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Reply to "HS Baseball Pre-season Parent Meetings"

cabbagedad posted:
Smitty28 posted:

Hey Smitty,

Glad to share my perspective but I should first point out that I have a different take on how I look at HS baseball than you do.  Nothing wrong with that and I am aware that I have an obvious bias as a coach.  I don't look at HS ball as a means to an end.  I take into consideration that most HS players at most schools won't go on to play college ball and their HS experience may very well be the height of their competitive playing days.  I also find HS ball to be special and unique -many other ways, including playing for your school that all your family and friends went to, playing for your community, long-standing cross-town rivalries, etc.  I feel I would be cheating the players of a very special experience if I treated it as just a means to an end... just a pipeline to the next level.  It deserves billing as the main event that it is for so many.  In fact, as I stay in close touch with our many players who do go on to play in college successfully, most have a HS ball experience as their  best baseball memory.  For many, beating their crosstown rival in HS carries more cred than making the conference semi's in college, even though the latter is an achievement at a higher level.  College ball is special in it's own way but it is also where it really starts to become more of a job and some of the hometown community thing is often lost. 

OK, so with that said...

Generally, HS players will benefit a great deal from finding good instructors and trainers to work with outside of the HS program.  I think most everyone recognizes this.  A few of the potential pitfalls of balancing private lessons and training during the baseball season are conflicting instruction, scheduling conflict and the health of the player.

For us, the big key is communication and commitment.  We encourage outside instruction and training (including during season) but constantly discuss the importance of speaking up when the player runs across instruction that seems to conflict.  We explain that there are often more than one "right" ways, different ways to convey the same message coming from different angles or using different terminology.  In the rare occasion when there actually is a different mechanic being taught, we try to explain the differences and determine which will work best for the player.  As you said, at the end of the day, they have to perform.  We try to be a part of an environment where the player can learn to identify and separate the absolutes from the other aspects where he can take the most helpful teaches from each source and really benefit from a variety of coaching and training.  Obviously, there has to be a hierarchy to the player's commitment and during the HS season, it must be with his HS team.  So, while he is encouraged to continue his outside instruction, it must be scheduled outside of the team required practice time.  With pitching, of course, this becomes much more challenging because pitching lessons involve pitching and the player must be fresh for his HS team bullpens and games.   This is far more difficult to achieve while maintaining proper arm care.  If there is a P who is not getting innings with the HS program, it can be more doable.  Again, communication is key.

 

Hi Cabbage, thanks for the thoughtful response.  Your position is very reasonable, and I think your view of HS ball is very reasonable and appropriate.  My view is somewhat colored by the fact that my kid goes to a very small private school where sports are, to some kids, extracurricular activities while to others they are extremely important and supplemented by lots of outside training.  With that said, I commend your willingness to take a holistic approach to the players development and incorporate education of the mechanics into the mix.  I would welcome your approach.  I'm sure your kids are better for it.

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