Team Rules~No player/parent interaction at the ballpark

[John 800]

There is no change that you are going to make during a game that will make a difference. The same goes for coaches that give batting tips during an at-bat. It just isn't going to matter.

I see so many parents yelling way to many directions at kids it confuses the crap out of them and is negative most of the time. Once in a while there are exceptions to that though my youngest has a few bad habits that are mostly removed but occasionally come back. A two word reminder will usually snap her out of it

 

[John 800]

Know of a very successful travel ball coach who had this policy for the players on his team.
(When he started tb many years ago)
12u and older.

There would be no player to parent interaction at the Ballpark at all.
Players are to arrive ready to go for the day including a lunch box and all water Gatorade and such for the day.
No players going over to their parents after the game, nor talking to them during the game. There were no parents coming over and chatting with their kid during or after games or in between games.
Coach wanted players Full Focus and working on doing everything as one unit. Other than if there was an extreme injury, No breaking of this rule was obliged at all.

Any comments about this?
Does anybody have a team that is ran like this currently?


The travel ball team am speaking about had about 12 national championships through 18u in their first 15 years. The coach had more success following years and continues in softball to this day.

So at what point is this policy disclosed ? At tryouts? Before the first tournament? Weather I like it really doesn’t mean jack, weather a potential player likes it, and will play better under it is the issue. MY biggest concern as a parent is did I know what I was getting the kid into soon enough to avoid it if it is not for her. This is where alot of organizations fail, is letting parents and players know what they are getting.

 

[jdint]

I see so many parents yelling way to many directions at kids it confuses the crap out of them and is negative most of the time. Once in a while there are exceptions to that though my youngest has a few bad habits that are mostly removed but occasionally come back. A two word reminder will usually snap her out of it

This is what I'm talking about. Basically all I say is "shoulder down and back on the change" and problem solved. Obviously, or maybe not so obvious, you don't want to be yelling 20 different things to a kid trying to bat, but a 14 year old girl is plenty capable of fixing a slight mechanical pitching flaw during a game. Of course I'm basing this on my own limited experience, so take that for what it's worth.

And yes it would be preferable if she recognized the problem herself and took the steps to fix it, but so far this season that hasn't been the case. I am cautiously optimistic this weekend no reminder will be necessary. Maybe a quick reminder on the drive will suffice.

 

[radness]

So at what point is this policy disclosed ? At tryouts? Before the first tournament? Weather I like it really doesn’t mean jack, weather a potential player likes it, and will play better under it is the issue. MY biggest concern as a parent is did I know what I was getting the kid into soon enough to avoid it if it is not for her. This is where alot of organizations fail, is letting parents and players know what they are getting.

Good question. I agree completely about how important communicating is.

Yes for the coach that I spoke about everybody knows upfront before they would make a commitment to the team. In fact it was only about halfway into the first season
( he started coaching)
that other teams/parents in the area knew that's how he was coaching his team. Regardless it is something he tells people up front immediately. Along with other details of being on his roster.

Of course there have been parents along the way who would Point their finger saying they would never do that.
while they were mad because their team could never beat them.

Even in that travel ball is a choice.
Notice no matter what team people will pick there will always be parents who will complain about it. Whether it's a team with standards or a team with none.
It is no surprise people will pick at the topic of this post. And others support

quite possibly there are a lot of people who have never played for an extremely well facilitated team. Because so many teams don't really have good standards there are people that will trip and stumble through their first few years in travel ball, some of that contributed from the gossip of parents and the interaction that the parents bring to causing hardship with coaches.
...only having to figure out what mistakes they made and how to make better decisions later.

In this situation the coach came up with the way he was going to coach.
and in a way he put his foot down about how he would participate.
I applaud having a plan and sticking to it.
Especially one that is successful!

 

[Rolling Hard]

This is what I'm talking about. Basically all I say is "shoulder down and back on the change" and problem solved. Obviously, or maybe not so obvious, you don't want to be yelling 20 different things to a kid trying to bat, but a 14 year old girl is plenty capable of fixing a slight mechanical pitching flaw during a game. Of course I'm basing this on my own limited experience, so take that for what it's worth.

And yes it would be preferable if she recognized the problem herself and took the steps to fix it, but so far this season that hasn't been the case. I am cautiously optimistic this weekend no reminder will be necessary. Maybe a quick reminder on the drive will suffice.

You guys with the reminders. Why not discuss tour DD tendencies and the proper cue to snap her out of it and let the coaches talk to her?

 

[jdint]

You guys with the reminders. Why not discuss tour DD tendencies and the proper cue to snap her out of it and let the coaches talk to her?

I mentioned in a previous post, our coach doesn't want to get involved in pitching mechanics. The pitchers are left to their own devices. I don't think he has ever said a word to our pitchers about mechanics in 4 years. I tried to mention something early on, and he either doesn't want to say anything, forgets when the game is going, or just doesn't believe me. LOL.

Hence my original post. Do I step out of my lane and give her a quick reminder and fix the issue or not?

And I just threw this out there for discussion. I'm going to remind her regardless. If you want me around to help out at practice or to warm up pitchers at tournaments, you have to put up with a little of my blabbering. (I only speak to my DD about pitching, not the other pitchers)

 

[radness]

I mentioned in a previous post, our coach doesn't want to get involved in pitching mechanics. The pitchers are left to their own devices. I don't think he has ever said a word to our pitchers about mechanics in 4 years. I tried to mention something early on, and he either doesn't want to say anything, forgets when the game is going, or just doesn't believe me. LOL.

Hence my original post. Do I step out of my lane and give her a quick reminder and fix the issue or not?

And I just threw this out there for discussion. I'm going to remind her regardless. If you want me around to help out at practice or to warm up pitchers at tournaments, you have to put up with a little of my blabbering. (I only speak to my DD about pitching, not the other pitchers)

Not sure how old your daughter is but at least at 12 and older

Part of your situation is that the coach allows you too be a helper coach. And part of that dilemma is that if all parents are able to be the helper coaches then you don't actually have coaches
you have parents running a team.


In a way it's good the coach is not interfering with pitching if they do not actually know about it. Have watched coaches who know only about how they pitch or how their daughter pitched and they will try to use those references on other pitchers that would actually screw them up.
Would suggest in your situation for your daughter to talk to the coach and daughter to become familiar with her catchers. And share those keywords that might help her.
But cannot stand off to the side and be the Pitcher Whisperer throughout her entire career. Unless daddy needs that...
It is really her needing to develop the ability to know herself.

 

[_MIA_]

Not sure how old your daughter is but at least at 12 and older

Part of your situation is that the coach allows you too be a helper coach. And part of that dilemma is that if all parents are able to be the helper coaches then you don't actually have coaches
you have parents running a team.


In a way it's good the coach is not interfering with pitching if they do not actually know about it. Have watched coaches who know only about how they pitch or how their daughter pitched and they will try to use those references on other pitchers that would actually screw them up.
Would suggest in your situation for your daughter to talk to the coach and daughter to become familiar with her catchers. And share those keywords that might help her.
But cannot stand off to the side and be the Pitcher Whisperer throughout her entire career. Unless daddy needs that...
It is really her needing to develop the ability to know herself.

It is fine line, right? I understand exactly where @jdint is coming from, in particular since it seems like his DD isn't seeking it out. On the one hand in a perfect world (in this scenario without coach input) she either fixes it herself or she doesn't, and if she doesn't the results don't discourage her or impede her growth and she eventually learns to adjust on her own. Unfortunately we know the world isn't perfect...

 

[radness]

It is fine line, right? I understand exactly where @jdint is coming from. On the one hand in a perfect world (in this scenario without coach input) she either fixes it herself or she doesn't, and if she doesn't the results don't discourage her or impede her growth and she eventually learns to adjust on her own. Unfortunately we know the world isn't perfect...

Yep

definitely difficult to determine when another adult has somebody else's child at their best interest.

While Figuring out trust and faith allowing their child be coached by another person...

 

[jfitch12]

Our team has a pretty relaxed atmosphere. We have several parents who are former/current coaches who help out when needed and even a shlub like me gets called in to warm up pitchers now and then.

To me this is the key. Like not swinging 3-0 or a thousand other similar rules, the general “no contact” advice is good and weeds out a lot of negative or at least pointless interactions and behaviors. That said, context is everything, so as long as what you are saying is productive, doesn’t bother the coach, doesn’t bother other players or parents, doesn’t bother your own kid, and doesn’t hurt her chances of being recruited (or have some other negative consequence), go for it.

My daughter’s first travel team was basically a start-up rec all-star team at 10u that got a lot better and ultimately became a low-level PGF qualifier. It was super relaxed: dad coaches, everyone helped with drills, meals, rides, all the rest. Some of the girls still play together on other teams, many remain good friends and so do their parents—much more so than parents I have seen on later, higher-powered teams. With this sort of free-flowing atmosphere, parents talked to kids all the time and it wasn’t a big deal. But as to teams my daughter has played on since, I could never imagine approaching the dugout in a million years. It just wouldn’t be done by anyone.

You sound like a conscientious parent with good judgment. So I would not worry about offering a little advice here and there under these circumstances.


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