which probably was more like 2 or 3 minutes, tops. (She was on 1B, ran slowly toward 2B, was retired, and then jogged back to the dugout.)

And I did learn something new today: I have learned that the way to teach people not to overreact is to punch them in the face. I found a parent training video for future reference:

[video=youtube_share;6ROOSqTe-LM]http://youtu.be/6ROOSqTe-LM[/video]