Why has this changed? Lets talk about it...

[Rolling Hard]

I think it's the parents job to inform the HC prior to joining the team that Jenny takes private pitching lessons with so and so PC. And the discussion should be hashed out then. So both parties have an understanding before your DD joins the team. THis would save time and money.
Funny story. Our number 1 pitcher's dad had an agreement with HC that coaches would not discuss mechanics with DD. A few months later the team joins in on "organization workout"(which I never understood why they have such a thing- 120 players, 3 hours to take 10 or 12 GB s and 7 or 8 swings and the coaches just shooting the breeze.)Our number 1 pitcher is throwing a bullpen to my DD. AC from the elite 16u team walks by and starts to watch(she throws hard). He cant help himself and first starts instructing my DD about glove work/ receiving the ball. That's fine. But AC then walks over to the number 1 pitcher and start giving instruction. Number 1 pitcher's dad, not a shy or timid person, walks over and politely says "excuse me coach but I want to let you know that I have an agreement with our HC that coaches will not discuss mechanics with my daughter. I pay good money for her instruction and I would like to avoid conflicting instruction. Pitching is hard enough as it is and she has been pitching real good and I don't want to ruin the progress she has made." AC from elite 16u team has big ego and starts in, "I have been coaching for over 20 years, PGF, blah blah blah, I have forgotten more about this game than you will ever know." Number 1 pitcher's dad lets him finish and then says "let's go." to his DD and they proceed to leave. By now I have walked over but was too late to help fix situation. I look over at my DD and the look on her face was hilarious. It was like what the hell just happened and what am I supposed to do now. I tell her,"go tell your coach what happened." Our HC looks out to the parking lot and sees number 1 pitcher and dad loading up the truck. He leaves my DD standing there and starts to hurry out to the parking lot. DD doesn't know what to do so she follows behind him. Now we are all out in the parking lot and parents heads are turning and wondering wth is going on. WHere is our number 1 pitcher going?

 

[radness]

I think it's the parents job to inform the HC prior to joining the team that Jenny takes private pitching lessons with so and so PC. And the discussion should be hashed out then. So both parties have an understanding before your DD joins the team. THis would save time and money.
Funny story. Our number 1 pitcher's dad had an agreement with HC that coaches would not discuss mechanics with DD. A few months later the team joins in on "organization workout"(which I never understood why they have such a thing- 120 players, 3 hours to take 10 or 12 GB s and 7 or 8 swings and the coaches just shooting the breeze.)Our number 1 pitcher is throwing a bullpen to my DD. AC from the elite 16u team walks by and starts to watch(she throws hard). He cant help himself and first starts instructing my DD about glove work/ receiving the ball. That's fine. But AC then walks over to the number 1 pitcher and start giving instruction. Number 1 pitcher's dad, not a shy or timid person, walks over and politely says "excuse me coach but I want to let you know that I have an agreement with our HC that coaches will not discuss mechanics with my daughter. I pay good money for her instruction and I would like to avoid conflicting instruction. Pitching is hard enough as it is and she has been pitching real good and I don't want to ruin the progress she has made." AC from elite 16u team has big ego and starts in, "I have been coaching for over 20 years, PGF, blah blah blah, I have forgotten more about this game than you will ever know." Number 1 pitcher's dad lets him finish and then says "let's go." to his DD and they proceed to leave. By now I have walked over but was too late to help fix situation. I look over at my DD and the look on her face was hilarious. It was like what the hell just happened and what am I supposed to do now. I tell her,"go tell your coach what happened." Our HC looks out to the parking lot and sees number 1 pitcher and dad loading up the truck. He leaves my DD standing there and starts to hurry out to the parking lot. DD doesn't know what to do so she follows behind him. Now we are all out in the parking lot and parents heads are turning and wondering wth is going on. WHere is our number 1 pitcher going?

HA! Awesome story!

Tooooo baaad the coach who announced
20 years, pgf, bla bla bla,...
Hadnt learned either how to listen, or show some respect!

Is there more to the story?
How did this finish out?
What did your daughter learn?

 

[jdint]

I think it's the parents job to inform the HC prior to joining the team that Jenny takes private pitching lessons with so and so PC. And the discussion should be hashed out then. So both parties have an understanding before your DD joins the team. THis would save time and money.
Funny story. Our number 1 pitcher's dad had an agreement with HC that coaches would not discuss mechanics with DD. A few months later the team joins in on "organization workout"(which I never understood why they have such a thing- 120 players, 3 hours to take 10 or 12 GB s and 7 or 8 swings and the coaches just shooting the breeze.)Our number 1 pitcher is throwing a bullpen to my DD. AC from the elite 16u team walks by and starts to watch(she throws hard). He cant help himself and first starts instructing my DD about glove work/ receiving the ball. That's fine. But AC then walks over to the number 1 pitcher and start giving instruction. Number 1 pitcher's dad, not a shy or timid person, walks over and politely says "excuse me coach but I want to let you know that I have an agreement with our HC that coaches will not discuss mechanics with my daughter. I pay good money for her instruction and I would like to avoid conflicting instruction. Pitching is hard enough as it is and she has been pitching real good and I don't want to ruin the progress she has made." AC from elite 16u team has big ego and starts in, "I have been coaching for over 20 years, PGF, blah blah blah, I have forgotten more about this game than you will ever know." Number 1 pitcher's dad lets him finish and then says "let's go." to his DD and they proceed to leave. By now I have walked over but was too late to help fix situation. I look over at my DD and the look on her face was hilarious. It was like what the hell just happened and what am I supposed to do now. I tell her,"go tell your coach what happened." Our HC looks out to the parking lot and sees number 1 pitcher and dad loading up the truck. He leaves my DD standing there and starts to hurry out to the parking lot. DD doesn't know what to do so she follows behind him. Now we are all out in the parking lot and parents heads are turning and wondering wth is going on. WHere is our number 1 pitcher going?

You gonna leave us hanging like that? I'm guessing they got the situation fixed, but I am curious.

 

[Rolling Hard]

Sorry, Yeah Our HC talked dad and number 1 pitcher back off the cliff and then HC spoke to the head of org. and things got smoothed out. Don't think AC from elite 16u team learned a darn thing. Ego is a bitch.

 

[Tango]

DD went a pitching coach every week for 3 years. She had some health issues and I started looking at IR. Hopefully, I have learned a lot since. The old coach taught HE and was very successful and a great guy. One of his daughters pitched bigtime D1 and the other is a college coach (not sure about her playing days). When we decided to stop working with him- Are you wiling to just teach her change and curve ball mechanics only when we come? He wasn't but we remained friends and understand.

 

[KrisHur]

DD's HS coach last year (well year before) is actually a soccer coach who know *nothing* about softball and recommended some serious nonsense like reaching backhanded for a ball instead of shuffling sideways to get it in front of you. I told her don't be disrespectful, but don't mess yourself up either. Go back to what your TB coaches taught you as soon as he's not looking. If he says anything say "this habit is just too ingrained but I'll keep working on it".

 

[speedseeker]

DD has been taking Hitting, Catching, and now what I consider elite Pitching (yes Catching AND Pitching) lessons for at least 3 years now and it's certainly made a difference. I was her HC until recently so no problems but now that she's moved to a more competitive team we run into it often. Though I haven't explicitly made an agreement with HC, I've now made sure HC has an awareness of what's going on - for several reasons actually. Even with the awareness, it still happens. It's like he can't help himself despite my daughters obvious (unspoken) questioning of credibility. My approach to date has been to tell DD to be respectful, listen, and try what HC is suggesting. End of day, I advise DD that she'll need to work though what works for her but that her authoritative source of skill development are her instructors and that if she makes any changes she needs to go back and talk through the changes with them. To date, she's made no changes.

The thing that baffles me is the idea that in most cases a clubs manager would (or even should) think that its the best use of their time to instruct a player on their swing, or the detail mechanics of the pitching motion when they have an entire team to prepare skill wise - team skills. Call me crazy but I think, at least for competitive players older than 12, a clubs manager should do just that...manage the "club"...and leave individual skill development up to the individual and their resources and then let the chips fall where they may.

 

[GoRight]

My daughter’s hitting instructor teaches a style that some of her coaches hated. She had one coach at 16u that literally took her out of the hitting line up in the Summer season. She was hitting ..600 in the Fall that year and had an OBP of .800. She was well known as a dangerous hitter. Over the winter he tried to change her swing. He also gave hitting lessons and his style was completely different. I really think it was an ego thing. That summer she tanked and her confidence was all but gone. She was trying to please him but also not change too much. He would actually call her out in front of the team and call her swing a “preschool” swing. Thankfully she got away from him and she has her confidence back at 18u.


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[radness]

My daughter’s hitting instructor teaches a style that some of her coaches hated. She had one coach at 16u that literally took her out of the hitting line up in the Summer season. She was hitting ..600 in the Fall that year and had an OBP of .800. She was well known as a dangerous hitter. Over the winter he tried to change her swing. He also gave hitting lessons and his style was completely different. I really think it was an ego thing. That summer she tanked and her confidence was all but gone. She was trying to please him but also not change too much. He would actually call her out in front of the team and call her swing a “preschool” swing. Thankfully she got away from him and she has her confidence back at 18u.


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Geeez...this type of story doesnt seem much about softball...
_______________

Appreciate folks sharing these scenario's.
While its true sometimes we have to learn things the hard way by going through them ourselves, really think atleast part of these situations can be tackled befor hand and certainly prepared for ahead of time!

 

[radness]

Hmmm dont read coaches stepping up here acknowledging they request changing mechanics???
Just sayin'

Heres my approach
When coaching i speak to the responsibility and requirement of the position on the field.

Example,
Have coached catchers who use different mechanics than what i teach. In specific have coached ' the block everything in the dirt style' (while i teach field pitches in the dirt)
When i see what technique/mechanic is being used, i do not go tell the blocking catcher thats wrong, or dont do that, or we need to see this instead,
What i speak to is
1. Speak to all the catchers
( not just the one)
2. Communicate the goals of the position!
*Which includes the same goals for
ALL THE CATCHING MECHANICS!
including~
Runners cannot steal.
Runners cannot take big lead offs.
We will be throwing back picks.
Wild & dirt pitches included!
Completely unreachable will be noted.

*This works for hitting also.
Hit how you want!
We are looking for consistancy and producing results!

This doesnt mean taking a back seat to teaching/coaching!
It means putting the responsibility in the hands of the player who has made a choice!

Yes at practices coaching on technical performance does occur, however it is respectful to acknowledge what a player is working on, support that, and communicate
direction within that.

Ultimately the expectation on the field and resulting performances dictate what development is necessary.

At a certain level of coaching,
Picking what is preferred does happen.
However think its wrong to pick a player based on seeing their athleticism, already thinking the coach has all the authority over the player, to change them.

Always recommend, especially in travel ball,
Offering video upfront with a new coach, and update video from lessons.
It gives a great visual to have
these pre-emptive conversations on player goals and 'whatever' maybe in the coaches itinerary.