How to Let Coach Know You're Working On Your Own?

ironhorse posted:

Golfman25 posted:

This is the kind of crap that really irritates me.  I really think our HS should partner with a local facility.  They can just do more than a HS coach can in the off season.  It's not about face time with the kids.  It's about making better ballplayers. 

Local facility owner was telling me about back when his kid played at a local high school.  They would open their place on Sunday nights and players would come in for live pitching & hitting.  First weeks of the season, they would hit the ground running having already played several games worth of hitting.  Can't do that in a HS gym. 

I agree. I tried to partner with a local strength and conditioning place and got out kids a great discount on  12-week offseason baseball specific program. Very affordable. I hammered their parents about how important it was. And it would allow us to do all baseball skills in the athletic period.

6 kids signed up..... 

I can see that happening the first time around.  So you may need to twist some arms.  But after a few seasons, I would hope it's second nature.  Most of us are spending the money anyway. 

Golf, keep in mind that, for most of this stuff, HS regulations play a huge role and that varies by state.  Here in Calif. for example, a player cannot participate with any outside program while in season.  And, of course, a coach has to make his own rules as to how that applies to workouts and practice prior to first games.  You obviously can't have players not participating as a team (because they are involved in travel org activities) and then, all of a sudden, show up for game 1.  There is so much to take into consideration and each situation will warrant a different set of guidelines.  To what extent do you allow players to work out with the travel org instead of with the HS team?  It may seem like a distinct advantage when you just look at it from the player's standpoint but what will it look like to the other players and parents?   Where do you draw the line?  What is best for the school, team and program?  The coach is hired to protect the best interest of all of the above, not just the development of each individual. 

Also, we face tons of do's and mostly don'ts regarding what we require or encourage, such as participation in local outside training facilities.  Our school district (and state fed) is VERY concerned about suggesting a player HAVE to pay for ANYTHING.  Offering up a discount program at the local facility seems like such an obvious positive but the first parent that claims unfair disadvantage to one who can't afford even a heavily discounted rate throws the whole thing into a legal rat's nest.  And you can bank on there being "that parent" pretty much every year, every opportunity.  We charge less than $100 for our spirit packs and there is $100 transportation fee.  That is the entire cost to the student for participation in our baseball program.  Yet, we have to craft the communication very carefully, not to suggest that the fees are required, yet not to discourage the vast majority that can afford to pay from paying.  It's all really ridiculous but comes with the territory for a great many coaches. 

Golfman25 posted:

ironhorse posted:

Golfman25 posted:

This is the kind of crap that really irritates me.  I really think our HS should partner with a local facility.  They can just do more than a HS coach can in the off season.  It's not about face time with the kids.  It's about making better ballplayers. 

Local facility owner was telling me about back when his kid played at a local high school.  They would open their place on Sunday nights and players would come in for live pitching & hitting.  First weeks of the season, they would hit the ground running having already played several games worth of hitting.  Can't do that in a HS gym. 

I agree. I tried to partner with a local strength and conditioning place and got out kids a great discount on  12-week offseason baseball specific program. Very affordable. I hammered their parents about how important it was. And it would allow us to do all baseball skills in the athletic period.

6 kids signed up..... 

I can see that happening the first time around.  So you may need to twist some arms.  But after a few seasons, I would hope it's second nature.  Most of us are spending the money anyway. 

I don't agree.  You should not mix public school sports with private enterprise!  "Voluntary" workouts at the local facility at a cost is ridiculous.  

cabbagedad posted:

Golf, keep in mind that, for most of this stuff, HS regulations play a huge role and that varies by state.  Here in Calif. for example, a player cannot participate with any outside program while in season.  And, of course, a coach has to make his own rules as to how that applies to workouts and practice prior to first games.  You obviously can't have players not participating as a team (because they are involved in travel org activities) and then, all of a sudden, show up for game 1.  There is so much to take into consideration and each situation will warrant a different set of guidelines.  To what extent do you allow players to work out with the travel org instead of with the HS team?  It may seem like a distinct advantage when you just look at it from the player's standpoint but what will it look like to the other players and parents?   Where do you draw the line?  What is best for the school, team and program?  The coach is hired to protect the best interest of all of the above, not just the development of each individual. 

Also, we face tons of do's and mostly don'ts regarding what we require or encourage, such as participation in local outside training facilities.  Our school district (and state fed) is VERY concerned about suggesting a player HAVE to pay for ANYTHING.  Offering up a discount program at the local facility seems like such an obvious positive but the first parent that claims unfair disadvantage to one who can't afford even a heavily discounted rate throws the whole thing into a legal rat's nest.  And you can bank on there being "that parent" pretty much every year, every opportunity.  We charge less than $100 for our spirit packs and there is $100 transportation fee.  That is the entire cost to the student for participation in our baseball program.  Yet, we have to craft the communication very carefully, not to suggest that the fees are required, yet not to discourage the vast majority that can afford to pay from paying.  It's all really ridiculous but comes with the territory for a great many coaches. 

 

Yes I know the regs get in the way.  In IL we can have "open gyms" meaning anyone can come.  But the coaches can only supervise and make sure kids aren't going to hurt themselves.  They can't coach, which kind of defeats the purpose.  Our coach would sit in the dugout and grade papers, even if little johnny's swing was all messed up. 

So what have some of these guys done.  They have skirted the rules and created their own "travel organizations" outside of the school.  So the HS kids play for the travel organization and offseason workouts are thru them.  It works really good for most players.  Those that are D1 potential will play with a different organization.  But most other kids will join the coach's team.  Teams that do it make runs in the playoffs. 

Several of the post on this thread and many on this site have the theme of, "HS ball is not my son's priority, but I want my son to be HS ball's priority".....

d8 posted:

Several of the post on this thread and many on this site have the theme of, "HS ball is not my son's priority, but I want my son to be HS ball's priority".....

 

Not sure where that comes from. My kid flat out says he gets more out of his travel team work for 2 reasons.  1). Coaches - they can coach and push. 2) competition - they work with groups of like minded players who are all serious about it.  So they get after it.  Can't get that in our HS.  

Thats balanced by the benefit of the HS workouts - FaceTime with coaches and team bonding. 

Golfman25 posted:

d8 posted:

Several of the post on this thread and many on this site have the theme of, "HS ball is not my son's priority, but I want my son to be HS ball's priority".....

 

Not sure where that comes from. My kid flat out says he gets more out of his travel team work for 2 reasons.  1). Coaches - they can coach and push. 2) competition - they work with groups of like minded players who are all serious about it.  So they get after it.  Can't get that in our HS.  

Thats balanced by the benefit of the HS workouts - FaceTime with coaches and team bonding. 

Golf, you listed your son's priorities as "travel program, school work, and then the HS baseball program". That's fine by me, but that may not give him the best chance of reaching his goals with the high school team. The HS coach has a different perspective than your son. When he's putting together his early season lineup he's not asking himself, "Who best prepared in the off-season?" He's probably asking himself, "Who showed up to everything that we offered, worked hard, etc?" The high school season doesn't last long. If the guys ahead of your son perform well from the start, your son may not get an opportunity to show what he can do.

MidAtlanticDad posted:

Golfman25 posted:

d8 posted:

Several of the post on this thread and many on this site have the theme of, "HS ball is not my son's priority, but I want my son to be HS ball's priority".....

 

Not sure where that comes from. My kid flat out says he gets more out of his travel team work for 2 reasons.  1). Coaches - they can coach and push. 2) competition - they work with groups of like minded players who are all serious about it.  So they get after it.  Can't get that in our HS.  

Thats balanced by the benefit of the HS workouts - FaceTime with coaches and team bonding. 

Golf, you listed your son's priorities as "travel program, school work, and then the HS baseball program". That's fine by me, but that may not give him the best chance of reaching his goals with the high school team. The HS coach has a different perspective than your son. When he's putting together his early season lineup he's not asking himself, "Who best prepared in the off-season?" He's probably asking himself, "Who showed up to everything that we offered, worked hard, etc?" The high school season doesn't last long. If the guys ahead of your son perform well from the start, your son may not get an opportunity to show what he can do.

I think there is a misunderstanding.  It's not that HS baseball isn't a priority. In fact, once the season starts it is the priority.  But now it's the offseason preperation.  He is doing it all.  There is no time conflict with the programs - they work at different times.  But if a test or homework project is due, he has to decide what he'll miss.  Right now it probably would be HS workouts.  

And you're right when the first depth chart is penciled in it might cost him.  But the coach likes doubles and the kid led all players in doubles last year.  So hopefully the coach uses pencil. ��

Since the high school season is like two months long the coach may in fact be making his line up by who prepared most in the off season.  He won't have time to whip anyone into shape.  I just wish the kid would tell the coach all that he's doing.

I'm pretty sure coaches make the line up based on who the best hitters/fielders/pitchers are.

HS baseball takes priority if a player wants to be part of the program. Don't matter who my son is or what his outside travel ball regimin is. If everyone else on his team has to be there, he will be there, any place, any time. Summer and Fall are basic, play with the HS during the week and play club ball on weekends. Tournaments during the week or out of state are the only times the HS coach would be notified. Out here in so.cal, players play year around, usually only taking August off. Coaches are used to this routine from their club ball guys. Plenty of times when HS teams in so.cal don't have all their players their at one time during off season scrimmages. It is not until Feb 1st to the end of May, when they can not play or practice on a baseball field with another team. My son is almost to this point of time, where HS baseball will be the specific focus. Because his freshman future is now...

IF your high school coach is also on the staff of your travel team ,then your focus had better be what his focus is almost exactly. Keep developing and getting better offensively and defensively and any team you play for will enjoy the fruits of your labor.

My son's baseball program did not require players to play fall ball for the school and participate in winter workouts. The coach told players they better be ready to go full speed the first day of three day tryouts. 

After my son's freshman year on JV it was reasonably apparent he would be the shortstop soph year. The varsity coach had been talking and working with him since 8th grade. My son decided (based on my advice) to play fall ball for the high school and clinch the position. It was wiser than risking having three bad days of tryouts in the spring. It could be 35 degrees, wet and windy. Tryouts could be in the gym and parking lot. Why risk it? After a few "did you see that" plays there wasn't a question who should play short with coaches, players and parents.

Junior year he showed up for high school fall ball when it didn't interfere with his travel team. He never did more than pinch hit. He was there to be the returning varsity player leader. The three other returning varsity players did the same. They were at most of the winter workouts. The feeling was how could they just show up in the spring and lead players who had formed their own clique without them?