The post-game speech

[CoachJD]

I agree but what about pre-game talks?

My wife thinks they help. I only do them occasionally, and only if I have something worth saying.

For me, I never, ever cared or listened when coaches would do these things. I didn't need a coach to motivate me. I never had any use for all the cliches, all the... just words. If a coach was actually coaching me, I'd listen, but the rest was unnecessary. So that's how I'd like to approach all of this. The mere fact that a game is starting should be enough to get any player focused and ready (I'm not talking very little kids here, but HS age). Of course, not every player is like that, so I guess a pre-game talk is a little more useful.

 

[HunterMO]

My wife thinks they help. I only do them occasionally, and only if I have something worth saying.

For me, I never, ever cared or listened when coaches would do these things. I didn't need a coach to motivate me. I never had any use for all the cliches, all the... just words. If a coach was actually coaching me, I'd listen, but the rest was unnecessary. So that's how I'd like to approach all of this. The mere fact that a game is starting should be enough to get any player focused and ready (I'm not talking very little kids here, but HS age). Of course, not every player is like that, so I guess a pre-game talk is a little more useful.

To me....the pre-game talk is to quickly touch one last time on the initial game strategy. I do like it more than a post-game talk. And it doesn't need to be much. Since I was the "pitching coach" I would sit our pitchers and catcher(s) down for a quick pre-game chat away from the larger team. I'd emphasize how we wanted to attack right from the first pitch. I'd encourage them to challenge hitters right away. And I would always emphasize that the pitcher/catcher team needed to communicate to each other. It was 12u ball....I wanted them to develop feeling confident right out of the gate.

Despite not being a huge cliche fan I liked a motto Matt Nagy used his first year coaching the Bears. It was, "Be You". Which was a reminder to not get too far outside yourself and your game plan. Now, many will debate he gets too stuck being him, but that is besides the point. So before they'd go out I would always end with "We believe in you. So be you."

 

[FP26]

When I was an assistant for DD's first travel team, the head coach would often have long post game speeches. DD and her friends would often comment to me about them. I was supportive of the coach, but understood where the players were coming from.

When I was an assistant for high school, the head coach wanted all the coaches to say something. I always kept my piece short, but you could tell how painful this process was to the team.. They just wanted to go home.

When I became a head coach I decided to keep the meeting short. I doubt I ever exceeded 90 seconds and the speech would often be under 60 seconds. If possible, I would always try to highlight a play that was pivotal to the outcome of the game and why. As an example, we played a gold team from NJ in the championship game of a dome tournament. It ended up being a pitcher's duel. DD pitched great. Late in the game we had one of our speedsters hit a double. A bunt was able to move her to third. Prior to the next hitter's at bat, we asked her to do anything she could to hit the ball to the right side. She hit a slow roller to 2b which scored what was ultimately the winning run. Not pretty, but it got the job done. That was the type of thing I tried to recognize. Acknowledge someone doing something well, and use it to educate the rest of the team concerning the situation.

 

[Vertigo]

Our one coach at 14U held us hostage in Happy Valley (4 hour drive) for 2 hours with his post-game speech. It also included the parents after he was done with the girls. Absolutely ridiculous and uncalled for. Needless to say we left that team after the season was over (I was one of the other coaches!). The girls completely tuned him out after about 5 min.

 

[clemenslee1]

Tournament this weekend, saw a coach skip the speech and just told the girls to line up on the foul line for sprints. (a pool play game they won, btw).

Seen this one too many times!

 

[Gtrips07]

Nope...

I have been at 1-2 minute max for years now and only to highlight something great and we can talk at practice.

As Domingo Ayala says "Yes I know what happened coach, I was there."

Post game speeches, and tirades, are semi-pro

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

 

[soonerfan1966]

Grandkids -Softball coach never had post game talks, it was ballgame over and it's time to go home. Football coach was 30/40 minutes win or lose. Baseball coach was 30/40 minutes if they won and 45ish minutes of telling them everything they did wrong(also told the team not to tell the parents what was said) if they lost.

 

[bmakj]

Grandkids -Softball coach never had post game talks, it was ballgame over and it's time to go home. Football coach was 30/40 minutes win or lose. Baseball coach was 30/40 minutes if they won and 45ish minutes of telling them everything they did wrong(also told the team not to tell the parents what was said) if they lost.

big no no for me. these are our children, and an adult should never be asking them to keep anything a secret from their parents. big red flag for me.

 

[soonerfan1966]

big no no for me. these are our children, and an adult should never be asking them to keep anything a secret from their parents. big red flag for me.

I 100% agree. I think the head coach is a jerk and a bully but my grandson has been raised right(scared mom and dad will beat his backside) so he tells them everything the coaches say. I will say that I completely trust the other coaches, it's just the head coach/org. leader that makes me shake my head at the things he does and says.

 

[sluggers]

To me....the pre-game talk is to quickly touch one last time on the initial game strategy. I

"We need to score more runs than the other team."