High school coaches....thank you

I second that!
Coach Strecker, Coach Cody, Coach Carnley, Coach Simmons, THANK YOU! You've done more than you know, and more than you get credit for. Hopefully there are some rewards in there, too.

And the same goes for those from T-ball on up. Coach Mike, Coach Keith, Coach Justin, Coach Hugh, Coach Greg, Coach Doug, Coach Bob, Coach John. Thanks, guys!

I'm with you 100% plus!

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Both of my boys played HS baseball and their varsity coach was not too good at all. He was a football coach who was supported by the AD/Varsity football coach. The primary reason he was selected to coach baseball was his football connection.

I won't speak for this coach's sophomore football coaching capabilities, but he was disappointing as a varsity baseball coach. He lasted four years before the administration wised up and replaced him with a solid baseball guy. The baseball families within our district were satisfied to see the change made.

My oldest son had a very good coach for varsity his sophomore year, but then had this poor coach for the next two years. My youngest son, unfortunately, had the poor coach for his junior year and was not on the team due to injury his senior year. He was hit by a pitch during the summer and aside from having two bones broken in his wrist it also required two surgeries to repair cartilage damage. Very frustrating...and then the coach would not allow him to be a member of the team his senior year. He had the right for not allowing our son on the team, but we sure wish the coach could have found a way to keep our son involved, thereby reducing the frustration of a very good baseball player.

CaBB, as much as you and your son have enjoyed and appreciated your son's coach our sons were in a situation completely the opposite. Our sons' coach did very little of the good things that your son's coach did and will continue to do. Your son's coach deserves the respect and praise that he is receiving. Good for him and all of the many, many good coaches out there. The really good one's are worth their weight in gold!

The new varsity baseball coach at our high school is doing a wonderful job. He's doing many of the good things that you have mentioned. Both of our sons are beyond high school, but I have sought out this new coach to let him know personally what a good job he is doing. He was grateful...especially when being congratulated by a parent who no longer has sons on the baseball team. He's earned my respect and praise. He's good. He's a baseball guy.

And by the way...I checked this morning on the stipend that our school will pay next year for the varsity baseball coaches. Here it is...

Head coach: 0-7 years exp. $6113/season
Head coach: 7+ years exp. $7225/season

Asst. coach: 0-7 years exp. $4891/season
Asst. coach: 7+ years exp. $5780/season

That's not an insignificant amount. The new coach is earning his keep...no question. The former coach? Well, he's gone.


To all of the good coaches out there, here is my sincere tip of the cap to you.

Keep up the good work...you're making a difference!

A head baseball coach makes a lot of sacifices for that stipend. Some coaches in So Cal put in over 880 hours a year into their baseball programs, and that is just the time allocated to practices, travel and games. A lot of hours are used in adminstrative requirements for the team. I know my son's baseball coach is always the 1st there and the last to leave. He is there for games over 40 weeks out of the year. This would translate to an hourly wage of $8.21 an hour for a coach with over 7 years experience. A baby sitter charges more. The coach misses his family 2 day an evening during the week. Don't forget the weekend games and the summer high school league, fall ball and winter ball.

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Kudos to that very dedicated coach and the many, many coaches like him.

He is on the exact opposite end of the scale as the poor coach I described earlier.

I'm going to make an educated guess after consulting with our son and say that our former coach was earning around $30.00/hour ($6113/200 hours = $30.56/hr.) and those hours may even be generous [(35 games/season x 4 hrs./game*) + (2 practices/wk. x 2 hr./practice x 12 wks.) + (12 hrs. of misc. duties throughout the season **) = 200 hrs./season] If he had qualified for 7+ years of experience then his hourly earnings would have been just over $36.00/hr. ($7225/200 hrs. = $36.12/hr.).

Summer league participation is paid for separately and is in addition to what I have shown. No fall ball. No winter ball.

I'll say it again...the good coaches are worth their weight in gold.





* Includes travel time: 50% at home and 50% away. Average approx. 1 hr. travel time /game. Allowing 2 hrs./game for playing time and 1 hr. for warm-ups and field prep. This totals 4 hr./game.

** This includes mandatory coaches meetings, pre-season meeting with players and parents, and season ending banquet. This is probably generous.


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quote:

Well, he's gone.

But not forgotten.

I was in the process of doing the math to figure out how much the coach made, but the good ol' woodman beat me to it. Not a bad gig for not doing much, not even coaching. His philosophy, as he once told me before he started coaching games, was to "let the game unfold naturally". He didn't even COACH the games!


We are still in touch with his predecessor, the GOOD coach, who got run out of town primarily for trying to actually COACH baseball (but he did tell the Athletic Director that he was NOT going to coach football in the fall). He has moved to sunny southern California where he and his new wife are expecting QUADRUPLETS in September. All boys. I offered my hope that they live in a school district with a baseball program with a GOOD COACH!

Wow GotWood- your coaches make ALOT of money compared to our coaches. I think our head coaches stipend is only about $2500! Yes that's right-for the entire season a whopping twenty-five hundred dollars.

I don't know what we did right to deserve this but my son's 4 years at the public high school have been fantastic, in baseball and academics. Fantastic dedicated teachers and baseball coaches. Sometimes good things do happen to good people(my son is a great person although he didn't get it from me).

Ok, enough of this sappy stuff, bash away but do remember to thank the good ones.

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quote:

Originally posted by CaBB:
Ok, enough of this sappy stuff...

Wow CaBB...you really put that one on the tee for me!



Is this how it is done back there in New England 20dad? Sap to syrup...sweet!



Seriously CaBB, I thought our coaches made about what you stated...$2500 or so. I checked with our high school this morning and discovered otherwise.

I have consistently praised the good coaches. They're very valuable. I have praised our new coach and withheld my praise for our former coach...he hadn't earned it.

I'm truly happy for you and your son for having had such a wonderful coach or coaches. I think it is good of you to recognize the good fortune that you and your son have experienced. Good coaches deserve a well earned pat on the back.

quote:

Good coaches deserve a well earned pat on the back

They also deserve a season-ending party which includes a lovely gift (certificate)! Which is what I try to organize for all of the good coaches for our kids...(Unfortunately we missed a few of the varsity baseball years.)

I have nothing but praise for my son's HS baseball coach. He went well above and beyond for my son and many others. You would hear criticisms from time to time, but nothing that he actually deserved or that was correct. I think that most coaches do a lot more than they ever are given credit for.

There are coaches out there that do a poor job. We have a poster here who's daughter is obviously playing softball for one right now. It's difficult when that happens and I don't believe there are any easy answers. I'm just thankful that my kids had the opportunity to be blessed with the coach they had!

We have an interesting case going on here in my city now and a HS baseball coach has been suspended for suspected (or accused - whatever the correct word is!) of embezzeling funds. I don't know what will happen or what is actually the truth - it will be interesting though to hear all the scoop involved on both sides.

Thank you, Coach Hopkins!

Not sure whether I'm a "good" coach or not (especially after the season I had THIS year), but I may hit the record for pay....

In my 13th season at a co-ed Catholic school in the mid-west, I have topped out ($32 pay raise every year) at $1,438.00, before deductions (Yep, that's what I'll make from now on!!!)

One year my assistant and I figured out that with all the time working on the field in the summer and fall, as well as getting it ready in the spring, building batting cages, fixing equipment, cutting grass, working on drainage, etc....I was making $2.32 per hour. And that doesn't count the money I put in out of my own pocket, or the money I LOST being out of my office every day at 2:00 during March, April and May.

And I ask myself again: What exactly IS this sickness that I have? And why do I readily admit that if my school told me today that there would be NO PAY at all, I'd be right back out there tomorrow? My mom and dad must be convinced they raised at least one idiot child....