COACHES NOT SERIOUS ENOUGH

[softball019]

ANY SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO GET SOFTBALL COACHES TO BE MORE SERIOUS ABGOUT SOFTBALL? SOME OF THEM JUST USE SOFTBALL AS A FILL IN BETWEEN FOOTBALL. SOME OF THE PLAYERS PLAY SOFTBALL ONLY AND MAY NEED THE SOFTBALL TO HELP THEM GET IN COLLEGE. THE MORE GAMES THE MORE RECOGNITION. IT ISN'T LIKE FOOTBALL WHERE THE BOYS CAN'T PLAY BUT 1 GAME A WEEK. THEY NEED TO SEE THE DIFFERANCE BETWEEN THE 2 SPORTS.

[FPFanatic]

this is a universal problem. you might suggest they

buy books, tapes, and go to clinics and seminars...

but, as they say, you can lead a horse to water, but

you can not make him drink. good luck, but this problem

will not be rectified until coaches who have played the

game get the coaching jobs. and this will be awhile,

in the mean time, bear with it, make the best of a bad

situation, or another option would be to file a Title IX

complaint if there is a clearcut case of the school not

providing equally balanced opportunies for the girls in

the way of facilities, coaching, or resources.

hang in there!

 

also, the few coaches that take the time to post on

this forum are generally all good coaches that are serious

about coaching girls. in reality, these coaches are a vast

minority, or a fraction of all the coaches out there.

you can look at the schools where coaches are changed every

year or two, and it's these schools where some kind of

problem is going on. its those coaches that don't appear to

be serious about fastpitch so they should not be coaching

anyway, they only hurt the girls if they take the job for

the wrong reasons. you don't hear much about coaches who

leave after a short time because they were too serious about

the sport, its usually the other way around.

[Edited by FPFanatic on 2-6-03 2:22P]

 

[SportzGuy]

This is a topic that I feel strongly about and I˜m glad to see that someone started a thread about this. I believe there are two types of coaches. The first is the coach who coaches his/her team on the basis that they˜re only out there to have fun and nothing else matters. Yes, they do enjoy winning games over losing them; however, winning is not nearly as important as just simply knowing that the girls are having fun. The second type of coach is the one who coaches his/her team on the basis that winning is the ultimate goal. This type of coach is the coach who is ˜serious˜ (enough) about the game. He/she coaches because: they love the game for what it is, love the competitiveness, love being a teacher of the game, love discipline, love winning, hate losing, and yes, also love having fun. The second type of coach is strong with his/her discipline and compassionate about the game and about having the respect from the players (through that discipline) that it takes to be a winner on and off the field. I truly believe that many of the first type of coaches don˜t even know that they are that type of coach. I would bet that only a small percentage would admit to being the type of coaches that coach for fun and for fun almost entirely. I have seen very few ˜real coaches˜ out there today. Many of you reading this may know of a man named Mel Brown. Coach Brown has won more Tennessee High School Baseball State Championships that any other coach in history˜Mr. Brown is a ˜real coach.˜ I˜m sure there are more, but the only coaches that come to my mind in the Nashville area that are true ˜second type˜ coaches are Don Lockridge, Ricky Gulley, and Sam Camp. These men are ˜serious enough˜ about the game of softball, they model after Coach Mel Brown (whether they realize it or not), and they play to win.

[ScreenName]

Ok thank you SportzGuy for your novel on how to be a good coach but i dont really see the relation to this thread. I have heard of Don Lockridge bc my sister played for his Eagle Summer team and i know of Sam Camp bc he coach the firebirds... but who is Ricky Gully?

[ajc]

I think as softball has boomed in Tennessee, the quality of coaching will continue to increase. As I attend the coaches/umpires meetings I see more and more young enthusiastic people entering the coaching profession.

 

Some schools are tied by hiring quality teachers and coaches. Hopefully more players who love the sport and could be a quality teacher will enter the teaching field. There are some great clincs offered periodically in the Nashville area. I had an chance several years ago to attend a clinic with the coach from Arizona and several Olympians. If that doesn't get you excited about the upcoming season nothing will.

 

Play Ball

[ERA]

You have to look strongly at the example the college ranks are showing. Certain colleges are noted for their emphasis on football, others basketball and others baseball etc. You find great basketball coaches not picking a school that's known for football prowess because the money and underlying support structure would be a struggle and would wind up as a bottom feeder program.

 

The same can be said for the high school programs. No school will admit that one sport supercedes another yet it is a fact of life when dividing resources and traditions. What you will find are kids and coaches making choices of schools that best fits their needs rather than trying to change the system at collegiate level. That choice isn't simple in high school level athletics but it is clear warning that trying to change attitude in a system starts from the top and the top is not a place for contention when it comes to making decisions. They will make those choices only if it benefits whatever purpose they hold in highest regard.

[Edited by ERA on 2-6-03 5:06P]

 

[littball99]

As a 14u travel ball softball coach, I've been worried that I might me working our team too hard to the exclusion of other activities our players might be involved with! Given the chance, at least one of our assistant coaches and myself would probably practice continuously all year round! We've converted our garage into a softball training facility, with a pitching and hitting area and built a batting cage at the end of the driveway with night lights. Even with many perks and conveniences to players and parents, I have found the enthusiasm and energy of our coaching staff to more than match most players!! For example, our team raised enough money last year to pay most of the cost of the World Series in Panama City for multiple players, paid for many meals, offered solid coaching and still felt that some of the players lacked sufficient motivation and love for softball. I'm pleased that CoachT's website has so many enthusiastic players and coaches online. We have 2-3 openings on our 14u travel team for highly motivated and talented players. We practice every weekend(since early Jan). Call Coach Bill for tryout 615 444 5914 or 615 444 0469 or Coach Randy 931 363 6785. Check website www.eteamz.com/lebanonintimidators

[catchman]

No one knows what its takes to be the ideal coach, we all have our own opinion of coaches, You get that opinion from watching or playing for that person. I think a serious coach needs to know what it takes to help a player through her slumps, if its batting, throwing, pitching, or catchers.It would help the player and team if he[ or she] had some idea on how to help her.

Coaches clinics are good, but i think there sould be 2 kind of clinics, one on how to handle your players and another on how to fix mechanics of whatever problem she is having. I also think it would help your players if the coaches had some idea on how to pitch, throw. batt. and field a ball. It takes more than standing at a base , just to tell a girl to run or not, Iam not saying that a coach needs to be an instructor, but have an idea on how toos.

Why dont we ask the girls what they think it takes to be a good coach, You know we might learn something. Most players that has played travel ball can give us a better idea on this subject if we will listen. There is always some that has had a bad experence no matter where they have played.

Remember this game is for the GIRLS, not for MOM and DAD or COACHES with egos.

[SportzGuy]

The title of this thread is "COACHES NOT SERIOUS ENOUGH" and I simply stated why many coaches are not very serious. Perhaps the person who started this thread intended on something different, but I saw the title and went with it. Ricky Gulley is a man who has coached baseball and softball in the Nashville area for several years, but has not coached softball in the last couple of years. However, he is very disciplined and he is not a coach that is "not serious enough."