Why would someone coach?

[Neil]

Why do coaches coach? Because they absolutely enjoy doing so, they want to help teenagers improve their game, and they hope to make a difference in their players' lives.

[Edited by Neil on 2-12-03 1:26P]

[Gulleyball]

Some of the things you listed are true. Such as, parents wanting you gone after a single bad season when their daughter rode the bench all year. Well maybe their daughter should learn the game so she could get off her butt and help out the team. But anyways, you coach because you love the game and you love teaching others the game, and you love the competitive nature. Coach because you love everything about the game!

[FPFanatic]

neil, sounds like you had a bad day at the office(lol)

no one forces coaches to coach, it's a free country.

if they don't want to coach, then they should get out

of it and do something else. After all, if they don't

want to coach, everyone sees right through it, and they

do a disservice to the girls. I see what you are saying

though, coaches like all teachers do not get paid enough

(my wife is a teacher also), and if they coach some other

sport, then the supplement is still not adequate. Hiring

teachers that coach only softball would take care of part

of the problem, that way they would only have to coach

one sport, like they do a lot of times in baseball or

basketball, so why not softball? Softball players deserve

the same amount of time and attention and work as do any

other sport, and when softball coaches do a good job, it is

appreciated by the people that know.

[Neil]

Gulleyball, you are right. Most of the coaches I know coach because they love the game, they enjoy coaching, and they are competitive. I started this thread because I had been reading another thread about which is better, high school ball or travel ball. To me, it's like comparing apples to oranges. I, for one , happen to like both. Nonetheless, a number of people seem to put down high school softball mainly because they don't think their high school coach is worth a darn. I was hoping some of these people might reconsider bashing their coach so much in a public forum such as this.

[Edited by Neil on 1-14-03 3:54P]

[Neil]

FPFanatic, I agree with your assessment. Indeed, I did have a bad day at the office. My wife's mad because I forgot to take out the trash. My boss is upset because I called her Mrs. instead of Ms., and my dog barked all night.

[FPFanatic]

neil, those things happen to all of us, know what you mean,

good luck to you this year,

[Neil]

Gotta go. Someone just let me know my car's gettin' towed.

[MotlowShortstop4]

I just wanted to reply to your post, maybe to add a different prospective on this questionable situation. Currently, I am making my way through college to which I will one day hopefully fulfill the requirement to become an elementary school teacher. Besides teaching, I also want to coach softball. The reasons for someone wanting to coach softball go far beyond the money or the time. Of course, teachers/coaches do not make a lot of money. Of course, coaches may be faced with many overwhelming obstacles (such as the lack of talent or the parents), but whose life doesn't have some chaos? Most good coaches do not coach for what they can get out of it, but they coach for what they can give to it. The coaches that only see the negative aspects of coaching are the ones that should either not be coaching because apparently they are coaching for the wrong reasons or they should look at the bright side of things. Even if one gets to the point to where he or she thinks that things couldn't possibly get any worse, (such as only having won 2 games all year, having every parent except for his/her "star" player on his/her case, and it seems like with every new day, he/she is faced with a new challengeS)...at least they are fortunate enough to have a profession which they love. Most "true" athletes envy their former teammate that went to school and became that teacher/coach that is always in the newspaper (whether good or bad), that gets to show up to work everyday knowing that they love what they do, and that whether they have money or not, they will always have THE GAME. Almost everyone wants to go to college and major in that outstanding career that makes tons and tons of money each year, but it takes a true "game-lover" to willing sit aside that "greed" for cash and become that coach who spends every ounce of his or her free time practicing that extra 15 minutes, going to clinics on the weekends trying to learn more about the game, and staying up all night worrying if he or she could have done a little bit more to improve the abilities of that one particular player, who loves the game almost as much as you do.

[MotlowShortstop4]

I just wanted to reply to your post, maybe to add a different prospective on this questionable situation. Currently, I am making my way through college to which I will one day hopefully fulfill the requirement to become an elementary school teacher. Besides teaching, I also want to coach softball. The reasons for someone wanting to coach softball go far beyond the money or the time. Of course, teachers/coaches do not make a lot of money. Of course, coaches may be faced with many overwhelming obstacles (such as the lack of talent or the parents), but whose life doesn't have some chaos? Most good coaches do not coach for what they can get out of it, but they coach for what they can give to it. The coaches that only see the negative aspects of coaching are the ones that should either not be coaching because apparently they are coaching for the wrong reasons or they should look at the bright side of things. Even if one gets to the point to where he or she thinks that things couldn't possibly get any worse, (such as only having won 2 games all year, having every parent except for his/her "star" player on his/her case, and it seems like with every new day, he/she is faced with a new challengeS)...at least they are fortunate enough to have a profession which they love. Most "true" athletes envy their former teammate that went to school and became that teacher/coach that is always in the newspaper (whether good or bad), that gets to show up to work everyday knowing that they love what they do, and that whether they have money or not, they will always have THE GAME. Almost everyone wants to go to college and major in that outstanding career that makes tons and tons of money each year, but it takes a true "game-lover" to willing sit aside that "greed" for cash and become that coach who spends every ounce of his or her free time practicing that extra 15 minutes, going to clinics on the weekends trying to learn more about the game, and staying up all night worrying if he or she could have done a little bit more to improve the abilities of that one particular player, who loves the game almost as much as you do.

[FPFanatic]

motlowss4, the future of the game sounds like it is in

great hands if you and more like you go into coaching.

That's the biggest missing ingredient, players who have

played the game, and love it so much that they go into

coaching. You made my day seeing your refreshing comments.

[cornpup]

What can I say Motlowshortstop4; you're right. And when you're right you're right. And you're right!

[sbcoach]

Why Coach?

1 Have you ever seen a player(sub) catch a fly ball in the outfield who was so scared, hoping that they wouldn't hit the ball to them & they wet their pants when the ball came their way? And catch it

2 Have you had a player when you asked them if they wanted to bat & said no after seeing the pitcher. They get up to the plate, the ball somehow hits the bat & they get on base

3 Have you played in a national championship game only to lose the game & go tell the players that they are winners

4 Have you had a parent come up to you and ask why you didn't start their 9 year old, might cost them a chance for a college scholarship

 

Why coach??

[Edited by sbcoach on 1-15-03 8:28A]