Skip to main content

Often times these topics turn into " the coach is a bad guy, coach has no clue, coach plays favorites, etc". Notice that I left out, " my son is better than then some players who play".

We have all been through this at one time or another.

My suggestion, if this really is upsetting to your player, have him go talk to the coach, man to man,  ask not why he isnt playing more, but what can he do to earn more playing time.  Trust me, there is an absolute reason why he may not be playing more often.

If it is bothering you more than him, you just are gonna have to let it go.

Coming here and making the coach look like the bad guy, isn't going to help the situation.

JMO

Last edited by TPM
SluggerDad posted:
joes87 posted:
coach2709 posted:

Nothing like a good coach bashing thread.  Haven't seen one in a while.  One thing I've learned in my over 20 years of coaching high school and last 5 as AD is that the ones who spout off about politics are typically the parents of the kids on the bench.  I have never witnessed a starter say anything about politics.

Now before too many people get worked up I readily admit there are some clowns out there who do not need to be coaching.  My best friends son's HS team got beat in playoffs last night.  Had a 5-1 lead in the top of the 7th, whole game used 4 total pitchers, used a kid who has 11 innings this year as a Freshman and out of the 4 none were his best pitcher.  Then after the game he tells the guys he did everything he could to win the game.  Sadly, these guys exist and I have no clue if this is the rule or the exception. Nobody on here does.  What's frustrating is you let your situation dictate that it's that way for everyone especially if it's slanted.  If you have a great HS coach then enjoy it and get the most out of it.  If you have an average HS coach then enjoy it and get the most out of it.  If you have a bad HS coach then try to find something enjoyable out of it and get the most out of it.  Do you see a theme building?  No matter what situation you are in it's up to you to make the best of it although it's a LOT easier when you have good coaching.  If all you do is complain and play the victim then guess what?  The world is out to get you and there's nothing you can do about it.  

I"m not calling anyone in particular out but I've been on the receiving end of the vicious parents who were wrong.  I had to change the culture of that school from a toxic and parent controlled environment so I was raked through the coals.  I left there as the most successful coach in that school's history but in some of their eyes I was an idiot who held the team back.  I absolutely made mistakes but I believe I did more good than bad.  Relax and enjoy the ride because there is a LOT more to baseball than just high school ball.  I love HS ball and I will defense HS coaches in cases where I think they are right but it's not the end of the world if you sit the bench in HS.  Glass half empty - you're getting screwed and the coach is stupid.  Glass half full - you have an opportunity to work through adversity, develop into a good team mate and increase your work ethic if you want to try and play.

On paper is seems simple.

What I did not get into in my above post about controlling what you can control is my kid getting benched this year.  It was for 3 games and it seemed like an eternity.  We could have blamed the coach, we could have blamed politics, but in reality he was not hitting well.  He wasn't the only one (the majority of the team was batting under .200 at that time), but he was the one the coach choose to bench.  Went from a .395 BA at the end of last year to hitting .190 after the first 4 games of this years season.   I just went back and looked and he actually played in those 3 games, just didn't start.  He took every advantage given to him when he was put into those games and worked his way back into the lineup.  Finished up the season batting around .320 and garnered an All Conference honor.  If  he would have allowed himself to be distracted by the "politics" argument he would not have worked himself back into the lineup.

Hitting  .190 after 3 or 4 games is NOTHING.  Not a sign of ANYTHING in particular.    That is a TINY sample size that is statistically INSIGNIFICANT.   Suppose you have 10 AB's in say 4 7 inning games and you have only 2 hits.  You are batting .200.  One more game, you go 2 for 3.  Suddenly you have a whopping 4 hits in 13 AB's.  Now you are hitting a whopping .308. 

Any coach that benches a kid because of what happens in 3 or 4 games is basically an IDIOT.  (unless he can definitely see that the results are due to basic flaws in the swing or a terrible approach)  

 Part of the problem is that with HS almost the entire season is just a small sample which contains precious little statistically valid information.    But for bench guys, who only get sporadic chances,  the tyranny of small sample size is greatly magnified.  

SluggerDad - I like your response!!!!  I am not saying it is not my son's fault but he cannot take all the blame.  The coach has to also take some responsibility for either losing faith in a player or just deciding it is not worth giving that player another chance.  Again - that is fine.  But the kids work so hard, it would be nice if coaches would be stand up guys and talk to their players.   If they truly cared, they would do this and not wait for a 16 or 17 yr old, who is going through so much already - hormones, etc., to talk to the coach when in the past they know for a fact that the coach has laughed in previous years when others have gone to him.    Unfortunately we can only control what we do and not people's response to our questions and if history repeats itself (which we all know it does) sometimes it is better to just let it go and not say anything.    

It is NICE to have this site to vent on - get everyone's opinion and take away what we choose.  Again, thanks to all of you for all of your support over the past few years. 

Oh and just one more thing - I am a parent who gets upset when my kid is playing and there are others who are not.  Afterall, if you made the team you should be good enough to play.  There are plenty of games that the kids can share spots.    I am not in favor of taking kids just to fill a roster spot.    OK - now I am done - A.K.A. Mary Poppins!!!!!

Golfman25 posted:

I have no problem with a tough sob coach benching a kid.  The best make it know that you're only renting the position.  For the starters, there a backup nipping at your heals so you better get your job done.  For the backups, the starters are only there to be beaten out so get after it.  Where I have issues is when the starters are the starters and everyone else may as well not even show up.  We had 4 starters hitting .200 or below.  Yet they continued to play and play, every game.  2 struck out 35% and 45% of the time.  While demonstratively better players sat; some sat so much I began to question if they where even on the roster.  So it's no wonder you end up sub .500 and an early exit out of the playoffs by giving up a 5 run lead. 

The point is not to bash coaches.  It is to point out that some the "givens" we talk about on sites like these aren't necessarily true.  So when I hear, coaches want to win and thus they'll play the best players I'm thinking all right, this is going to be awesome, no more daddy ball, etc.  Then when I see the opposite unfold before my eyes you begin to question if the earth is even round.     

Yeah for you...could not have said it better myself.  Are you sure you don't live in my area???  LOL.....

RKBH posted:

Oh and just one more thing - I am a parent who gets upset when my kid is playing and there are others who are not.  Afterall, if you made the team you should be good enough to play.  There are plenty of games that the kids can share spots.    I am not in favor of taking kids just to fill a roster spot.    OK - now I am done - A.K.A. Mary Poppins!!!!!

Ahhhh, OK, now I get it. 

Golfman25 posted:

I have no problem with a tough sob coach benching a kid.  The best make it know that you're only renting the position.  For the starters, there a backup nipping at your heals so you better get your job done.  For the backups, the starters are only there to be beaten out so get after it.  Where I have issues is when the starters are the starters and everyone else may as well not even show up.  We had 4 starters hitting .200 or below.  Yet they continued to play and play, every game.  2 struck out 35% and 45% of the time.  While demonstratively better players sat; some sat so much I began to question if they where even on the roster.  So it's no wonder you end up sub .500 and an early exit out of the playoffs by giving up a 5 run lead. 

The point is not to bash coaches.  It is to point out that some the "givens" we talk about on sites like these aren't necessarily true.  So when I hear, coaches want to win and thus they'll play the best players I'm thinking all right, this is going to be awesome, no more daddy ball, etc.  Then when I see the opposite unfold before my eyes you begin to question if the earth is even round.     

https://www.scientificamerican.../earth-is-not-round/

TPM posted:

Often times these topics turn into " the coach is a bad guy, Coach has no clue, Coach plays favorites, etc". Notice that I left out, " my son is better than thenothing some who play".

We have all been through this at one time or another.

My suggestion, if this really is upsetting to your player, have him go talk to the coach, man to man,  ask not why he isnt playing more, but what can he do to earn more playing time.  Trust me, there is an absolute reason why he may not be playing more often.

If it is bothering you more than him, you just are gonna have to sucks it let it go.

Coming here and making the coach look like the bad guy, isn't going to help the situation.

JMO

Agree with this^^^ Son had quite the adventure going through HS baseball. Played 4 years of varsity baseball for a coach that made it very challenging on many levels and will leave it at that. I believe that playing for this guy made my son a better person learning how to cope with adversity and not letting people have a significant negative influence on him. He has learned that life is what you make of it, and not to let others get in your way. 

SluggerDad posted:
 

Hitting  .190 after 3 or 4 games is NOTHING.  Not a sign of ANYTHING in particular.    That is a TINY sample size that is statistically INSIGNIFICANT.   Suppose you have 10 AB's in say 4 7 inning games and you have only 2 hits.  You are batting .200.  One more game, you go 2 for 3.  Suddenly you have a whopping 4 hits in 13 AB's.  Now you are hitting a whopping .308. 

Any coach that benches a kid because of what happens in 3 or 4 games is basically an IDIOT.  (unless he can definitely see that the results are due to basic flaws in the swing or a terrible approach)  

 Part of the problem is that with HS almost the entire season is just a small sample which contains precious little statistically valid information.    But for bench guys, who only get sporadic chances,  the tyranny of small sample size is greatly magnified.  

This is spot on, it is why the eye test is so important. There is no chance to make everyone happy and there is no chance everyone will agree. To me the eye test on how the kids approach the game and while playing it is huge.

not all 2-20 stretches are the same, they or may not be indicative of kid who should or should not be replaced in the lineup...stats don't tell you that.

I do think well over half the people who have a legitimate baseball IQ will agree to most of the playing time arguments if they are honest about the eye test.

The rest are often times never going to be happy. Not all coaches have a legitimate baseball IQ or are willing to use the eye test. - and that is where some of the friction shows up.

I don't really get into the whole coach bashing thing. They are humans who are good, mediocre, and bad at their job just like any other career. HS baseball is just frustrating because there really is no free market to weed out bad coaches. Bad travel coaches lose players fairly quickly and that team no longer exists, bad HS coaches can keep their head down and as long as they don't rock the boat can exist for quite a while.  Mediocre HS coaches can win a few times in a bad conference and be considered good coaches.  You have to deal with the hand you are given or transfer schools because of a HS sports team (would not even think of doing this).

That being said we had a first I have seen this year.  We had an assistant coach openly talk crap about players when they were at bat or in the field. Not the you are doing this wrong try this type of talk, but rip the player. The players all knew this because the guys on the bench would tell them exactly what he said.  He would do this for everyone except a couple of his "guys". This eventually broke down and led to a confrontation first by a player and then the players dad. This was not a kid who didn't play but started every game and had a lot of at bats. He is a fairly solid player who does more right than wrong on the field.

Yes, players and parents need to responsibility with what they can control.  Prepare yourself the best you can to be ready to take a position if the starter leaves even a little bit of doubt about his ability to perform. Sometimes though you get an immature goofball as a coach and he can inject poison into the team environment quicker than any player or parent could. HS baseball kind of just is what it is.

FWIW, some common observations from a HS coach's perspective...  (yes, I realize there are exceptions)...

 

- The vast majority of HS coaches are very competitive (whether outwardly or inwardly) and do not like to lose.  They take their wins and losses to heart.

- Coaching HS requires a very significant time commitment, usually for very little pay.  One of the few rewards is to develop a program that the players (and coaches) can take pride in.   This means, among other things, playing as well as you can in games.  This means putting the nine players on the field that give the team the best chance to do so.

- On average, HS coaches have some level of experience that reaches the college level.  In our area, it is very unusual for any of the HS programs to not have at least a staff member or two, usually more, that have some college experience or above.  I have also been around a few HS coaches without college experience who are/were very good HS coaches.  While playing experience doesn't necessarily translate into coaching effectiveness, the point is that most HS coaches are not the clueless idiots they are so often made out to be here on HSBBCoachbashingWEb.   There is usually some solid background.  They typically go through an interview process to assure that is the case.

- The coaches are with the players practicing three hours a day, five or six days a week for several months.  They see, more than anyone, what skill sets, attitude and effort are being displayed by each player at the present.

- Most HS programs have multiple coaches on the staff and all will express, to varying degrees, their opinions on the talent level and fit of each player.  While the HC has the final say, it is rarely without some influence of the observations of the other coaches.  So, playing decisions are usually a collective decision by those working with the group every day.

- HS coaches DO face pressure if they don't win.  Perhaps they don't face the same types of pressure as college coaches.  But, if they don't win, admin will always be looking for better options.  More so, if they don't win, there are far more disgruntled parents who demand the attention of the AD and principal and there is significant noise to encourage their ouster.

- Combining just these first several observations alone, the idea of playing Johnny over Jimmy because Johnny is someone's son or somehow otherwise "favored" or "one of their guys" for any reasons other than skill sets, proven success, attitude and effort is just comical to me.  

- All parents, to some degree, will have rose-colored glasses when it comes to their own kids.  They want the best for their kids and only want good things to happen for them.  This is their job.  If player 1 is better at A,B,C,D,E,F and G but player 2 is better at X, player 2's parents will focus on X.  If player 1 is a much better offensive player but player 2 has the edge on defense, player 2's parents will focus on the defensive comparison. 

- When player 2's parents discuss their son with player 9,10 and 11's parents and talk about player 2 being better at X, those other parents will often do the courteous thing and nod in agreement and sympathy, thus (often unintentionally) feeding the fire to the idea that player 2 is being cheated.

- Baseball is one of the most difficult sports when it comes to analyzing skill sets and projecting who is likely to perform the best in game situations.  It is the sport that is most inclined to have armchair coaching from the stands and second guessing.

- As others have said, stats can be very tricky in HS baseball.  While they usually eventually tell an accurate story, this is not always the case.  Beyond the small sample size issue - Most bench players will get opportunities to play only against inferior opponents.  As a result, it is not uncommon for them to have better numbers than starters.   This is a common source of parent complaints.  Even when every player and coach on the team know there is no doubt that the starting player is better, the parent of the non-starter will argue that his/her son has better numbers and, therefore, must be better or at least deserve a better chance.  Old School's comment about the eye test is very valid.

- Better, more seasoned pitchers will get scheduled the tougher games.  So, often, the next tier of pitchers will have better numbers because they are matched against lesser opponents.  Same problem often arises here with parents.  "Why is my kid not getting the playoff start?"  "Why is my kid not in the rotation this week?"   "Look at his numbers!  It's pretty simple to see who's better!"

- Failure.  Again, even when it is clear to players and coaches that player A is better than player B, if player A is struggling, hitting only .200, losing games on the mound, etc., parents of player B cannot understand why their son isn't playing instead.  "He hit over .400 in travel.  I know he would do better than player A.  Why is he not even getting a chance?".

- Coaches are often dealing with outside factors parents are unaware of...  eligibility, illness, injury, attitude/behavior issues, etc.

- Coaches often factor in variables parents are unaware of ...  matchups, hot hand, effects of other position moves, etc.

- Every coach (and parent) assigns different weight to different aspects of the game and it is a constantly moving target.  There is give and take to almost all decisions.  Do we need more offense or better defense at that position?  More power or more speed?  More experience or more athleticism?  And often, more realistically, are his weaknesses likely to hurt us more or less than the other's weaknesses?

- Many parents and players get caught up with the thought process of "my son was always better than Jimmy, ever since T-ball".  But, now, Jimmy is working out regularly and/or playing travel ball all year while Johnny is only playing baseball for the months of the HS season.  The pecking order changes for the first time.  Can be hard to accept or recognize for a parent.

- HS V is often the first time that many parents and players face the challenge of possibly not being one of the best nine.  This can be difficult to deal with.

- "My son was the best player on JV".  Quite often, an athletic player will have success at the JV level but swing mechanics are such that they will struggle vs. varsity pitching or their pitching stuff and approach will not succeed against varsity hitters.  Coaches are trying to build a team that can defeat their toughest opponents, not just one that will win against inferior teams.

- HS V is often the first time that the structure is such that not everyone plays in most games.  This can be tough to deal with and one common reaction is to question why they are not getting more playing time.  This starts the cycle.

- For many players, they usually have a reasonably realistic view of where they stand talent-wise among the group... until they get home and parents start feeding them a steady diet of "you're better than Jimmy, you should be playing... ".

- It is human nature as spectators to play armchair quarterback and question decisions.  X 10 when your team is losing.  One of my favorite pastimes.

- It is my experience that maybe 5% of the time, there is actually a real question as to who should be playing and sitting on a given day.  And, even then, there can be a strong case made for either choice.  The other 95% falls under one of the perception issues mentioned above.

 

Last edited by cabbagedad

Haven't read all the posts, but want to share a new observation. Our summer team just started a week ago. The summer team schedule is crazy, game almost every week day, double headers on weekends. Coming out of the HS season, a lot of kids on the team were complaining about not enough playing time. After a few games, kids started complaining about too much playing time! Now we rarely have the full team show up; kids complaining arms sore, legs sore, ankles hurt, back hurt, sick, or something. 

So the cure for not enough playing time -- join a team that plays a lot of games. You'll be cured instantly.

cabbagedad posted:

FWIW, some common observations from a HS coach's perspective...  (yes, I realize there are exceptions)...

 

- The vast majority of HS coaches are very competitive (whether outwardly or inwardly) and do not like to lose.  They take their wins and losses to heart.

- Coaching HS requires a very significant time commitment, usually for very little pay.  One of the few rewards is to develop a program that the players (and coaches) can take pride in.   This means, among other things, playing as well as you can in games.  This means putting the nine players on the field that give the team the best chance to do so.

- On average, HS coaches have some level of experience that reaches the college level.  In our area, it is very unusual for any of the HS programs to not have at least a staff member or two, usually more, that have some college experience or above.  I have also been around a few HS coaches without college experience who are/were very good HS coaches.  While playing experience doesn't necessarily translate into coaching effectiveness, the point is that most HS coaches are not the clueless idiots they are so often made out to be here on HSBBCoachbashingWEb.   There is usually some solid background.  They typically go through an interview process to assure that is the case.

- The coaches are with the players practicing three hours a day, five or six days a week for several months.  They see, more than anyone, what skill sets, attitude and effort are being displayed by each player at the present.

- Most HS programs have multiple coaches on the staff and all will express, to varying degrees, their opinions on the talent level and fit of each player.  While the HC has the final say, it is rarely without some influence of the observations of the other coaches.  So, playing decisions are usually a collective decision by those working with the group every day.

- HS coaches DO face pressure if they don't win.  Perhaps they don't face the same types of pressure as college coaches.  But, if they don't win, admin will always be looking for better options.  More so, if they don't win, there are far more disgruntled parents who demand the attention of the AD and principal and there is significant noise to encourage their ouster.

- Combining just these first several observations alone, the idea of playing Johnny over Jimmy because Johnny is someone's son or somehow otherwise "favored" or "one of their guys" for any reasons other than skill sets, proven success, attitude and effort is just comical to me.  

- All parents, to some degree, will have rose-colored glasses when it comes to their own kids.  They want the best for their kids and only want good things to happen for them.  This is their job.  If player 1 is better at A,B,C,D,E,F and G but player 2 is better at X, player 2's parents will focus on X.  If player 1 is a much better offensive player but player 2 has the edge on defense, player 2's parents will focus on the defensive comparison. 

- When player 2's parents discuss their son with player 9,10 and 11's parents and talk about player 2 being better at X, those other parents will often do the courteous thing and nod in agreement and sympathy, thus (often unintentionally) feeding the fire to the idea that player 2 is being cheated.

- Baseball is one of the most difficult sports when it comes to analyzing skill sets and projecting who is likely to perform the best in game situations.  It is the sport that is most inclined to have armchair coaching from the stands and second guessing.

- As others have said, stats can be very tricky in HS baseball.  While they usually eventually tell an accurate story, this is not always the case.  Beyond the small sample size issue - Most bench players will get opportunities to play only against inferior opponents.  As a result, it is not uncommon for them to have better numbers than starters.   This is a common source of parent complaints.  Even when every player and coach on the team know there is no doubt that the starting player is better, the parent of the non-starter will argue that his/her son has better numbers and, therefore, must be better or at least deserve a better chance.  Old School's comment about the eye test is very valid.

- Better, more seasoned pitchers will get scheduled the tougher games.  So, often, the next tier of pitchers will have better numbers because they are matched against lesser opponents.  Same problem often arises here with parents.  "Why is my kid not getting the playoff start?"  "Why is my kid not in the rotation this week?"   "Look at his numbers!  They are better!"

- Failure.  Again, even when it is clear to players and coaches that player A is better than player B, if player A is struggling, hitting only .200, losing games on the mound, etc., parents of player B cannot understand why their son isn't playing instead.  "He hit over .400 in travel.  I know he would do better than player A".

- Coaches are often dealing with outside factors parents are unaware of...  eligibility, illness, injury, attitude/behavior issues, etc.

- Coaches often factor in variables parents are unaware of ...  matchups, hot hand, effects of other position moves, etc.

- Every coach (and parent) assigns different weight to different aspects of the game and it is a constantly moving target.  There is give and take to almost all decisions.  Do we need more offense or better defense at that position?  More power or more speed?  More experience or more athleticism?  And often, more realistically, are his weaknesses likely to hurt us more than the other's weaknesses?

- Many parents and players get caught up with the thought process of "my son was always better than Jimmy, ever since T-ball".  But, now, Jimmy is working out regularly and/or playing travel ball all year while Johnny is only playing baseball for the months of the HS season.  The pecking order changes for the first time.  Can be hard to accept or recognize for a parent.

- HS V is often the first time that many parents and players face the challenge of possibly not being one of the best nine.  This can be difficult to deal with.

- "My son was the best player on JV".  Quite often, an athletic player will have success at the JV level but swing mechanics are such that they will struggle vs. varsity pitching or their pitching stuff and approach will not succeed against varsity hitters.  Coaches are trying to build a team that can defeat their toughest opponents, not just one that will win against inferior teams.

- HS V is often the first time that the structure is such that not everyone plays in most games.  This can be tough to deal with and one common reaction is to question why they are not getting more playing time.  This starts the cycle.

- For many players, they usually have a reasonably realistic view of where they stand talent-wise among the group... until they get home and parents feed them a steady diet of "you're better than Jimmy, you should be playing... ".

- It is human nature as spectators to play armchair quarterback and question decisions.  X10 when your team is losing.  One of my favorite pastimes.

- It is my experience that maybe 5% of the time, there is actually a real question as to who should be playing and sitting on a given day.  And, even then, there can be a strong case made for either choice.  The other 95% falls under one of the perception issues mentioned above.

 

A lot of what you say is true in most cases.  But I think your percentages are a bit high.  Maybe closer to 80/20 or 75/25. 

cabbagedad posted:

FWIW, some common observations from a HS coach's perspective...  (yes, I realize there are exceptions)...

 

- The vast majority of HS coaches are very competitive (whether outwardly or inwardly) and do not like to lose.  They take their wins and losses to heart.

- Coaching HS requires a very significant time commitment, usually for very little pay.  One of the few rewards is to develop a program that the players (and coaches) can take pride in.   This means, among other things, playing as well as you can in games.  This means putting the nine players on the field that give the team the best chance to do so.

- On average, HS coaches have some level of experience that reaches the college level.  In our area, it is very unusual for any of the HS programs to not have at least a staff member or two, usually more, that have some college experience or above.  I have also been around a few HS coaches without college experience who are/were very good HS coaches.  While playing experience doesn't necessarily translate into coaching effectiveness, the point is that most HS coaches are not the clueless idiots they are so often made out to be here on HSBBCoachbashingWEb.   There is usually some solid background.  They typically go through an interview process to assure that is the case.

- The coaches are with the players practicing three hours a day, five or six days a week for several months.  They see, more than anyone, what skill sets, attitude and effort are being displayed by each player at the present.

- Most HS programs have multiple coaches on the staff and all will express, to varying degrees, their opinions on the talent level and fit of each player.  While the HC has the final say, it is rarely without some influence of the observations of the other coaches.  So, playing decisions are usually a collective decision by those working with the group every day.

- HS coaches DO face pressure if they don't win.  Perhaps they don't face the same types of pressure as college coaches.  But, if they don't win, admin will always be looking for better options.  More so, if they don't win, there are far more disgruntled parents who demand the attention of the AD and principal and there is significant noise to encourage their ouster.

- Combining just these first several observations alone, the idea of playing Johnny over Jimmy because Johnny is someone's son or somehow otherwise "favored" or "one of their guys" for any reasons other than skill sets, proven success, attitude and effort is just comical to me.  

- All parents, to some degree, will have rose-colored glasses when it comes to their own kids.  They want the best for their kids and only want good things to happen for them.  This is their job.  If player 1 is better at A,B,C,D,E,F and G but player 2 is better at X, player 2's parents will focus on X.  If player 1 is a much better offensive player but player 2 has the edge on defense, player 2's parents will focus on the defensive comparison. 

- When player 2's parents discuss their son with player 9,10 and 11's parents and talk about player 2 being better at X, those other parents will often do the courteous thing and nod in agreement and sympathy, thus (often unintentionally) feeding the fire to the idea that player 2 is being cheated.

- Baseball is one of the most difficult sports when it comes to analyzing skill sets and projecting who is likely to perform the best in game situations.  It is the sport that is most inclined to have armchair coaching from the stands and second guessing.

- As others have said, stats can be very tricky in HS baseball.  While they usually eventually tell an accurate story, this is not always the case.  Beyond the small sample size issue - Most bench players will get opportunities to play only against inferior opponents.  As a result, it is not uncommon for them to have better numbers than starters.   This is a common source of parent complaints.  Even when every player and coach on the team know there is no doubt that the starting player is better, the parent of the non-starter will argue that his/her son has better numbers and, therefore, must be better or at least deserve a better chance.  Old School's comment about the eye test is very valid.

- Better, more seasoned pitchers will get scheduled the tougher games.  So, often, the next tier of pitchers will have better numbers because they are matched against lesser opponents.  Same problem often arises here with parents.  "Why is my kid not getting the playoff start?"  "Why is my kid not in the rotation this week?"   "Look at his numbers!  They are better!"

- Failure.  Again, even when it is clear to players and coaches that player A is better than player B, if player A is struggling, hitting only .200, losing games on the mound, etc., parents of player B cannot understand why their son isn't playing instead.  "He hit over .400 in travel.  I know he would do better than player A".

- Coaches are often dealing with outside factors parents are unaware of...  eligibility, illness, injury, attitude/behavior issues, etc.

- Coaches often factor in variables parents are unaware of ...  matchups, hot hand, effects of other position moves, etc.

- Every coach (and parent) assigns different weight to different aspects of the game and it is a constantly moving target.  There is give and take to almost all decisions.  Do we need more offense or better defense at that position?  More power or more speed?  More experience or more athleticism?  And often, more realistically, are his weaknesses likely to hurt us more than the other's weaknesses?

- Many parents and players get caught up with the thought process of "my son was always better than Jimmy, ever since T-ball".  But, now, Jimmy is working out regularly and/or playing travel ball all year while Johnny is only playing baseball for the months of the HS season.  The pecking order changes for the first time.  Can be hard to accept or recognize for a parent.

- HS V is often the first time that many parents and players face the challenge of possibly not being one of the best nine.  This can be difficult to deal with.

- "My son was the best player on JV".  Quite often, an athletic player will have success at the JV level but swing mechanics are such that they will struggle vs. varsity pitching or their pitching stuff and approach will not succeed against varsity hitters.  Coaches are trying to build a team that can defeat their toughest opponents, not just one that will win against inferior teams.

- HS V is often the first time that the structure is such that not everyone plays in most games.  This can be tough to deal with and one common reaction is to question why they are not getting more playing time.  This starts the cycle.

- For many players, they usually have a reasonably realistic view of where they stand talent-wise among the group... until they get home and parents feed them a steady diet of "you're better than Jimmy, you should be playing... ".

- It is human nature as spectators to play armchair quarterback and question decisions.  X10 when your team is losing.  One of my favorite pastimes.

- It is my experience that maybe 5% of the time, there is actually a real question as to who should be playing and sitting on a given day.  And, even then, there can be a strong case made for either choice.  The other 95% falls under one of the perception issues mentioned above.

 

Definitely seems like a pretty accurate synopsis of most situations.  There are definitely situations that I have witnessed, where a kid got the shaft, but for the most part, the kid just wasn't good enough.  I do agree that those that are generally crying "politics!" are the ones with kids that just aren't good enough.

Cabbagedad, EXACTLY!!         

Folks that moan & groan & cry in their beer need to learn & then TEACH their kid what TEAM is all about. Years before HS...It's NOT all about little Johnny. 

Folks that are card carrying members of the "I Heard Club"...need to resign from that organization post haste! 

CaCO3Girl posted:
RKBH posted:

Great news  - my son got an at bat tonight, hit the ball, got on 1st....but the next batter hit a fielder's choice and he was out at 2nd.  But he got to play...and I am so glad for that!!!!!

Very cool!  I'm happy for him :-)

Me too - that is all I wanted was for him to have a chance...he got it tonight and performed.  But I am sure he will sit at the next game tomorrow...District finals...play for 1st or 2nd in District and then on to states!!  But he was part of the game and that is all that matters.

rynoattack posted:
cabbagedad posted:

FWIW, some common observations from a HS coach's perspective...  (yes, I realize there are exceptions)...

 

- The vast majority of HS coaches are very competitive (whether outwardly or inwardly) and do not like to lose.  They take their wins and losses to heart.

- Coaching HS requires a very significant time commitment, usually for very little pay.  One of the few rewards is to develop a program that the players (and coaches) can take pride in.   This means, among other things, playing as well as you can in games.  This means putting the nine players on the field that give the team the best chance to do so.

- On average, HS coaches have some level of experience that reaches the college level.  In our area, it is very unusual for any of the HS programs to not have at least a staff member or two, usually more, that have some college experience or above.  I have also been around a few HS coaches without college experience who are/were very good HS coaches.  While playing experience doesn't necessarily translate into coaching effectiveness, the point is that most HS coaches are not the clueless idiots they are so often made out to be here on HSBBCoachbashingWEb.   There is usually some solid background.  They typically go through an interview process to assure that is the case.

- The coaches are with the players practicing three hours a day, five or six days a week for several months.  They see, more than anyone, what skill sets, attitude and effort are being displayed by each player at the present.

- Most HS programs have multiple coaches on the staff and all will express, to varying degrees, their opinions on the talent level and fit of each player.  While the HC has the final say, it is rarely without some influence of the observations of the other coaches.  So, playing decisions are usually a collective decision by those working with the group every day.

- HS coaches DO face pressure if they don't win.  Perhaps they don't face the same types of pressure as college coaches.  But, if they don't win, admin will always be looking for better options.  More so, if they don't win, there are far more disgruntled parents who demand the attention of the AD and principal and there is significant noise to encourage their ouster.

- Combining just these first several observations alone, the idea of playing Johnny over Jimmy because Johnny is someone's son or somehow otherwise "favored" or "one of their guys" for any reasons other than skill sets, proven success, attitude and effort is just comical to me.  

- All parents, to some degree, will have rose-colored glasses when it comes to their own kids.  They want the best for their kids and only want good things to happen for them.  This is their job.  If player 1 is better at A,B,C,D,E,F and G but player 2 is better at X, player 2's parents will focus on X.  If player 1 is a much better offensive player but player 2 has the edge on defense, player 2's parents will focus on the defensive comparison. 

- When player 2's parents discuss their son with player 9,10 and 11's parents and talk about player 2 being better at X, those other parents will often do the courteous thing and nod in agreement and sympathy, thus (often unintentionally) feeding the fire to the idea that player 2 is being cheated.

- Baseball is one of the most difficult sports when it comes to analyzing skill sets and projecting who is likely to perform the best in game situations.  It is the sport that is most inclined to have armchair coaching from the stands and second guessing.

- As others have said, stats can be very tricky in HS baseball.  While they usually eventually tell an accurate story, this is not always the case.  Beyond the small sample size issue - Most bench players will get opportunities to play only against inferior opponents.  As a result, it is not uncommon for them to have better numbers than starters.   This is a common source of parent complaints.  Even when every player and coach on the team know there is no doubt that the starting player is better, the parent of the non-starter will argue that his/her son has better numbers and, therefore, must be better or at least deserve a better chance.  Old School's comment about the eye test is very valid.

- Better, more seasoned pitchers will get scheduled the tougher games.  So, often, the next tier of pitchers will have better numbers because they are matched against lesser opponents.  Same problem often arises here with parents.  "Why is my kid not getting the playoff start?"  "Why is my kid not in the rotation this week?"   "Look at his numbers!  They are better!"

- Failure.  Again, even when it is clear to players and coaches that player A is better than player B, if player A is struggling, hitting only .200, losing games on the mound, etc., parents of player B cannot understand why their son isn't playing instead.  "He hit over .400 in travel.  I know he would do better than player A".

- Coaches are often dealing with outside factors parents are unaware of...  eligibility, illness, injury, attitude/behavior issues, etc.

- Coaches often factor in variables parents are unaware of ...  matchups, hot hand, effects of other position moves, etc.

- Every coach (and parent) assigns different weight to different aspects of the game and it is a constantly moving target.  There is give and take to almost all decisions.  Do we need more offense or better defense at that position?  More power or more speed?  More experience or more athleticism?  And often, more realistically, are his weaknesses likely to hurt us more than the other's weaknesses?

- Many parents and players get caught up with the thought process of "my son was always better than Jimmy, ever since T-ball".  But, now, Jimmy is working out regularly and/or playing travel ball all year while Johnny is only playing baseball for the months of the HS season.  The pecking order changes for the first time.  Can be hard to accept or recognize for a parent.

- HS V is often the first time that many parents and players face the challenge of possibly not being one of the best nine.  This can be difficult to deal with.

- "My son was the best player on JV".  Quite often, an athletic player will have success at the JV level but swing mechanics are such that they will struggle vs. varsity pitching or their pitching stuff and approach will not succeed against varsity hitters.  Coaches are trying to build a team that can defeat their toughest opponents, not just one that will win against inferior teams.

- HS V is often the first time that the structure is such that not everyone plays in most games.  This can be tough to deal with and one common reaction is to question why they are not getting more playing time.  This starts the cycle.

- For many players, they usually have a reasonably realistic view of where they stand talent-wise among the group... until they get home and parents feed them a steady diet of "you're better than Jimmy, you should be playing... ".

- It is human nature as spectators to play armchair quarterback and question decisions.  X10 when your team is losing.  One of my favorite pastimes.

- It is my experience that maybe 5% of the time, there is actually a real question as to who should be playing and sitting on a given day.  And, even then, there can be a strong case made for either choice.  The other 95% falls under one of the perception issues mentioned above.

 

Definitely seems like a pretty accurate synopsis of most situations.  There are definitely situations that I have witnessed, where a kid got the shaft, but for the most part, the kid just wasn't good enough.  I do agree that those that are generally crying "politics!" are the ones with kids that just aren't good enough.

Toughest part of baseball is that only 9 players are on the field at a time. Impressed with our coach, who so far, has managed to convince the other 11 players sitting on the bench that they are an important part of the team success. And they are. The trick is getting kids and their parents to believe it.

There is always bias (even some Cardinals Manager sometimes makes head scratching playing time decisions) but generally at the HS or college levels coaches will play the best players unless a player misconducted a lot. A coaches job security hinges on winning or losing and most HS coaches don't have that much talent that they can afford to sit one of the best players. Of course coaches have and ego and there are politics but in the end his job is to win and if he doesn't someone else will get the job.

Most of the time playing time decisions that are complicated will be about the middle of the back and fringy players, the best guys usually play all the time and often too much (pitching and catching the same game...)

Look, I don't want to offend any of the coaches on this board.  Some of them are great guys and seem like  fine coaches.  Some of them I would have been pleased to see coach my own son.  

But let's not kid ourselves!   Let's not pretend that High School coaching attracts the best and brightest baseball minds.   A helluva a lot of HS coaches are complete baseball idiots.  I'm not going to venture a guess at an exact percentage.   I suspect it's way less than 100%  but more than, say,  25% who shouldn't be let anywhere near a young and developing player.  

And of the non-idiots,  I  think probably only a precious few -- maybe 10% or so --  are more than just okay. 

Granted,   most HS coaches probably  played the game at some fairly high level, perhaps with some skill.  But having skill and teaching skill are two completely different things.   More importantly,   having once had talent oneself  and now having the ability to spot, evaluate, and develop  talent are also completely different things.

Think about how hard professional baseball works to evaluate players (and to develop them).  It turns out to be a REALLY hard thing  -- with both false positives and false negatives galore.

Think about the  sabermetric revolution in baseball.  Think of how  piss poor it revealed even long term professional scouts to be at evaluating talent.

I don't deny that maybe in the early days,  the punk kid nerdy stat heads -- many of whom never stepped on the field of play beyond, say, Little League, by the way -- may have  gone a wee bit overboard with the dissing of traditional scouting.    But probably only a wee bit.   Nowadays, I suspect,  any professional scout worth his salt will know a good dose of advanced statistics and will use those stats to augment his finely tuned eye.

So look  if old fashion professional scouts turn  out not to be all that  great at talent evaluation,   what makes anyone believe that HS coaches, as a collective --  who, let's admit it,   must be, on average, at about the bottom of the barrel in terms of those who can claim deep baseball knowledge  --   are some elite fraternity of baseball minds, with god-like wisdom to discern who deserves to play and who doesn't? 

Look I'm not saying that I wouldn't in general trust the coach over your average dad in the stands, who thinks he knows a great deal about talent evaluation because his  Little League  (or even Pony League -- which is a much superior brand of rec baseball)  teams  won a championship or two back in the day.  I would definitely trust almost all  coaches over that dad.   But that's a pretty low standard of comparison. 

Bottom line,  I'm not at all moved by High School coaches circling the wagons and defending their brethren as if they were part of some elite baseball fraternity.   I'm also not moved by all the kvetching from the sidelines by parents who know even less.   But let's be real people!

Last edited by SluggerDad
TPM posted:

Yes, lets get real. HS baseball is what it is. But many continue to complain, and will continue to complain. Forever.

Enjoy the moment, any moments, its not gonna make your son any less of a person because his HS coach is a jerk.

You said it perfectly!

My son just had his high school career ended (unexpectedly) by a fluke bad inning on Monday. Nobody expected it to end on Monday, and it did...that quick.

I have spent all week torturing myself with all the "what ifs" and things I wish I would have done differently these past four years. The time I wasted with negativity and complaints was completely unproductive, and in fact, was counterproductive to me enjoying these past four years as much as I should have.

I was fortunate that my son played (maybe not at the "right" position, as I saw it) and was very successful no matter where they put him. My son was having fun with his buddies and playing the game that he loved...and yet I focused too much on the negative...not really taking the time to think that this ride was going to end.

Fortunately, I do get somewhat of a second chance in that he is playing in college, hopefully for the next four years. I am going to make it a point to flush the negative and only dwell on how awesome it is to be able to see him wear a baseball uniform for a few more years (and maybe if he is lucky, get to play some along the way).

So yes, there are tons of HS coaches out there that have no business buying a ticket to a baseball game, let alone coaching in one. But, in the big scheme of things, your son is making memories with some guys he will hopefully be friends with for a long, long time. Control what you can control, support him when he needs your support...but just enjoy the ride. It comes to a screeching halt much quicker than you ever imagine it will.

SluggerDad posted:
 

Look, I don't want to offend any of the coaches on this board.  ...

But let's not kid ourselves!   Let's not pretend that High School coaching attracts the best and brightest baseball minds.   A helluva a lot of HS coaches are complete baseball idiots.  I'm not going to venture a guess at an exact percentage.   I suspect it's way less than 100%  but more than, say,  25% who shouldn't be let anywhere near a young and developing player.  

And of the non-idiots,  I  think probably only a precious few -- maybe 10% or so --  are more than just okay. 

 

.... So look  if old fashion professional scouts turn  out not to be all that  great at talent evaluation,   what makes anyone believe that HS coaches, as a collective --  who, let's admit it,   must be, on average, at about the bottom of the barrel in terms of those who can claim deep baseball knowledge  --   are some elite fraternity of baseball minds, with god-like wisdom to discern who deserves to play and who doesn't? 

Look I'm not saying that I wouldn't in general trust the coach over your average dad in the stands, who thinks he knows a great deal about talent evaluation because his  Little League  (or even Pony League -- which is a much superior brand of rec baseball)  teams  won a championship or two back in the day.  I would definitely trust almost all  coaches over that dad.   But that's a pretty low standard of comparison. 

Bottom line,  I'm not at all moved by High School coaches circling the wagons and defending their brethren as if they were part of some elite baseball fraternity.   I'm also not moved by all the kvetching from the sidelines by parents who know even less.   But let's be real people!

Well, SD, I've always enjoyed our dialog here on HSBBW but I think you may have failed on your  objective in your opening statement    Some rather scathing commentary, even if not directed to those HS coaches "in the room".

Since mine is the post that probably most supports coaches in this thread, I assume your comments were, at least in part, in response to it.  Regarding your bottom line and "HS coaches circling the wagons and defending their brethren", you may be surprised to know that the majority of favorable responses and "likes" were from non-coaches.

Last edited by cabbagedad
cabbagedad posted:
SluggerDad posted:
 

Look, I don't want to offend any of the coaches on this board.  ...

But let's not kid ourselves!   Let's not pretend that High School coaching attracts the best and brightest baseball minds.   A helluva a lot of HS coaches are complete baseball idiots.  I'm not going to venture a guess at an exact percentage.   I suspect it's way less than 100%  but more than, say,  25% who shouldn't be let anywhere near a young and developing player.  

And of the non-idiots,  I  think probably only a precious few -- maybe 10% or so --  are more than just okay. 

 

.... So look  if old fashion professional scouts turn  out not to be all that  great at talent evaluation,   what makes anyone believe that HS coaches, as a collective --  who, let's admit it,   must be, on average, at about the bottom of the barrel in terms of those who can claim deep baseball knowledge  --   are some elite fraternity of baseball minds, with god-like wisdom to discern who deserves to play and who doesn't? 

Look I'm not saying that I wouldn't in general trust the coach over your average dad in the stands, who thinks he knows a great deal about talent evaluation because his  Little League  (or even Pony League -- which is a much superior brand of rec baseball)  teams  won a championship or two back in the day.  I would definitely trust almost all  coaches over that dad.   But that's a pretty low standard of comparison. 

Bottom line,  I'm not at all moved by High School coaches circling the wagons and defending their brethren as if they were part of some elite baseball fraternity.   I'm also not moved by all the kvetching from the sidelines by parents who know even less.   But let's be real people!

Well, SD, I've always enjoyed our dialog here on HSBBW but I think you may have failed on your  objective in your opening statement    Some rather scathing commentary, even if not directed to those HS coaches "in the room".

Since mine is the post that probably most supports coaches in this thread, I assume your comments were, at least in part, in response to it.  Regarding your bottom line and "HS coaches circling the wagons and defending their brethren", you may be surprised to know that the majority of favorable responses and "likes" were from non-coaches.

I liked both your posts.

There are some truly amazing coaches, some truly horrible coaches, and most are in between.

"But let's not kid ourselves!   Let's not pretend that High School coaching attracts the best and brightest baseball minds.   A helluva a lot of HS coaches are complete baseball idiots.  I'm not going to venture a guess at an exact percentage.   I suspect it's way less than 100%  but more than, say,  25% who shouldn't be let anywhere near a young and developing player.  

And of the non-idiots,  I  think probably only a precious few -- maybe 10% or so --  are more than just okay. "

10% of the entire legion of HS coaches are more than "just okay?" and more than 25% shouldn't be anywhere near HS players?

In my view, your position and these numbers seem pretty startling within an opinion which, in my view, could be used to exemplify why coaching at the HS level is so problematic.  To be candid, I would turn this around on you and suggest that 10% of the parents and probably less have adequate baseball and coaching knowledge to have a reasonable opinion on the quality of HS coaching and especially as it relates to playing time.  At its core, I might propose that every parent, especially  of a HS athlete, be mandated to attend training with a program like the Positive Coaching Alliance. Perhaps it would be prudent of have a similar program, along the lines of a "Positive Parenting Alliance?"

 

 

No question that the these 2 dads, Slugger and Cabbage, are among the most thoughtful posters here, and I think that both make their points well.

As for SD's most recent post, if I recall correctly his son's coaching situation was highly messed up. I think each parent's personal experience is likely the most important determinant of their overall take on the quality of HS coaching.

As for the Positive Parenting alliance, I'm in. But unfortunately I do know a few coaches who could learn a whole lot from the Positive Coaching Alliance's lessons about building kids up, not just tearing them down.

Last edited by JCG

When I was involved in  Pony League  (which is again much superior to Little League as Rec Ball) all coaches and assistant coaches were required to attend Positive Coaching Alliance.  Huge fan.

Yeah, my son's high school situation was messed up big time.  But my kid was a suck it up and keep your head down kind of guy.  But because of all the people we know through travel, showcasing, and just being a busy body, I know a lot about a lot of the programs in this area and  I know a lot of players and parents.    That comes with the turf of having a kid who was "all in" for much of his youth  (until he decided to hang em up) There are no doubt some great coaches in this area -- a few I would call legendary.  But believe me, there are some real dogs.  And this is a baseball hotbed, with TONS of guys trying to make some part of their living off their baseball credentials.  

Look, don't get me wrong.  The parents are no piece of cake.  A lot of the DADs have serious baseball credentials too.   Plus they are often quite successful silicon valley big-wigs who are used to throwing their weight around.  Hard to be an underpaid HS coach in this area, with those kind of folks carping from the sidelines. 

Last edited by SluggerDad

Generally, I would agree with you SD that problems can exist on each side.  Those certainly can be and are magnified in our area where there is so much wealth which can be translated, unfortunately, to power.

From experience, I don't think it is awfully hard to identify "bad coaches" or even good coaches who are doing a "bad job." Those two can be very different.

Where I have likely differences with you is my perspective that too many parents  are not able to recognize good coaches, doing a good job, who are successful in teaching and coaching the game (and life lessons within it). Far too often, those are the coaches being driven out of coaching  and far too often it is for the wrong reasons.

SluggerDad posted:

Look, I don't want to offend any of the coaches on this board.  Some of them are great guys and seem like  fine coaches.  Some of them I would have been pleased to see coach my own son.  

But let's not kid ourselves!   Let's not pretend that High School coaching attracts the best and brightest baseball minds.   A helluva a lot of HS coaches are complete baseball idiots.  I'm not going to venture a guess at an exact percentage.   I suspect it's way less than 100%  but more than, say,  25% who shouldn't be let anywhere near a young and developing player.  

And of the non-idiots,  I  think probably only a precious few -- maybe 10% or so --  are more than just okay. 

Granted,   most HS coaches probably  played the game at some fairly high level, perhaps with some skill.  But having skill and teaching skill are two completely different things.   More importantly,   having once had talent oneself  and now having the ability to spot, evaluate, and develop  talent are also completely different things.

Think about how hard professional baseball works to evaluate players (and to develop them).  It turns out to be a REALLY hard thing  -- with both false positives and false negatives galore.

Think about the  sabermetric revolution in baseball.  Think of how  piss poor it revealed even long term professional scouts to be at evaluating talent.

I don't deny that maybe in the early days,  the punk kid nerdy stat heads -- many of whom never stepped on the field of play beyond, say, Little League, by the way -- may have  gone a wee bit overboard with the dissing of traditional scouting.    But probably only a wee bit.   Nowadays, I suspect,  any professional scout worth his salt will know a good dose of advanced statistics and will use those stats to augment his finely tuned eye.

So look  if old fashion professional scouts turn  out not to be all that  great at talent evaluation,   what makes anyone believe that HS coaches, as a collective --  who, let's admit it,   must be, on average, at about the bottom of the barrel in terms of those who can claim deep baseball knowledge  --   are some elite fraternity of baseball minds, with god-like wisdom to discern who deserves to play and who doesn't? 

Look I'm not saying that I wouldn't in general trust the coach over your average dad in the stands, who thinks he knows a great deal about talent evaluation because his  Little League  (or even Pony League -- which is a much superior brand of rec baseball)  teams  won a championship or two back in the day.  I would definitely trust almost all  coaches over that dad.   But that's a pretty low standard of comparison. 

Bottom line,  I'm not at all moved by High School coaches circling the wagons and defending their brethren as if they were part of some elite baseball fraternity.   I'm also not moved by all the kvetching from the sidelines by parents who know even less.   But let's be real people!

Whether or not a high school has quality coaches often depends one what the rules are for coach selection. Our high school could hire outside the school district. The only rule was a coach without a teaching certificate could not be paid. If a high school must hire a teacher from the high school it's a severe limitation, especially if it's a small high school.

When my kids were little our high school was a doormat in everything but country club sports (four within district boundaries). A new AD was hired. He had been a rising star assistant AD at an athletically dominant very large high school. He went after every rising star assistant coach in the area. The high school became good in every sport by the time my kids were in high school. The high school eventually had to start hiring guidance counselors who understand the recruited athlete-student dynamic.

When I look back at my son's high school conference I believe all the team's coaches knew their stuff. This is from a watching them coach games perspective. There was one I didn't think too much of as a person based on his game day behavior. One of my travel player's dads told me I was right about him as a person.

So what is worse? A high school coach who isn't a quality baseball guy or isn't a quality human being? Personally I wouldn't want my kids around poor role models in high school. 

2019Dad posted:

SD, never mind about coaches, why do you think Pony is so superior to Little League? Open bases? Something else?

We taught 'em to play real baseball much sooner than LL.  Plus we had a club team for our best players that gave them exposure to a higher level of competition.  

Plus (though this wasn't quite a pure baseball thing)  we didn't let kids play "up".   We thus avoided LOTS of the politics that affected the LL down the street - cause in that league there was a big deal about some 10 years olds playing majors  (cause it was a keeper league and coaches would try and draft the best 10 year olds while they were young and have em for three years)  though these kids might end up sitting more than they would otherwise.  And some awkward 11 year olds being kept in AAA and playing with 9 year olds.   That had something to do with baseball, but also something to do with kid and parent management.   

 

Last edited by SluggerDad
RJM posted:

When I look back at my son's high school conference I believe all the team's coaches knew their stuff. This is from a watching them coach games perspective. There was one I didn't think too much of as a person based on his game day behavior. One of my travel player's dads told me I was right about him as a person.

So what is worse? A high school coach who isn't a quality baseball guy or isn't a quality human being? Personally I wouldn't want my kids around poor role models in high school. 

It's not as clear cut as quality human being or quality baseball guy.  Even the best human being, when in over their head because they are clueless, can turn into a clearly frustrated human being.

Head Coach former D1 guy, has a plan, knows his people.

JV coach, hired this year because they needed someone from the district and he said he played baseball back in high school, the guy was about 50. While he did stay the complete season he made it clear about 3 weeks before it ended (season was 6 weeks long) that he wouldn't be back next year.  4-21 was the JV record this year. Varsity made it to the state championship game.

I always feel bad when a parent feels the need to say other players suck.

If the player goes all out and gets hurt, there is a liability. Not sure its really important at this point for your son or anyone else to get hurt playing symmer ball.

Once again HS baseball is what it is. Dont get upset over what happens and dont talk to the coach about your sons playing time.

Im with the others.  No need to denigrate others.  I'n addition this is a public board, and by looking at your profile it probably wouldn't be too hard to track down what HS your son attends.  If you haven't already burnt bridges with the coach for your son, you may want to think twice before you post negative stuff about his coaching and his kids.

Add Reply

×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×