Negative Coaches........

what is negative? what is ripping apart? means different things to different people.

Will, negative is negative. Ripping is ripping. If we as coaches can't spend the time in practice teaching our players how to get it right, and can't take the time to help them understand that we are behind them 100%, thru trial and tribulation, then we should hang 'em up. Are we allowed to get frustrated and upset when they make mental mistakes and mess up all that practice work? Sure we are. But they have to know that its not the end of the world when they make an error, or when we take them out of a game. We are the ones they turn to for knowledge and understanding of the game and for guidance as players and young men. We are and should be mentors for these fine young people. All the trophies and W's will mean nothing if we don't send them away as better people, and IMHO, we can't do that while tearing them down. Discipline comes in many forms and can be preached in many ways, but it never has to be given at the expense of ruining a young mans confidence in himself, or teaching him lessons that authoritative adults are only out to hurt him. See the game thru the eyes of a child, and give them all of yourself, work them hard, expect a lot in return, then show them how much you care and reap the rewards. In my experience, its JMHO.

INO, negative coaches are those that tend to harp on the negatives and are quick to critize and rant and rave and tell a player what he's done wrong (the obvious), BUT, that same coach doesn't know enough to tell a kid how to fix the problem and get it right!

COACHric and NY you hit it on the money. Before a Coach wants to Blowbag at a kid you better be able to show him how to do it ! Otherwise, Hit the Road.

quote:

I'm sick and tired of negative coaches ripping apart kids at the high school level

Unfortunately this is also an all too common behavior in youth sports. My son, while not a great basketball player, is a good athlete and very quick. He went into middle school basketball with much enthusiasm. I felt that a good coach could take a kid with athletic ability, quickness, and enthusiasm and at least mold him into a player that can contribute defensively if nothing else. Well, all his basketball coach knew how to do was tell kids when they made a mistake, rarely did he ever bother to teach them anything, and blew up at the kids more than once for not playing well. So much for any enthusiasm my son had for ever playing basketball again, he told me he's done with it.

Now it's baseball season and we're seeing the same thing out of the head coach on our baseball team. Some of the kids are loosing thier love of the game, can't say that I blame them after getting yelled at for messing up on things they were never taught how to do. I refuse to let my son succumb to this negative coaching. I've been an assistant coach for years because I never wanted to deal with parents and league politics, looks like it's time for me to step up to the plate while there's still a couple of years to get some of these kids ready to play HS ball. I'm a firm believer in taking time to teach good fundamentals, give praise when they do well, and not let personal ego get into the equation. Wish me luck.

Good luck, Style!

You have the right attitude - many players, parents, and the players' future HS coaches will all thank you for it.

We've been fortunate to have had good coaches at the select/AAU level. Taught fundamentals, didn't berate kids for being kids and making kids mistakes, taught some more, ran constructive practices, taught some more and are preparing them to continue on in baseball wherever it takes the boys. I learned alot while being an assistant to these coaches, and tried myself to do the same as a head coach at the town level for several years. Hope I made a positive difference in the youngsters' lives.

Now get out on the field and do it Coach Style, you have alot of great coaches here that are always willing to help out along the way.

sometimes being negative and ripping apaart is telling people the truth which they dontwant to hear

Sometimes coaches who defend shabby treatment of players can't accept and won't hear the truth: it's ****** coaching.

Good point Will.

While there are many negative coaches running around, some times it's a knee jerk reaction by a parent or player that sets the tone of our opinion. Take a look at all the coaches you had when you were a kid in HS......I'll bet the sucessful ones, and the ones that you maybe look at today as an influential person in your life also had a negative streak that he used as a motivating factor.

Not saying it is right, but, I am saying that it is sometimes a coaching stratagy. He'll tear you down one minute and pick you up the next. Many times parents only see that tearing down part, they do not see the picking up part, or that maybe that the lesson is not sinking in, or the player refuses to abide and in order for that to happen a coach might have to push the envelope.

Negativity as a general statement is a bad approach, but at times there are also acceptable exceptions.

Will - that response is pathetic. absolutely pathetic.

go ahead and tell me how tough it was in the old days.. no one is going to change your opinion, so I won't try. but I will tell you how disgusted you just made me with that comment. it's real easy to criticize and beat up on kids, and based on many of your posts, you've had a real easy job over the years.

you don't have a clue as to how many kids you've effected. i agree that that is a major reason kids lose their love of the game. GAME. not life or death or worth ripping through them.

I always tell my kids that if playing baseball isn't the most fun thing they're doing, then I'm not doing my job right.

Baseball is a game of skill, other than getting in a kids face for dogging it, I just don't see much of a role for condemnation or motivation in baseball. JMHO

praise publically, criticize privately. criticize the behavior, not the person.

its not that hard....

What is the definition of "ripping" in your mind?

I ask this of all who are discussing here--I bet we get varied answers

The hs coaches I have observed tend to employ the army tactic; break them down and build them back up their way. Negativity is a big part of this tactic.

This also may have something to do with the fact that they are primarily football coaches.

To me it just re-inforces the importance of getting your son into a good off-season program so he can learn and get exposure because you aren't going to change the system at your school.

There are varying definitions of "hazing" too...yet society eventually came to ban it.

"Ripping" doesn't need a narrow definition either. On any level, it won't help win games.

brute

It all depends on how it is done

A coach needs to know his players--some you cajole and others you lean on

Agreed. But out of 100 high school coaches who rip on players you may find 5 who have the skills and sophistication to pull it off without damaging someone. You might be one of those 5 and that is great. The problem is the other 95 and the damage they cause.

I've seen coaches who will calmly tell a player to run 50 poles and others who scream it with profanities, put-downs, and bulging veins in their necks. The players are all tired when they're done...some are just holding their heads a little higher.

I've seen coaches who yell a lot but are liked and respected by their players. It's OK for motivation to be loud. They might yell something like "Guys, we practiced this, you gotta.....". Then they repeat the key point the players learned in practice but forgot in the heat of battle. That's not harmful (usually). Even when it's yelled in a tough tone. What hurts kids is name calling, constant criticism, frequent swearing.

My old high school coach was one of the negative types, Disliked by virtually all the players in the program. Here inlies the problem, coaching requires you to be nagative sometimes, but not to where the point that the players are scared to make errors(His problem). When your scared you dont want the ball hit to you and your not having fun!!! We have a great coach now, and we got to beat the old coach's team this year .

our HS coach called our second baseman a "pu$$y-arm" because he doesn't have a strong arm. how do you think that kid feels now...

Maybe I'm missing something here but with baseball being primarily a skills game, aren't those skills i.e. hitting, fielding and throwing performed better when an individual is relaxed. Thus how do you motivate a player into a relaxed mode and wouldn't a coach with a calm demeanor be more effective.

quote:

What is the definition of "ripping" in your mind?

Is the identification of negative skill or instance that affects team play, and bringing those issues to the front.

A baseball team is like a family, if you scold your child your intent is not to humiliate but rather it is a family understanding that it is an issue that has to be dealt with immediatly. Baseball practices are not long enough nor is there enough coaching available that in every instance you pull a player off to the side and in a pc way expain that you have an issue. Games on the other hand are a reactive experiences, and if you cannot express your opinions in a swift manner, you may be missing the next play. A LL coach cannot always apply this mentality, but I think in HS you better expect it. These are young adults who should by now understand that you will be called to the carpet at times.

At no time does a coach have the right to humiliate a player, that gets into the respect issue.

And what is humiliation?

quote:

And what is humiliation?

Pointing out genetic defects

quote:

our HS coach called our second baseman a "pu$$y-arm" because he doesn't have a strong arm.

Ummm coach that's why the kid's not playing SS...

Three situations, which are examples of negative coaching?

1. Shortstop makes 3 errors one inning, coach yells from the dugout "where is your head?" and sends the backup out mid inning. Negative coaching?

2. 3-0 count and take is on, kid swings and fouls the ball off, and eventually grounds out. On the way back to the dugout the coach asks if "he is to good for the team" and benches him for the rest of that game and the next game. Negative coaching?

3. Player on first base and is listening to the coach as far as taking a lead, and gets picked off. 1st base coach berates him on the field for being to slow to get back. Negative coaching?

Should you humiliate, yell, and be negative? Prob. not....But kids do need to be corrected and sometimes sternly.

CoachRobert....You may not think Buda ISD is among the athletic elite schools and your son can get nothing good from there, but do not start to assume that all schools and hs coaches are that way. And the football comment.....our football coaches are some of the kindest, most Christian men that I know......and yes, we won the state championship this year in football.

goMo:

quote:

Originally posted by goMO:
our HS coach called our second baseman a "pu$$y-arm" because he doesn't have a strong arm. how do you think that kid feels now...

He probably feels partially like a cat I suppose...


Seriously...that coach is not too bright.

Humiliating the player in front of the team will accomplish nothing. Baseball is about playing with confidence...the more confidence that an individual has necessarily means that the team also has more confidence.

The coach did absolutely nothing to help this player and thus he actually hurt the entire team. What must the other players think of the coach? They most likely don't respect him much...they know that any one of them could be in the coach's pathetic sights next.

If the perceived weak arm is an issue then it should be addressed and corrected in a positive manner...that's good for the individual and also the team.

That coach is a loser in my book.

Kid makes several errors in a span of a few starts at 3B but instead of getting in the dirt with the kid to correct his fielding, the coach advises kid and parent that it's a head problem and that the kid needs to see a sports psychologist to get fixed. Kid then rides bench for rest of season.

Negative?

that's not negative that ridiculous. If that was said to me and my son I think the coach would need the doctor and I would need an attorney

DBAT:

Best guess on this one...

The town has only one sports psychologist...and she is married to the coach!

It's a pretty big town....

Same coach would loudly call kids out in the middle of an inning for mistakes when he had no clue how to teach them himself. He just figured the kids should already know how.

This thread leads me to believe he has kin all over the country....

quote:

Will - that response is pathetic. absolutely pathetic.

Go Mo


sorry I am pathetic.

If you would just listen. What I was implying was what people consider negative and ripping is just reality in cases.

"go ahead and tell me how it was in the old days" A little jab at my age or maybe experience.

Yes I got on players when they deserved it. and I praised them when they did well. I did not tell kids they did well when they did not. I know tell them dont worry about missing a sign or throwing to the wrong base or getting picked off.Dont worry about it. Its Ok. Well it is not ok. And by me telling them and hurting their fragile feelings get them to play well then so be it. Pathetic or not.

Will

as one "old timer" to another I say this I AM WITH YOU !

And it's a pretty big country...liberally sprinkled with this coach's kin...unfortunately.

I've stated many times before...a good coach is a real treasure...it's not an easy job at all to be a good coach...but the effort should always be made.

If the coach you describe is your son's coach then I offer my sympathy to you and your son.

Is this negative? I have a freshman in my program that needs to make some corrections in his machanics. I told him (one on one and no yelling) specific things he needed to correct. I have had our sub-varsity coaches working on this with him. Yet, he has made no adjustment to his game. Last week I told him that if he wanted to play on varsity he was going to have to do the specific things we had talked about to improve his game. Right after practice his dad comes running out on to the field scream that I hurt his son's feelings by being so negative.....

I once took a kid out of a playoff game because he did not run out a ground ball. As they say back in the "old days" he dogged it.Negative coaching? Did I deman the player. maybe I should have told him not to worry about it. Or even forget about it. Now that would be "pathetic"

d8 & Will.

IMO...no and no. Both examples of good coaching.

If a coach teaches the player and the player makes mistakes then corrective measures are in order. It's helpful to the player and the team for the coach to be truthful. It's a different story entirely when the coach makes no effort to teach but is overly critical of the mistakes.

Most kids crave information on how to be better ballplayers. How can they have respect for the coaches that have no idea how to teach them but are so quick to chew on them or embarrass them for mistakes?

d8:

Not negative at all...your course of action is exactly an example of excellent coaching.

You are trying to help the player by utilizing all of the tools you have available and you're helping your team by trying to improve the skills of one of your players.

Good job coach!




BTW...the screaming dad is just that...a screaming dad!