THAT coach is an......

[RADcatchers]

Is it because that coach has a lot of contacts with those D1 schools, so people are willing to put up with the personality because they know the coach is going to help them get to where they're trying to go?

I assume

Sure could. Yet for those top players there are definitely other options in the travel ball community. Simply in this region there are many options.

this is an older age group. Maybe an 18u player thinks they can handle a jerk of a coach for a year or two if it will get them to the next level.

I think some can get away with it, but most coaches like this wouldn't be able to last very long acting this way.

Yes there are people that put up with it so to speak.

However there are also plenty of those that say this was the best experience for them. And would recommend THAT coach.

On the other hand there are people who would say they would never play for THAT coach.
And that's right they would never play for THAT coach because they don't have what it takes on the softball skill level.

Again point being
People still gravitate towards THAT coach.

... comes down to individual Journeys with different reasons for different decisions!

 

[RADcatchers]

For discussion share more perspective...

Here is what could possibly be an underlining reason.
That people/ the parent Factor/ may option to put their kid in a situation where somebody else is the disciplinarian.
The Firm handed motivator/ regulator.
THAT type of coach who does not put up with anyone's crud. The players don't get to have excuses because those will get shoved right back at them. So the excuses tend to stop.
Could be...Possibly... someone else being the disciplinarian/ regulator could be a reason.

 

[Orange Socks]

THAT coach I'm referring to continually has a highly successful travel ball team yes their personality is well known.
THAT coach has no problem whatsoever picking up the top of the top in travel ball. They continually launch players to the top D1 colleges.
Point being regardless of THAT coach's harsh personality reputation people are willing to play for them. Like a line of people that would jump at a spot. And empty their savings.

I am pretty sure I have an idea(could be wrong) of who you were referring to in the OP. Since I am an outsider, my opinion of this coach is he brash, opinionated, loud, etc. BUT he wins and has winners on his teams who go one to High Level D1 programs were they continue to succeed. If your kid has the skills to play P4 D1, don't you want them to be in the right place to get recruited? His program is at the top of the list...if not 2nd. LOL.

I am not at this practices nor do I sit in the dugout. Perhaps his relationships with his players are awesome? I believe he is doing what he does for girls. Let's face it. Many of the top program TB coaches have inflated egos and have A+ personalities. They also exists in HS programs too.

 

[tim_s]

from the outside, many/some opponents thought my travel teams played thought I checked all of those boxes and then some.....even had a player or two leave us (for real, one or two) that didn't like playing for me.....

but I kept the same core of 6 girls for 2 years of 10u through 1st year 16u.......I had 3 girls come to us for our last 3 years, and another two come just for our last year who wish they came earlier.....

one of the 3 that came to us, her mom thought all of the above about me when we were beating her team........her daughter came to me for 3 years, her husband worked with me, and her daughter is still playing in college.....we talk all the time, still go out a few time a year......

outward appearances aren't always what they seem......I was tough on my girls in games......it's where we performed, it's where we expected excellence in effort from each other, it's where we put all of our lessons together, it's where we stood back to back and fought for each other.....those are the expectations we, and I do mean we, collectively - they held me just as accountable as I held them - for each other - so other teams heard me get on them, to implore them to fight, to pick each other up when things didn't go their way

what they didn't see was the time away from the games, where we worked together, laughed together, pranked each other, did regular feedback sessions, went to dinner as a team after a january hitting session - all the time away from games where we taught each other how to win, where we laid the foundation for everything we did (we built a solid little regional team from the ground up.......won our state 6 summers in a row, played the best regional teams from around new england, won a lot of games and a lot of tournaments......a half dozen of that team went on to play in college, and a few more could have easily, but chose other paths)

i got quieter as they got louder.......i pushed them less as they learned to push themselves and each other.......i never demeaned, just set high expectations......i even gave less feedback as they learned to critique themselves and give constructive feedback to each other........as they began to take ownership, i tended to step back, just a little.....

somehow it all worked........they are a successful group of young ladies.......almost all of them in college, some of them playing, all of them finished top 10 in their HS classes, all of them have bright futures........not sure how we pulled it off, but things aren't always what they seem from the outside looking in.........it's funny, there's still a few out there that thought i was an rear.........they were mostly small, local teams that got sick of losing to us..........then there's a bunch of umpires and folks from outside our little area that knew of us, knew what we did, and their opinion is a little different........one of my kids was in a college interview in a state to the south of us, and her college coach asked 'tell me what made this team so good' - she had heard of us, and my player gave her a solid 10 minutes of why we were the little team that could......it was pretty cool

 

[tim_s]

 

[tim_s]

those are from a poster from our EOY cookout after our last year together.....yeah, we were hokey........but those were heartfelt


there surely are some first class A-holes out there........but there are plenty who have done the groundwork with their kids, and sometimes what you see is just a snapshot that doesn't tell the whole story......

 

[BillyB]

When I come across a blatant version of "that" coach, I do not view them as a coach and I will not address them as "coach." Like any other titled individual such as Doctor, Professor, Realtor, Pastor, etc., the moniker of coach comes with its own expectations of game knowledge, interpersonal skills, devotion to the players, respect of the game, and standards of behavior (among others). If someone willfully and carelessly disregards these principles, I do not consider them a coach.

100%

 

[RADcatchers]

those are from a poster from our EOY cookout after our last year together.....yeah, we were hokey........but those were heartfelt


there surely are some first class A-holes out there........but there are plenty who have done the groundwork with their kids, and sometimes what you see is just a snapshot that doesn't tell the whole story......

Hmmm think what you are describing of yourself is something like the tough love coach. But I haven't seen you write anything that would have been Crossing some boundary?
Not that this has happened with you, would have to really detail what words and stuff have you said, and consider you might have some sort of filter??? Particularly in that those were very young kids.

... but I'd like to elevate it to the level of THAT coach by asking this question~

How many times has a tournament director been called about your coaching personality on the field?...and...
During the immediate moment the game has been stopped?

 

[warbird]

If I were to give to one piece of advice to any softball player at any point in their journey, it would be to play for a coach they enjoy.

I am pretty sure I have an idea(could be wrong) of who you were referring to in the OP. Since I am an outsider, my opinion of this coach is he brash, opinionated, loud, etc. BUT he wins and has winners on his teams who go one to High Level D1 programs were they continue to succeed. If your kid has the skills to play P4 D1, don't you want them to be in the right place to get recruited? His program is at the top of the list...if not 2nd. LOL.

I am not at this practices nor do I sit in the dugout. Perhaps his relationships with his players are awesome? I believe he is doing what he does for girls. Let's face it. Many of the top program TB coaches have inflated egos and have A+ personalities. They also exists in HS programs too.

THAT coach(I too could be wrong) has also broken numerous great players. Some recovered and went on to success while some quit the game or shortly thereafter. Me thinks you could count the number of former players who have a great relationship with him on one hand. Runs one the best practices in the country, his players learn the game like no where else, but even winning wasn't fun. Me also thinks he does it for his ego...if it's THAT coach. But, softball is the land of crazy, outrageous, over the top cuckoo birds. Find your flock.

 

[tim_s]

Hmmm think what you are describing of yourself is something like the tough love coach. But I haven't seen you write anything that would have been Crossing some boundary?
Not that this has happened with you, would have to really detail what words and stuff have you said, and consider you might have some sort of filter??? Particularly in that those were very young kids.

... but I'd like to elevate it to the level of THAT coach by asking this question~

How many times has a tournament director been called about your coaching personality on the field?...and...
During the immediate moment the game has been stopped?

ha none that i know of


i know it seems like you were speaking of one coach in particular........and you may be spot on with that ONE.......I was speaking more generally - sometimes from the outside things look a little different than the inside

but there are more than one i've come across where what you see is what you get.......