Why all the angst?

[Sliced Bread]

Stats are a tool in the coaching toolbox, not for public consumtion or scrutany. I would never share stat information with any parent, unless the player and parent came to me and asked, and never will I give comparison stats to any player or parent of another player.
Play the game to the best of your ability, always work to get better everyday, have fun and the number will take care of theselves.

 

[Scorekeeper]

Here’s an example of how stats cause problems.

HC is heard saying how he sets his lineup. Best combination of base stealer and OBP is #1, best OPS is #3, combination of best SlgP and RBI guy is #4.

A parent who hears that then looks at the stats and finds out that’s not what’s happening, then confronts HC.

HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM!

But, is the problem the stats, the HC not fully explaining how he set the lineup, or the parent?

Chances are, its because someone didn’t get the full explanation or didn’t understand it. IOW, ignorance is the problem. The answer isn’t to hide the stats, its to do a better job of communication to try do away with as much ignorance as possible.

 

[Sliced Bread]

I don't owe the parents any expalnation on my game stratagey and how I make my line up on offence or defence. This changes all the time depending on who we are playing. Coaching is a dictatorship and I'm in charge, along with the input of my AC's. That's the position that my parents and players put me into when they accepted my offer to there DD.

If you need to speak with me privately about your DD, I am happy to dicuss any or all things related to you DD, not stats as it relates to game stratagies.

 

[JoeKC]

Stats are a tool in the coaching toolbox, not for public consumtion or scrutany. I would never share stat information with any parent, unless the player and parent came to me and asked, and never will I give comparison stats to any player or parent of another player.
Play the game to the best of your ability, always work to get better everyday, have fun and the number will take care of theselves.

How does anyone measure their (or their DDs) progress (good or bad) in that situation? I understand the logic of not divulging stats outside of the coaching staff at very young ages or in rec ball, but once the girls start playing competitive ball or once they reach 12U, I can't imagine not using such a useful resource. Managed properly, with ground rules established up front, stats can serve a very useful purpose for all involved. More importantly, all these young ladies are going to compete at something the rest of their lives....and in life someone always keeps score.

 

[JoeKC]

The #1 problem with stats is that when they start to be regularly distributed it creates yet another competitive situation among parents on the sidelines. My experience is sidelines are filled with enough parent angst without adding to it.

My older DD's high school team even had a parent "keeping score" in the stands who somehow had an impact on the team stats, even though the dugout kept a game book. Wow. You would not believe the chaos it caused.

Parents should sit back and enjoy the game.
Coaches should coach with goals, not stats in mind.
Players should play to get better and not be worried if a booted ball in the hole impacts their batting average.

No one's playing for a contract here.....

Sounds like that might be more of a coaching (meaning setting expectations and holding people to those expectations) issue than a "parent" issue.

 

[CoogansBluff]

I don't owe the parents any expalnation on my game stratagey and how I make my line up on offence or defence. This changes all the time depending on who we are playing. Coaching is a dictatorship and I'm in charge, along with the input of my AC's. That's the position that my parents and players put me into when they accepted my offer to there DD.

Coaches can be dictators (meaning they have the final say and that decisions aren't made on a vote of parents) while still being open to explaining their strategies and lineups. I can't imagine telling parents they have no right for an explanation for anything that concerns their children - within reason. I won't define what reasonable means, but I think reasonable people will know what it is. But I'd welcome the occasional question about strategy and lineups if done respectfully. It makes me stronger to have to defend what I do, and occasionally a parent might have a good idea that teaches me something. And sometimes it might give me an opportunity to explain something that might've looked dubious to someone who didn't have all the facts.

 

[CoogansBluff]

Stats are a tool in the coaching toolbox, not for public consumtion or scrutany. I would never share stat information with any parent, unless the player and parent came to me and asked, and never will I give comparison stats to any player or parent of another player.

On this issue, I don't have a strong opinion. It's a good issude. When I was head coach from 10U through 12U (4 seasons), I did what you say. I'd share w/ a parent if requested but without comparison. But my DD has been on two teams since then in which I was not the head coach, and the head coach shared stats w/ everybody. It didn't cause any problems that I saw. Wish we'd gotten feedback from the players to see what they thought of it, whether it helped some, or discouraged others.

 

[Sliced Bread]

I guess my point is that I don't want players worrying about there stats. There are enough distractions that they don't need to be thinking about improving there stats, they need to be working on improving there game.

Most of these kinds of questions I get are not stat related, but they are questions about what they need to do to get more playing time or move up in the order. I can tell both the player and parent what they need to do to improve there game without numbers.

When my girls are scouted and I get calls from college coaches, they never ask what there OBP is or the Batting Avg.
The questions are: Is she coachable? Is she a team player? Does she follow the team rules? Is she a leader? How does she play after commiting an error?
None of these things relate to any of the stats I keep.
And belive me, my girls always know what the "score" is within there team.

 

[newsoftballdad]

All of our stats are available to any parent that asks for them or wants to see them. No point in hiding them as everyone watching knows who went o -fer with 3ks and who hit the snot out of the ball. My point about the coaches using the "eye test" was that even with the stats, he knows when a girl hit 4 hard line drive outs and who hit 3 dribblers that got through. In a late game RBI situation you want the girl with the better chance of a hard hit somewhere green. Everyone watching usually knows who that is.

 

[Sliced Bread]

Coaches can be dictators (meaning they have the final say and that decisions aren't made on a vote of parents) while still being open to explaining their strategies and lineups. I can't imagine telling parents they have no right for an explanation for anything that concerns their children - within reason. I won't define what reasonable means, but I think reasonable people will know what it is. But I'd welcome the occasional question about strategy and lineups if done respectfully. It makes me stronger to have to defend what I do, and occasionally a parent might have a good idea that teaches me something. And sometimes it might give me an opportunity to explain something that might've looked dubious to someone who didn't have all the facts.

Yes I aggree. I will talk with any parent that approches me respectfully and answer qusetions or concerns. And will always listen to strategies that a parent might have, unsolicitted or otherwise. I concider myself a good coach, but I am never above learning new things.