coach2709 posted:Hi Coach, I do not think you have misunderstood some of what my point is. I will boil it down to this: If winning is the #1 Priority for a HS Coach, then absolutely yes, if he has a clue, the team would likely have a better chance to win if he calls pitches. If developing the pitcher is the motive, then absolutely without question letting him shake & throw his own game is the way to go. This is my OPINION that happens to be shared by many with vastly more experience than myself or anyone else probably posting here. I offered it & suggested that the coaching ego is the primary factor in determining which side of this fence you fall on. Ironhorse told me I was "ignorant." Now, I am ignorant on many things but I am not ignorant on this topic.
Just so you know I'm a high school athletic director and to be perfectly honest if the HS coach isn't winning then there's a chance we may go a different route. So winning is a priority but also being HS and coaches are dealt the hand they are dealt it's not number one priority. Are they helping to produce good young men and do they act in a way that represents our school positively will help a coach keep their job but yes their win / loss record can play into if they will keep their job or not.
Whether you mean to or not I'm taking most of your posts as it's one way or the other. HS coaches are either looking to win and not develop VS just looking to develop. Overall with most HS coaches they want to do all three - win, develop good ball players and develop good people. None of those are mutually exclusive of each other. That's what I tried to do when I was a head coach and that's what our overall philosophy is at my school for all athletics. The whole question of who develops more college / pro ready players is really a loaded question because there's only so much you can get out of someone based on natural God - given talent.
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Also, I see nothing wrong with an ego. I have an ego and every good coach has one. Even bad ones have egos. Yes part of my ego is tied up in wins and losses. I want to win and I want people to to know I won. But my ego is also tied up into developing players. I want to develop guys in college or pro prospects. I want people to know those kids came from my program. Lastly, my ego is tied up in these guys becoming fine young men. I want people to know if you leave my program you may never play baseball again but you're someone you can hire or will support a family. Once again there's no reason both sides of the fence can't be accomplished here.
Very rational. Makes sense & I understand the perspective. I feel that if the MS Program & JV Program allowed the pitcher / catcher to steer the ship a bit (call & shake pitches), you would have Varsity Players with a far superior understanding of the game & ultimately superior players to those who just nod their head for 7 years & are told how to do it by a coach.
My opinion, again, opinion, is that yes, winning is important & the goal of the team. I get that. I can tell you that the vast majority of people you may think are impressed by your winning really could not care less. What does matter, ultimately, is the quality of individual your program produces, as you admit. I am simply suggesting that this individual would be better suited to tackle life after your program if they were trusted to think for themselves in pressure situations. There is not going to be a coach calling pitches for him in his job interview when he has to think for himself. The coach will not be there to call pitches for him when he is faced with a difficult scenario at work or in everyday life.
I employ 6 people. I can tell you that the ones who come to me every 5 minutes asking me to solve their problem (having done nothing on their own) are the ones who do not last. The ones who take the initiative, are not afraid to fail & like to "call their own game," are the stars. The others are generally yes men with limited creativity who are still looking for the coach to call the pitches.