What would you do if a coach

[ksgovols]

Agree 100%. Some of that comes with the expectations of parents wearing rose colored glasses and some of it kind of comes with the territory unfortunately. The kids usually know. If a parent needs to have a conversation about P.T., they might not like the answer. Pull out the book and show them in black and white. Also, it's back to parents pushing for athletic scholarships instead of just letting their kid enjoy the high school experience. Shame on them. The only regret my older son has is not playing 3 sports all 4 years of high school. Some of that is on coaches. They don't share even fair to middlin athletes the way they should. Shame on them too. My best coach anecdote was a time when we had 3 district games in a week and trying to save pitching he bunted a couple of runs in with an 8 run lead. Probably a good move. I told him if I had been pitching it would have been easy because I'd have ear holed every batter that squared until the 10th run crossed the plate if you played small ball up 8 in the 5th.

[FightinIllini]

" Some parents don't seem to understand that they come and go, the programs last forever..... "... they will always make more kids and more games...

 

The is a typical response form a lot of coaches I know. I have heard many times coach make comments like " well this group of players will be gone soon" we'll get a new group... a coach can mess up an entire season, and then hit the reset button every season....

 

Players have a short window and they don't get to do it all over again...

 

I stick to my opinons if a player breaks the conduct code he is to be punished, if a parent breaks the conduct code they should be punished, but you cannot punish the player for having a bad parent.

 

I will say this as much as I disagree with how some parents act, there is a common denominator with regards to MJ , Farragut, Collierville and Houston they all win.

Edited June 12, 2013 by FightinIllini

[strongx]

Great thread. We know high school coaches never say things they shouldn't. They never do things they regret. They never do anything to hurt the program. They certainly don't play favorites. They have the right to make any rules they want for their team. It is their team. They should be able to restrict people's negative comments about their performance. So with all that being said, run the parents and the kids off. Just make sure you get their few hundred dollars in team fee and volunteer time from the family first. LOL!

[strongx]

More seriously, I think it goes to understanding roles on a team. Anticipated roles should be explained before the season so everyone who stays is on the same "team". Sometimes roles aren't explained because we need those 6 extra kids' fees to help run the program. It is expensive to keep these nice fields, batting cages, multiple uniforms, workout clothes, bullpen mounds, weight rooms, and locker rooms. Misguided expectation of a player's role may be causing some of the trouble. One kid and parents may be happy getting a jersey, chasing foul balls, and occasionally pinch running while another may have expected more. No doubt, it is hard work to try and make everyone happy. So, do we want to be happy or good? Like some great advice my father gave me before getting married: "Son, you will learn that in a marriage you can either be happy or you can be right. The choice is yours."

[davidlimbaugh]

You have to be careful what you say on social media at all levels:

 

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-06-11/sports/chi-chicago-cubs-stewart-twitter-20130611_1_president-theo-epstein-first-cubs-player-triple-a-iowa

 

I have been involved with high school baseball here in Tennessee since 1996. I have had the great pleasure and good fortune to meet a lot of great men who happen to coach high school baseball across the state. I have yet to meet one that does not sincerely care about his players. I have yet to meet one that loses games on purpose but makes sure they play their favorites.

 

What should a head coach response be if a mom of a left handed player walks up to him and says "I don't understand, he was the best second baseman in little league but you won't give him a chance there!" - seen that....

 

I have seen two moms talking about a coach and 'politics' and how their sons should be the starting shortstop and third baseman - for a team that happened to have a D1, first-team all state third baseman and a shortstop who played NAII ball and was pretty good.. I was sitting next to another high school coach and we just shook our heads and chuckled under our breath.

 

IMHO the biggest problem with parents' expectations is that most of them have never been exposed to a really talented baseball player. Their assessment of their kids' ability is both tainted by love and a lack of knowing what a really talented baseball player really looks like. As my scout buddies like to say, "They pass the eye test." I realized at a young age that I was going to play second base in little league to a left handed shortstop a year younger than me - my dad, who played independent ball and grew up with major leaguer Don Mincher, knew it too and told me so - he took one look a young boy named Jimmy Key and saw that he passed the eye test. http://www.flickr.com/photos/sonypic/5080446859/

 

One day lets all get together at the Boulevard or Toots or Demos or ???? during Spring Fling and share some stories.

[LeatherBalls]

 

 

MJ is going to be a three ring circus every year. The entire coaching change, search, etc. was a 3 ring circus. Carter just happened to be the guy that got the position. I'm sure after one year under the helm, he would probably admit that it was a huge mistake to leave his comfy Davidson gig to go to a juggernaut program like MJ where it's impossible to please anyone.

 

QuickStrike

What do you mean by this post? You said it will be a 3 ring circus every year with this coaching change, search, etc. was a circus.

Why?? What do you want?? What could happen/happened to remove the "circus" status?

 

I don't know if you are a parent/player/donor/just plain nuts or what, but you sound like you would be a parent.

 

Here is the problem with you all at MJ. You use the game of baseball and that program as a status symbol among your friends and family. You all want instant gratification and to use your sons to make you look good. It's no different than buying a $500,000 home but not having furniture in it. You want to be perceived on the outside.

 

At games, I hear the MJ "CREW" questioned why coach didn't steal, and if he did steal, would question that too. That's one example.

You think it's all about D1. "My kid is a D1".

 

The bottom line is this: Parents on Twitter or Facebook blasting a high school baseball coach for any reason is BUSH LEAGUE!! Thats called cancer and it will eat an entire program from existence. Parents' roles are to support and care for, not analyze, or stir the pop........unless its a chili pot in the concession stand.

 

I rather lose with hard working, great helping and caring people than win and it be a blood bath or stressful pack of wolves. In five years nobody will know the starting lineup or the team record or actually won't and should care. MJ is a great program. Has great players. Juggernaut I can't say that. At the end of the day it's about the lives you touched and the lives you positively touched. It's about the relationships you build, not how many wins or rings you have on your finger. Those things are not gonna impress Peter at the gates.

 

I'm gonna ask my original question to you or FightinIllini or any other person in the MJ Baseball ring know......I mean Gold.

 

What is it you all want??? What would make you all happy and shut the circus down????

[Yellowstone]

" Some parents don't seem to understand that they come and go, the programs last forever..... "... they will always make more kids and more games...

 

The is a typical response form a lot of coaches I know. I have heard many times coach make comments like " well this group of players will be gone soon" we'll get a new group... a coach can mess up an entire season, and then hit the reset button every season....

 

Players have a short window and they don't get to do it all over again...

 

I stick to my opinons if a player breaks the conduct code he is to be punished, if a parent breaks the conduct code they should be punished, but you cannot punish the player for having a bad parent.

 

I will say this as much as I disagree with how some parents act, there is a common denominator with regards to MJ , Farragut, Collierville and Houston they all win.

 

The common denominator is that Farragut, Collierville, and Houston have all won state titles in the last decade. While MJ has been close, they haven't made it to the top of the mountain.

[LeatherBalls]

" Some parents don't seem to understand that they come and go, the programs last forever..... "... they will always make more kids and more games...

 

And what does , "They all win!" mean?

Heck the Yankees don't always dominate.

The is a typical response form a lot of coaches I know. I have heard many times coach make comments like " well this group of players will be gone soon" we'll get a new group... a coach can mess up an entire season, and then hit the reset button every season....

 

Players have a short window and they don't get to do it all over again...

 

I stick to my opinons if a player breaks the conduct code he is to be punished, if a parent breaks the conduct code they should be punished, but you cannot punish the player for having a bad parent.

 

I will say this as much as I disagree with how some parents act, there is a common denominator with regards to MJ , Farragut, Collierville and Houston they all win.

[Yellowstone]

QuickStrike

What do you mean by this post? You said it will be a 3 ring circus every year with this coaching change, search, etc. was a circus.

Why?? What do you want?? What could happen/happened to remove the "circus" status?

 

I don't know if you are a parent/player/donor/just plain nuts or what, but you sound like you would be a parent.

 

Here is the problem with you all at MJ. You use the game of baseball and that program as a status symbol among your friends and family. You all want instant gratification and to use your sons to make you look good. It's no different than buying a $500,000 home but not having furniture in it. You want to be perceived on the outside.

 

At games, I hear the MJ "CREW" questioned why coach didn't steal, and if he did steal, would question that too. That's one example.

You think it's all about D1. "My kid is a D1".

 

The bottom line is this: Parents on Twitter or Facebook blasting a high school baseball coach for any reason is BUSH LEAGUE!! Thats called cancer and it will eat an entire program from existence. Parents' roles are to support and care for, not analyze, or stir the pop........unless its a chili pot in the concession stand.

 

I rather lose with hard working, great helping and caring people than win and it be a blood bath or stressful pack of wolves. In five years nobody will know the starting lineup or the team record or actually won't and should care. MJ is a great program. Has great players. Juggernaut I can't say that. At the end of the day it's about the lives you touched and the lives you positively touched. It's about the relationships you build, not how many wins or rings you have on your finger. Those things are not gonna impress Peter at the gates.

 

I'm gonna ask my original question to you or FightinIllini or any other person in the MJ Baseball ring know......I mean Gold.

 

What is it you all want??? What would make you all happy and shut the circus down????

 

With all respect to QuickStrike's posts, I don't think you read his follow ups. As an outsider to the MJ situation, it is always going to be a circus because of the monster that has been created.

 

While I did just post that MJ hasn't won the hardware, to say they are not a juggernaut program over the past 5 years is a uneducated statement. They have made the state tournament 5 years in a row until this season, and the AAA sectionals every season since 2006. Their sectional round is whole lot tougher to get out of than the East or West teams have to play IMO.

 

Since Mel Brown has been at the school, I don't think anyone can argue that the athletic program has taken a step up in the right direction with heavy emphasis on football and baseball. Mel has always been a baseball guy since his days at McGavock........football just needed the right direction (hence they hired Perry), and they compete in arguably the state's toughest district in football and baseball (along with the Murfreesboro district)........

 

The circus was created by the winning and the passion for MJ baseball by parents, the administrators, and those involved with building the program. And in 5 years, there are several people in that "MJ Crew" that will be able to name every player from the starting lineup in the past 5 years, along with their record, etc. The circus has continued with Purvis resigning, and with all the good that Mel Brown has done in building the program, he did contribute to the circus by hiring Jim Carter to coach the team over several well qualified assistants/other coaches who would have given a lot for the opportunity to coach the program. While Carter IMO did a great job this season given the losses from the previous senior class........let's face it. He is an outsider, and will always be labeled "Ronnie's son". Even if the guy wins, the MJ parents will not be happy with him. Most MJ parents were Pro Purvis, and despite his transgressions were willing to look past them as long as they were winning.

 

So while in theory, you are right about "what lives you touched".........in real life (which is where we live) unfortunately, it's about the rings and winning. And there is one thing that can shut down the circus.....and that's winning.

[QuickStrike]

QuickStrike

What do you mean by this post? You said it will be a 3 ring circus every year with this coaching change, search, etc. was a circus.

Why?? What do you want?? What could happen/happened to remove the "circus" status?

 

I don't know if you are a parent/player/donor/just plain nuts or what, but you sound like you would be a parent.

 

Here is the problem with you all at MJ. You use the game of baseball and that program as a status symbol among your friends and family. You all want instant gratification and to use your sons to make you look good. It's no different than buying a $500,000 home but not having furniture in it. You want to be perceived on the outside.

 

At games, I hear the MJ "CREW" questioned why coach didn't steal, and if he did steal, would question that too. That's one example.

You think it's all about D1. "My kid is a D1".

 

The bottom line is this: Parents on Twitter or Facebook blasting a high school baseball coach for any reason is BUSH LEAGUE!! Thats called cancer and it will eat an entire program from existence. Parents' roles are to support and care for, not analyze, or stir the pop........unless its a chili pot in the concession stand.

 

I rather lose with hard working, great helping and caring people than win and it be a blood bath or stressful pack of wolves. In five years nobody will know the starting lineup or the team record or actually won't and should care. MJ is a great program. Has great players. Juggernaut I can't say that. At the end of the day it's about the lives you touched and the lives you positively touched. It's about the relationships you build, not how many wins or rings you have on your finger. Those things are not gonna impress Peter at the gates.

 

I'm gonna ask my original question to you or FightinIllini or any other person in the MJ Baseball ring know......I mean Gold.

 

What is it you all want??? What would make you all happy and shut the circus down????

 

Leather, you continue to coach where you can "build relationships"........It's fairly obvious that you didn't read my posts. Parents are a both a blessing and a curse in baseball and all high school athletics. They have an agenda. Most of the time, it is "hopefully, this will get little Billy more playing time"..........Some work really hard and don't expect anything, but most of them think if they bust their tail raising money that it will earn their child some stripes.

 

If a coach is worried about what is being said on social media sites, we can agree to disagree. While you think it might be bush league, I believe it's bush league that a coach would threaten playing time, etc. against a player. It's the way of the time....unfortunately, this has trickled down to high school athletics.

[FightinIllini]

"Here is the problem with you all at MJ. You use the game of baseball and that program as a status symbol among your friends and family. You all want instant gratification and to use your sons to make you look good. It's no different than buying a $500,000 home but not having furniture in it. You want to be perceived on the outside.

 

At games, I hear the MJ "CREW" questioned why coach didn't steal, and if he did steal, would question that too. That's one example.

 

 

The bottom line is this: Parents on Twitter or Facebook blasting a high school baseball coach for any reason is BUSH LEAGUE!! Thats called cancer and it will eat an entire program from existence. Parents' roles are to support and care for, not analyze, or stir the pop........unless its a chili pot in the concession stand.

 

I rather lose with hard working, great helping and caring people than win and it be a blood bath or stressful pack of wolves. In five years nobody will know the starting lineup or the team record or actually won't and should care. MJ is a great program. Has great players. Juggernaut I can't say that. At the end of the day it's about the lives you touched and the lives you positively touched. It's about the relationships you build, not how many wins or rings you have on your finger. Those things are not gonna impress Peter at the gates.

 

I'm gonna ask my original question to you or FightinIllini or any other person in the MJ Baseball ring know......I mean Gold"

 

 

First of all, my post started with a topic about social media, the coaches role, the players role the parents role at the high school level and the college level, since I happen to lucky enough to have both.......

 

I never mentioned what it would take to make me happy , a particular coach school or anything of the sort. OrangeCrush mentioned MJ........ then a bunch of you took off on that..

 

If you read my post in this thread I try to go back to the original topic. Again if a player obviously makes an error in judgement, he should be dealt with... If a parent cannot control their behavior then they again should be dealt with.. I do disagree with punishing a player for what a parent has done.... that is bad policy at any level.... ( watch Hoosiers)

 

As far as the parents roles you mentioned, everyone has their opinion, I'm sure most parents help out in the conession stand ...The only thing I "personally" care about is becoming a better baseball player, the health and well being of my son and winning...

 

I have heard many many coaches talk about building relationships, making memories etc... and that's fine too, but that is between the players and the coaches.....not me..... I personally do not have to or need to have a relationship with anyone of the coaching staff. If I do have a freindship with them that's fine, but if I dont that fine as well.

 

As far as second guessing a coach, that's part of the game, that's part of being a fan, there is nothing wrong with looking a another parent or fan and saying hey I would have bunted in that siuation, or man that pitcher is ready to come out..... sure I have heard all of that and said it myself but you act like there's a mob of fan's yelling that the coach is a bum or something.....

 

As far as " at the end of the day its about lives you touched ....blah blah blah your a coach right,.....? you want to win right ? . I assume you coach at some high school around here.... you lose the arguement when you start to attack people.

 

as far as mother talking about their sons not getting to play and how they cannot assess talent, they are mothers... get it..... mothers....who cares what they want to say to make them feel better about it.....

 

as far as the parents only thinking it's about D1 and my kid is D1 " or what ever you were talking about ........ sure everyone parent wants that for their son if that's their sons dream..... Oh and by the way my son is a D1 prospect so does that mean it's ok for me to say it but not anyone else?

 

I think sometimes coaches feel guilty about the things they said, didn't do etc.... and then they come on this board and want to teach all the parents how they feel they should act...

 

Spend your teim coaching and teaching the game of baseball .... and stop worrying about the parents.....

Edited June 12, 2013 by FightinIllini

[williamsoncounty]

I am also an outsider to the program, but the funniest thing posted under this topic was calling Mt. Juliet baseball a "juggernaut".