Travel vs. School vs. Private Coaching Conflicts

[_MIA_]

Haahhaaaa i was being gentle...

imo
When a dedicated player shows up. Who has been investing effort, time, money and has an instructor, to any technique of hitting...
THEN ANY coach who wants to change batters swings immediatly, without using game/live pitching practice performance to look at success or not,
is a red flag.

Will add this ~
I do have a particular set of hitting mechanics that I believe works really well and it works really well for a lot of people. it's what I teach. Also have set of mechanics that I believe in that works really well that I teach for catching.
That said
Also know that when I'm coaching players there are people who are dedicated to mechanics that I don't do or teach. However i respect they are purposely training to achieve success with the mechanics that they are using.
As a coach I find it much more worthwhile to pay attention to what the players are trying to accomplish with mechanics that they are utilizing.
By doing so I can find successful athletes to build a team with, coach to what they are doing.
Not build a team based on changing them all.

Look for dedication in athletes.
Look for what they bring as individuals.
Hold a standard to performance on the field.
Not hold a standard to what mechanics they use.

The performance on the field
imo is whats important.

Uh huh...I stand by my statement..

 

[radness]

Uh huh...I stand by my statement..

 

[Cannonball]

Hello Everyone. My DD is an 8th grader. Been playing ball since she was 6, travel teams from 10u until now. She was on a really good 12B team for 2 years, and now on a 14B team with a big organization. She has had really good training and we have spent 2 and a half years with the same batting coach. We are on week number 2 of 8th grade ball, we did not have a 7th grade year because of covid, and this team is stacked. They have 8 players that play on top or very competitive travel teams which is not common for middle school in this area. The softball IQ on these girls is crazy good. They all play for travel coaches that have taught the girls to run their own games defensively and be very aggressive.

So far it has not been a great start. DD is a third baseman, has great reaction speed, and has been trained to play up almost her whole time in travel ball. During tryouts the coach made a comment that "we have to fix that". During one of the first practices she was playing up, a ball went past her to short, short made the play and the coaches felt it should have been her ball. (She has played with the shortstop for multiple years in travel and the shortstop and her know how to work together).

Today, they were doing a batting drill. My daughter talked to the coach and said the drill was messing with her swing. And the coach's response was thousands of girls do this drill without issue. And a second comment was made to the girls that their batting coaches are not always right. Half of our girls see batting coaches with great reputations.

DD struggles a bit with adapting to change and does take a little longer to make adjustments some times. As parents we do not really like to get involved with coaching and feel it is up to her to talk to them. (Although based on the comments made so far I don't think the coaches are open to the discussions.) We have told her that this middle school season is only two months and a great chance for character building and playing with girls she has known for a long time but we know that the first time she misses an out from third because she is playing back she is going to be mad.

Any other parent or coaching advice for making it through the season? Or even just anyone who can commiserate with us? lol

I am going to give you the same advice that I have given countless times on this site. Remove your dd now. She already knows more than the coaching staff. You have recognized that they are incompetent. Heck, your dd is in middle school and is already an authority on the game. Who are these HS coaches anyway to even suggest that they know stuff? You will be a lot happier. Remove her now!

 

[_MIA_]

So far it has not been a great start. DD is a third baseman, has great reaction speed, and has been trained to play up almost her whole time in travel ball. During tryouts the coach made a comment that "we have to fix that". During one of the first practices she was playing up, a ball went past her to short, short made the play and the coaches felt it should have been her ball. (She has played with the shortstop for multiple years in travel and the shortstop and her know how to work together).

You are "trained" to catch ground balls and throw...defensive positioning depends upon situation. Not a hill that I would die on..

 

[ANNASDAD]

I could write a book here on MS and HS coaches, but I won't!

OP, let your DD play, let her be a part of something, let her enjoy playing on a stacked team which is awesome, never got to experience that on any school team, even though we won a State Championship!

YOU need to show and tell your DD the big picture that's beyond school ball and that's coming for Spring/Summer, have her suffer through her school ball coaches and enjoy being a teammate and representing her school!

And trust me, I've been exactly where you are, I'm talking from some really good experience, relax and quit stressing!

 

[_MIA_]

I could write a book here on MS and HS coaches, but I won't!

Navigating School Ball: A Narrative by a Man Who Loves Leather

 

[ANNASDAD]

Navigating School Ball: A Narrative by a Man Who Loves Leather

Best seller, in hardback of course!

 

[flogzilla]

Best seller, in hardback of course!

Leatherbound

 

[ANNASDAD]

Leatherbound

Perfect, what was I thinking? Flog is sharp this morning!

 

[Hawk_]

As a dad of middle schoolers and a TB coach..... my convo with the Middle School coach would go "I'm not having someone who has to go teach history after this and play lacross in college try and fix my DD's swing..... make a line up card and let them play."