Both the baseball and softball teams, in addition to some other sports were conference doormats before my kids hit high school. The football team was so bad they were always behind by 35+ at the half. The second half was running clock. The soccer team outdrew the football team. Talented athletes in those sports with money headed for privates and Catholics. Other kids just passed on sports.
Parents didn't change the situation. Parents were part of the problem. Parents owned the coaches and the AD. If a coach was too tough on their precious cupcake he/she was fired at the request of the parents. The softball coach was fired for telling a team with an eighteen game losing streak they didn't have any pride and are only there to collect a varsity letter for their college resume. A baseball coach with seventeen losing seasons in twenty years was allowed to stay because the parents liked him. He played "the right players."
A new AD came in and changed the environment. Losing coaches were fired. Coaches who were steamrolled by parents were fired. A bunch of top assistants from big winning programs were hired as head coaches. The baseball coach came from a team that's a regular at states. The softball coach came from one of the top showcase programs.
It took a couple of years to weed out the cancers on the rosters and in the stands. But these coaches did it. Off season programs were implemented for the first time. There was discipline. There were expectations. As the teams became winners certain players became leaders. My son played for two conference champions and a second place team. One team as the first to go to states. My daughter played on four conference champions and two trips to states,
These coaches also had input on JV, freshman and middle school coaching hires. A program of consistency and expectations was put in place. The coaches got involved in the baseball/softball community down to the preteen level. They ran clinics for 7-12 year olds. They were selling the program. By the time my kids arrived at high school a lot of good players were choosing to play for the high school rather than head for privates and Catholics. We/my kids took a chance. They were on the first winning teams in years their first year of varsity.
The softball coach was a great coach and a great person. I also coached with her in the travel program. She was also an assistant coach when I coached travel basketball.
The baseball coach has plenty of personal and coaching flaws to rip. But as I told other parents when they started in on the guy, he brought structure, discipline, an off season program and winning to the program. And the kids don't hate him.