Lesson Pressure

Can you get on a new team? This guy sounds like either he has a huge ego or is after money. He shouldn't force you into doing something like this.

Are you kidding? This guy is a scumbag. Get a new team- now!

I agree. He should be working with all the pitchers on the side as part of being on the team. I have never heard of coach forcing a kid to pay for lessons in order to be on the team. Run, Run, Run.

quote:

Originally posted by NTxDad61:
I have a dilemma regarding pitching coaches for my son(14U). Most of last year he took lessons from an ex major league pitcher who has instructed many college and pro players. In the fall we joined a new club with a head coach who also gives lessons. He is insisting that he give my son lessons since he can see him in games and correct deficiencies. He is threatening to push my son down to a lower caliber team if we don't comply. I am skeptical of the best interests when $$$ are involved.

While there can be a problem if a kid goes to a private instructor, this smells like a scam.

Like he wants the money for lessons for himself.

If you're seeing red flags, go with the feeling.

Are there fundamental disagreements between what your current pitching instructor tells your son, and what the coach says? Maybe this is a scam, or maybe this is a coach who doesn't like one of his pitchers getting what he considers the wrong advice.

LHPMom

quote:

Originally posted by LHPMom2012:
Are there fundamental disagreements between what your current pitching instructor tells your son, and what the coach says? Maybe this is a scam, or maybe this is a coach who doesn't like one of his pitchers getting what he considers the wrong advice.

LHPMom

But don't charge the kid to offer the right advice.

Just pointing out that the coach might think the kid's already paying for the wrong advice. I don't know; this guy could be a total scum bag. But my son's taken pitching lessons for years from a Tom House-trained guy, and every once in a while some other "minor league pitching coach" at a showcase or whatever will tell him the exact opposite of what he's been learning.

If this coach has three kids already whom he's teaching to pitch "the right way," and a fourth kid who's taking lessons to learn to pitch "the wrong way," I can see not wanting to put the "wrong way" kid on the mound.

But again, guy could be a scum.

LHPMom

quote:

He is threatening to push my son down to a lower caliber team if we don't comply.

Tell him to go #2 in his hat.

So much nonsense its frightening.

I have to agree with most of the replies on here. Run the other way, and fast. What is the guy coaching for? Does he want to develop young players into better players, or just find more customers for his pitching lessons? If he's coaching the team, the pitching coaching should be part of the price of being on the team. Any additional work should be optional, and strictly by your choice.

To build on what Deemax suggested, you could also tell him 'Go thee forth, and procreate thyself.'

To make sure this does not come across too one-sided let me add a little more. My son did take a few lessons (1/2 batting, 1/2 pitching) with the new coach in the fall. My son had some really good outings toward the end of the fall and the new coach is taking credit for that success. He now feels offended that I switched back to the previous pitching coach. The previous pitching coach has a long track record with very positive references. I know very little about the new coach's development of pitchers although I didn't see anything fundamentally wrong with what he was teaching. I felt it was better to go with a known.

Thanks for your comments.