No parents at practice - no calls and don't talk to the players

Sounds like a JERK to put it niceley

I may be OLD SCHOOL

BUT

If those are the coaches rules -- you abide by them--money and time spent raking a field means squat in terms of your kids playing time.

FOLKS- Once you get to high school, and this might offend many but here goes, the Little League mentality has to cease---it has even gotten to the college level where parents call AD's to tell them "my Johnny Boy is not getting the right amount of playing time"

If those are the coaches rules so be it !!!!!

If you want to continue to be in control then you coach HS and then coach his college team when that time comes.

I think HS is the right time and place for a young boy to begin the transformation into a young man.

I have my armor plate on so come on at me !!!!

TRhit

Don't think I can say what I want without the censor editing the post so bad that al you'd see are *******

Be only to glad to tell this piece of ......work, what I think about his ****!

"You should enter a ballpark the way you enter a church." Bill -Spaceman- Lee

Coaches rules are coaches rules, but coach has no business talking to any player like that. If coaches want to be respected, they in turn have to give respect. You can be stern and still get respect, or you can be a jerk and get none. Kids are not stupid and most will not give the coach their best when made to feel like they have been embarrassed. I find that most coaches that tend to go overboard are usually self centered, power hungry individuals. They have little control over some issues in their lives, so they need complete control on the field. I am one that believes that coach should get respect just because he is the coach. But if he is rude, nasty, a bully or in any way jeopardizes the health or safety of my son, I will be the first one into the AD's office.

I would consider a transfer, if your sons health was in jeopordized in some way. If not, then it is what it is.

Why is a Dad in the stands telling a HS player what to do while dad is in the stands and the player is on the field?

How as a Dad close enough to hear what the coach was saying to the player in the dugout?

Coach offers to speak if you call-- PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL HIM !!!!

TRhit

Could you elaborate on how successful his program is and how long he has been coaching at this school?

Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball, the rules and realities of the game—and do it by watching first some high-school or small-town teams.
Jacques Barzun
NY Times 31 May 81

TR,



I don't completely disagree with you...but this guy seems to have gone a bit overboard. Our coach at least says "Hi. How are you." I agree that High School is different than Little League, but does it necessarily have to be a complete culture shock?

I do agree that if the rules are established, then you abide by them. If you don't like them...move on. Once you start something knowing what the rules are accept that when those rules are enforced.

I won't even speak to raking the field type issues...they have nothing to do with anything.

twoseamer

I ,for one, am tired of the excuses for parents at the HS level-- culture shock be ****ed !!!!

Part of growing up is learning how to cope with the world around you-- playing on a team, be it baseball or any other, teaches you how to cope---- not everyone can be # 1 even if you think you,or your parents think you are-- the Boss(Coach) makes that decision--

C'mon folks stop coddling the kids--- anda what was posted is truly hearsay so do we really know what the coach said--by the time it is passed from lips to lips tenfold over it is usually very far from the truth anyway.

Let your kid go play the game--work his tail off and make the coach happy-- you as a parent can sit back and root for the team and your son.

TRhit

I can see the Baseball signup announcement now.

Looking for tall strong blue eyed aryans willing to disassociate from their families and live under a pre-described totalitarian set of rules. All interested meet on my baseball field.


TR, I agree with the coddling part 100%, but isn't there a limit on the other end also. How can a coach get away with this mentality. I cannot inmagine these rules have not set off fireworks in the past.

quote:

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Originally posted by TRhit:
twoseamer

I ,for one, am tired of the excuses for parents at the HS level-- culture shock be ****ed !!!!

Part of growing up is learning how to cope with the world around you-- playing on a team, be it baseball or any other, teaches you how to cope---- not everyone can be # 1 even if you think you,or your parents think you are-- the Boss(Coach) makes that decision--

C'mon folks stop coddling the kids--- anda what was posted is truly hearsay so do we really know what the coach said--by the time it is passed from lips to lips tenfold over it is usually very far from the truth anyway.

Let your kid go play the game--work his tail off and make the coach happy-- you as a parent can sit back and root for the team and your son.

TRhit

---

Interesting response...I will say that that's one way of trying to accomplish the goal. The "old whip and chair" style works well every once and a while.

Just curious -

Are these rules relatively new?

I have seen it happen before - when a lot of very strict rules put into place after things got totally out of hand and it needed to be put to an immediate halt.

Hard to second guess without all the facts.

quote:

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Originally posted by AParent:
Just curious -

Are these rules relatively new?

I have seen it happen before - when a lot of very strict rules put into place after things got totally out of hand and it needed to be put to an immediate halt.

Hard to second guess without all the facts.

---

AParent,

You make a good point. There could be more to this than meets the eye.

Does somebody have an axe to grind ???

TRhit

Not me. Just making an observation. There are many different effective coaching styles out there. This guy has his. If all the players and parents know what his style is and choose to play there, then those are the rules. But, IMHO it's not the only effective coaching style out there.

Aside from the name calling which is unacceptable at any level I guess if you are aware of the rules and accepted them in advance then you have to live by them.

My question is,"does a parent have the right to discuss playing time with a coach at any time during the season?".

Without going into great detail - I'm sure those in our area will know who and what school I've been referring to.

Coach is highly successful high school coach. Offered an assistant job at a University in hopes of someday getting the head coach job. Things change, the university coach decides to stay longer than anticipated, a couple years go by and decides to return to H.S. coaching. Gets head job at a new school - no seniors. Varsity is made up of some talented sophs and some fresh. Junior talent is just OK.

To my knowledge the parents don't say "boo" because they are afraid that it'll effect playing time. These are all first year players to this program and haven't had the axe long enough to grind.

Also, the raking, building cages, etc. and so forth, have nothing to do with playing time. These are pretty good parents that are doing all of this for their kids.

This was simply told to me, by a couple parents of players. So, it went from parent to me and the same story was told to me by a couple other parents. Yes, it's hearsay, but isn't most of this?

Also, the coach said to call him and make an appointment to discuss anything, but strategy, playing time and player personnel. Now, I agree with the strategy thing and discussing other players, but that doesn't leave alot to talk to a coach about.

I also agree that life is full of adversity and you learn to deal with it - that's a part of growing up. No one is complaining about playing time and this really has nothing to do with playing time. The people that said something are the parents of starters.

I

quote:

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Originally posted by jmepop:
Aside from the name calling which is unacceptable at any level I guess if you are aware of the rules and accepted them in advance then you have to live by them.

My question is,"does a parent have the right to discuss playing time with a coach at any time during the season?".

---

Our take on that has always been, if our SON has questions about playing time it's up to him to discuss it with his coach. We don't do it as parents. I wouldn't think of it as having a "right" to do, but whether or not is was right to do it.

Ok, so the guy is a jerk! That is not unuusual and he is entitlesd to run his team the way he wants. I would also tell anybody that is that anti-social to cook his own hotdogs, mow his own field, raise his own money, buy the supplies for the concesion stand, etc. If he cannot say hello, then he is an a-hole. Simple as that. Let him do it all himself. Not only do I get tired of parents who feel that they can argue for playing time, but I am also tired of the excusing of any behaviour by a coach simply because he is the coach. If you cannot be civil, it will come back to haunt you and get you fired. An interferring parent is just as bad a people who make excuses for coaches no matter how poorly they act. JMO

Just to add one more part to this story. I saw the team play and a kid was throwing and his dad said that he would not throw bb because the arm is sore and when asked why his son was pitching that day stated to me that nobody would dare approach the coach. He stuck a kid with a sore arm on the mound after the kid had pitched the previous day. That should tell you all you need to know about this coach.

the Florida Bombers
"I love the HSBBW"

TR,
Do I sense that you are taking this personally?
I think that almost everyone agrees that rules are rules, coach is the boss, parents that donate time to booster has nothing to do with it, parents should not coach from the stands, etc.
You do not seem like the type that would call any age player a f****** p****, that seems to be the concern here, for me anyway.

Twoseamer,

I agree, that's between the coach and player, let them work it out. If you want to talk about that, wait till the end of the season.

Jmepop - you have a PM

quote:

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Originally posted by Bighit15:
Ok, so the guy is a jerk! That is not unuusual and he is entitlesd to run his team the way he wants. I would also tell anybody that is that anti-social to cook his own hotdogs, mow his own field, raise his own money, buy the supplies for the concesion stand, etc. If he cannot say hello, then he is an a-hole. Simple as that. Let him do it all himself. Not only do I get tired of parents who feel that they can argue for playing time, but I am also tired of the excusing of any behaviour by a coach simply because he is the coach. If you cannot be civil, it will come back to haunt you and get you fired. An interferring parent is just as bad a people who make excuses for coaches no matter how poorly they act. JMO

Just to add one more part to this story. I saw the team play and a kid was throwing and his dad said that he would not throw bb because the arm is sore and when asked why his son was pitching that day stated to me that nobody would dare approach the coach. He stuck a kid with a sore arm on the mound after the kid had pitched the previous day. That should tell you all you need to know about this coach.

http://www.eteamz.com/floridabombers/
"I love the HSBBW"

---

Well said! Coaches are like policemen - "all powerful". When the people who are chosen to protect and serve become abusive the system has become corrupt and likewise happens with coaches. What's that saying about "absolute power, corrupting absolutely". I think everyone who coaches, umpires or serves in position of power, "feel" that power and ofen times they cross the line. Does anyone know a parent that doesn't bow down to the high school or college coach? I doubt anyone says anything negative.

Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball, the rules and realities of the game—and do it by watching first some high-school or small-town teams.
Jacques Barzun
NY Times 31 May 81

I read the "rules" of the coach and was like.

"man that's rough".

But then I read them the second time and realized, there not all that bad. That's exactly how my AllStar practices were when I was 9-12 years old. Minus the Cursing.

We couldn't talk to anyone except players, coaches. They actually put up black tarps so we wouldn't talk to anybody.

Practices would be at a certain time, but will not end at an exact time.

High School is the same way, except more cursing.

As players, we think it's just funny. We're not little 9-11 year olds where if you yell and scream it will make them all depressed and cry or something.

Atleast the players on my team just don't really care what the coaches say. It's just funny to see his reaction. We joke around about it. No big deal.

I hear the F-bomb and S-word in school 50 times a day just talking with people or hearing it.

First time I was cursed at by a coach, it startled me, I never thought they'd do that. But then I realized, I'm not in LL anymore. Which was fine with me.

Matt

I'm just curious. Does this guy have a winning program. It might be posted here somewhere but I didn't read evey post.

I'm still reading, it ain't time yet!!!

ALWAYS question authority. I'm over it.

Read the original post! Nowhere does CanesFan5 say anything about "playing time". The basic premise of his statement is that
the coach has little or no common courtesy. How is it that it evolves into PLAYING TIME? On another thread in the Florida forum a poster asked for opinions on the TOP 10 Players IN CENTRAL FLORIDA which immediately went to BEST PLAYER IN EACH CLASS. How is it that grown people can read something in black and white and totally ignore the original post?

As far as the original post is concerned, successful or not, the coach needs a lesson in manners if indeed what CanesFan5 states is true and I personally don't have a reason to doubt it.
I've seen the same thing happen in the Orlando area.

Moc1

quote:

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Coaches are like policemen - "all powerful". When the people who are chosen to protect and serve become abusive the system has become corrupt and likewise happens with coaches.

---

Recently heard an AD say, "Do you want to go back the way it was before I got here? You people...all you care about are your kids? If I have to buy those ***** baseball pants out of my own pocket, I'll get them."


I guess we just need to get this AD a "police man's badge".....

Dad04 -you have a PM

Moc1

quote:

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Originally posted by Texas2004:

quote:

---

Coaches are like policemen - "all powerful". When the people who are chosen to protect and serve become abusive the system has become corrupt and likewise happens with coaches.

---

Recently heard an AD say, "Do you want to go back the way it was before I got here? You people...all you care about are your kids? If I have to buy those ***** baseball pants out of my own pocket, I'll get them."


I guess we just need to get this AD a "police man's badge".....

---

I've gotta get my binoculars, go to my spot on the high hill that overlooks the practice field and quietly keep an eye on the police chief!


Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball, the rules and realities of the game—and do it by watching first some high-school or small-town teams.
Jacques Barzun
NY Times 31 May 81

quote:

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Originally posted by ChicksDigTheLongBall:

I've gotta get my binoculars, go to my spot on the high hill that overlooks the practice field and quietly keep an eye on the police chief!

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Chicks,

You wouldn't be lugging a big ole cooler up to the top of that high hill now would ya? If so, remember that rolling down those hills isn't near as much fun as it used to be when you were a kid!

Actually, I think that the coach sends patrols up to do recon in those hills and trees during practice.

quote:

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Originally posted by CanesFan5:
Actually, I think that the coach sends patrols up to do recon in those hills and trees during practice.

---

Canes,

Well..don't tell Chicks but they have a surviellance camera with audio hidden in the willow tree. Shhh...just between us.

BIG

The player knows how to speak up doesn't he !!!!!

TRhit

This coach has gone a bit overboard but parents do what parents do. Watch the game. let the kids play and basically stay out of the way. Trhit makes a good point. The little league mentality of parents talking to their kids during the game amd coming near the bench is over. I told my players talk to Mom and Dad after the game. There is a time when coaches coach and parents parent. It always amazed me especially at the high school level. You go to a football game and the parents are up in the stands they are not on the bench or the sidelines. Go to some baseball games and it is a differnt story.

hmmm...rules are rules. abide by them or find another sport. maybe golf.

TR, if the coach knows it and puts the kid out there anyway then he is an idiot. If you cannot see that then well.....

I am sure with that climate of fear kids are going to stand right up and pull themselves out of a game and not play the rest of the season. Come on! Kids want to play.

A coach that puts a kid in when he knows the arm is sore is a jerk. How can you make an excuse for that. Come on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You may be old school , but to defend a guy who does that is wearing blinders!!!!!

the Florida Bombers
"I love the HSBBW"

Again, I say that any coach that makes himself unaprochable like that lacks confidence in what he is doing!! It looks as if he is trying to avoid defending his coaching by telling everyone that talking to him is against the rules. And I can see his logic, I mean if I went around talking to kids like that and seding a kid out to pitch with a sore arm, I wouldn't want to try to defend that either.
I wonder what would happen at my job if I tried the same approach as this coach.
O.K. guys I am the BOSS anything I say goes and DO NOT question me about it as I AM THE BOSS. And DO NOT have any outsiders telling you anything as it may make me look bad if it works O.K. Now go out there guys and make me look good!!!!
What a load of horse stuff

Lets just go thru the items one by one.

1. No parents at practice. He tells them what time the players need to be there and that's all. Also, they are not told when the practice will approximately end. When it's over, it's over.

No parents at practice perfectly within the coach’s right.

If we are talking about a 30 minute over run from a standard stop time no big deal anything more and the coach needs to schedule a longer practice and let everyone know in advance.

2. No parents of J.V. players are allowed at varsity practice.
In item 1 stated no parents at practice so why would JV parents be allowed at a varsity practice.

3. Player cannot speak to anyone other than coaches and teammates beginning one hour before game time.

Since they probably start pregame prep (i.e. batting cages, warm-ups, infield etc.) this is probably a pretty good rule.

4. Father and former coach of a player who was on deck, said to his son, "Keep your hands up." The player was blasted and told by the coach to tell his father to keep his mouth shut.

No problem here if the player and father knew the rule, which is a good one by the way.

5. A pitcher who had come in relief, was third batter that inning. Asked the coach if he could have someone hit for him. Coach called him a f - ing p-----y and told him if anyone pulled that again they could find another team to play for.

I would probably make the same point to the kid but would not use the same words. Coaches are supposed to lead by example and I don’t think the coach wants his players going around using those words.

6. Booster/advertising fee of $500.00 is required (which I agree is not uncommon).

Baseball is expensive; I don't know what the coach could do about this. Fundraising is usually up to the booster club.

7. He will not speak to parents before games, or practices, after games or practices. He will not discuss strategy and your son and player personnel. "If it has something to do with anything else, call the office and make an appointment." (The no speaking rule includes saying "hello" to any parent).

A coach cannot talk to parents about this stuff before during or right after practice. But he should be willing to talk to parents about this if they schedule an appointment. Not saying hello is silly and probably stupid on the coach’s part.

I notice that many say A coaches decision's should not be qustioned, those are the rules so shut up and play.
Now I stay out of the coaches way and let him coach that is what he is there to do and I have not met a coach yet who was not trying to win.
Now with all that said, If a coach thinks he should not be qustioned he had better NEVER move to the college level. lol they will have to sit in front of radio broadcasters and answer point blank qustions, talk on the phone to print reporters and answer qustions like , Coach you have a reputation for abusing pitchers arms what do you have to say about that?. Or, coach we have heard reports that your team moral is terrible why is that?.
HS coaches have more leeway as far as, its my way or the highway than other coaches. On the othere hand In HS if enough parents seek out the AD it wont matter how many games the team is winning.